Why It’s Important to Have a Battery Backup for Your Sump Pump

In many areas of the country, a sump pump is an extremely valuable device. Many Chicagoland homeowners have a main sump pump, and most modern pumps are powered by electricity.

The purpose of the pump is to prevent a basement from getting flooded. While most pumps can handle the task, several different problems can occur, which can prevent the pump from doing its job. Some common issues that can cause a sump pump to stop working are:

• The pump becomes clogged with debris.
• The pump’s level control fails are becomes obstructed.
• Your home loses electricity.
• A mechanical problem causes the pump to fail.

All of these issues can render your pump nearly useless. A battery backup is an excellent way to make sure your pump can continue to run when these problems arise.

If you have a battery backup, you’ll still have a viable defense, so if the power goes out and excess water creeps in, your pump will be ready to remove the excess water. Without a backup, you might have to deal with the aggravation and frustration caused by a flooded basement.

Excessive amounts of water can ruin your furniture, property and possessions. You should know that there are three major types of backup systems to choose from. However, you can get by with nothing more than a battery backup.

How a Battery Backup Works

Although it might be hard to believe, a battery backup for your pump isn’t really a battery. It’s actually a pump system that is separate from your main pump. In most cases, the battery backup is installed in a location that is adjacent to your main pump.

A typical backup system runs on a 24 or 12-volt DC power supply. As professional plumbers, we can install it into your primary discharge pipe, or we can install it with its own discharge pipe. A typical battery backup has a designated float switch, so when the water level inside of your home rises inside of your sump, the float is raised, and the pump will activate.

There are several important reasons why the battery backup behaves this way. First, the battery backup is capable of assisting the main pump if additional help is needed. For example, the backup will assist when the main pump cannot remove excessive amounts of water.

In the event of a power outage, the battery backup will assume the role of the main pump and remove water from your home. The backup pump provides assistance while power is being restored. It can also buy you the precious time that you need to have the primary pump serviced.

With a full battery, a typical backup pump can run for several days, which should be enough time to get the primary pump running again. Modern battery backup pumps have several advanced features and can alert homeowners when:

• The primary pump fails.
• The unit isn’t receiving enough power.
• The fluid inside of the battery is low.
• The battery terminals have become corroded.
• The pump is defective.

Many newer backup pumps also have export terminals, so Chicagoland homeowners can connect the system to an auto-dialer, which can send alerts to designated contact numbers.

The Importance of a Battery Backup

In many areas of the country, natural disasters are occurring much more frequently. Some areas are getting hit by major earthquakes while others have fallen victim to flooding. To protect a crawlspace or basement, many homeowners are having a sump installed.

It’s important to have a primary pump, but it’s even more important to have a battery backup. A number of conditions can cause a primary pump to fail. Power outages are very common causes of primary pump failure. When the primary pump isn’t getting electricity, it cannot protect your home from flooding.

There is always the risk of the float getting stuck, and mechanical problems can occur at any time. With all of these potential disasters looming over your head, it’s extremely important to have a backup plan, and there are several benefits to letting us install a battery backup in your home.

Benefits of a Battery Backup

Once we’ve installed a battery backup in your home, it acts like a second pump because it is a second pump. In most cases, we prefer to install the backup right next to your primary pump. After the backup has been installed, it will relieve the primary pump if flooding begins to occur.

The backup can also activate when the primary pump stops working. Since the battery backup isn’t dependent on your home’s power supply, it can function when there is no electricity flowing into your home. Since it has its own battery, it can get power whenever it needs it.

The greatest benefit of having a battery backup is the peace of mind that it gives you. If your home begins to flood, the backup system can save the day. Another benefit is that the backup can support your primary pump.

During a strong storm, your primary pump might get overwhelmed, so it won’t be able to pump water out of your home fast enough. When this happens, the backup pump will activate and close the gap in performance, which keeps your home safe.

A battery backup is also useful when the primary pump fails. The backup pump should be able to determine if the primary pump fails, so it can activate and give you time to fix or replace the primary pump.

Protect Your Belongings

In most cases, a primary pump should have no trouble protecting your basement or crawlspace. However, there will come a time when the primary pump fails, and a battery backup is needed to remove water from the basement and protect your belongings.

As professional plumbers, we can make sure your home is equipped with the proper backup, so you never have to worry about your basement during power outages, natural disasters or mechanical failures.

We offer affordable installation pricing and can get your home equipped with some of the newest backup pumps on the market.

For quality services in your Chicagoland, IL home, call Jim Wagner Plumbing, Inc. at (630) 577-9241.