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They are available with all kinds of battery driven back up systems or you can even put in a second system that acts as a backup and monitor of the first. Probably a good thing to do.
Problem is, the back-up sump pumps are not that powerful. Nowhere near as good as a quality Zoeller pump. If you are out of town for a week and you lose power, a battery powered pump could easily run out after a day...depending on the number of cycles. That's why the whole idea is absurd. You are praying that a pump doesn't fail and the power doesn't go out. Who wants to deal with that stress? They need to figure out a way to waterproof basements better.
Problem is, the back-up sump pumps are not that powerful. Nowhere near as good as a quality Zoeller pump. If you are out of town for a week and you lose power, a battery powered pump could easily run out after a day...depending on the number of cycles. That's why the whole idea is absurd. You are praying that a pump doesn't fail and the power doesn't go out. Who wants to deal with that stress? They need to figure out a way to waterproof basements better.
Now you are off into the weird. You go away for a week it rains torrentially for days and the power goes off for days and/or your pump fails or fails to start back when the power comes back on and your back up pummp fails or does not start when the power comes back and then guy or neighbor you had check your place does not detect the alarm and the... Why not just drop an airplane on your house and be done with it?
These system can be set for whatever you think you need. If you have continuous heavy flow for a sustained period you go to dual pumps and a sophisticated backup. If you really think the electrical system could be out for a week you rig a email alarm system or two if you are that paranoid. Or you do what we do...our house is never vacant...ever.
The amount of ground water coming in to a basement foundation drain sump varies wildly. One house may depend on a pump with good capacity that runs many times a day. Another may only run occasionally after a heavy storm. Another may never need to run at all. A battery back up pump may be completely adequate for some homes. Of course in the event of an extended power outage some one would have to do something.
Our last house could go without power about 4 hours during a rain storm before the water would rise enough to be a problem. I had plenty of time to hook up a generator if needed. Most of the time power would be back on before any action was needed.
When we went looking for our next home, we didn't want to hear any trickle of water in the basement sump.
One winter while we were away in Florida a outside water faucet somehow was on but frozen so no water flowed. The weather warmed up, the water started flowing, the snow & ice channeled the water to a basement window, the inlaws checking on the house didn't notice the sound of water flowing in the quiet house, nor the water flowing in the back yard, the next door neighbor had a direct view of the running water outside but felt they should not interfere, at some point somebody discovered the basement was flooded, one or two feet of water, not sure, I was in Florida. Nobody knows how to do anything but I could have talked them through it on the phone. I had called my brother to go over there, he can do stuff. This was before everybody had cell phones. A phone wire on the flooded basement floor took out the phone line. All I knew is people were supposed to be there and nobody would answer the phone. At one point I called the local police and explained the situation, to see if they would go see what was going on. Eventually somebody called me back. I think the sump pump failed too, but It was a long time ago and I don't remember much more detail.
My sump pump unfortunately runs all the time due to my strreturn having a high water table. I have a battery backup but feel that isn't enough for a prolong power outage. I'm going to install a water backup pump along with keeping my existing backup system. Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this? I wish there were a way to keep the water away from my house without relying on mechanical pumps.
My sump pump unfortunately runs all the time due to my strreturn having a high water table. I have a battery backup but feel that isn't enough for a prolong power outage. I'm going to install a water backup pump along with keeping my existing backup system. Does anyone have any experience with a setup like this? I wish there were a way to keep the water away from my house without relying on mechanical pumps.
How is the elevation? If you can get to a spot below the bottom of the basement it can done. If you are flat you are going to learn to love the sump pumps. No particular reason why you cannot put in two pumps or two back up pumps or what you like. I would lean toward a back up system that could run for twice as long as the worst power outage you think likely.
Maks sure it is set up so the pumps all pump out and not back through a dead pump. If pumping against a significant head you need check valves.
I was renting in an old house that was divided into four apartments (one on each floor) and the land lord asked me if the sump pump might be in the attic! I had to explain to him where HIS sump pump was. ROTFLMAO
Now you are off into the weird. You go away for a week it rains torrentially for days and the power goes off for days and/or your pump fails or fails to start back when the power comes back on and your back up pummp fails or does not start when the power comes back and then guy or neighbor you had check your place does not detect the alarm and the... Why not just drop an airplane on your house and be done with it?
These system can be set for whatever you think you need. If you have continuous heavy flow for a sustained period you go to dual pumps and a sophisticated backup. If you really think the electrical system could be out for a week you rig a email alarm system or two if you are that paranoid. Or you do what we do...our house is never vacant...ever.
Thank you very much for making me laugh out loud and now my boyfriend thinks I'm messaging someone.
Sump pumps are brilliant mechanical apparatuses. As with anything mechanical, it will eventually break and needs periodic inspection.
One problem with having 2 or even 3 sump pumps in a
sump pit (yes, some people have 3) is that it makes them operate even more. The more crap in the pit, the less room water has, thus it rises even faster. I had a high quality Zoeller sump pump that I replaced with a new one every 3 years. It ran a ton, even during winter or a drought. I wasn't taking any chances. I also had a battery back-up system and a small generator. Better safe than sorry.
One problem with having 2 or even 3 sump pumps in a
sump pit (yes, some people have 3) is that it makes them operate even more. The more crap in the pit, the less room water has, thus it rises even faster. I had a high quality Zoeller sump pump that I replaced with a new one every 3 years. It ran a ton, even during winter or a drought. I wasn't taking any chances. I also had a battery back-up system and a small generator. Better safe than sorry.
Bigger deeper pit. These are design decisions. Double the depth and stagger the height of the pumps. Then the second has no impact on the first. I would also consider running two drain pipes. Like that better than check valves.
They withdraw water around and under the basement which often collects irregardless of terrain, water table, etc.. Just a heavy rainstorm in some cases can have your basement literally floating like a ship if there's no weep lines to extract that water. Formerly, in areas with city sewers placed several feet below the basements, the weep lines which surround the house and run beneath the basement just discharged into the sewer main. Recently, storm drainage and sanitary sewers must be separate in many areas. I'm not sure why. In any event basemented houses without city sewage lines have to have a sump pump to withdraw that water. It is merely a pump that gets activated when enough water has accumulated in the cistern within which it sits, to pump out that water accumulated from under the house.
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