How to Find the Right Combination To Prevent Basement Flooding
If your home has a basement, there’s a pretty good chance it has an electric sump pump or two in it. A sump pump operates by mechanically pumping rain and groundwater away from your home so it doesn’t enter your basement and cause flooding. Since sump pumps are usually found tucked away in your basement, they’re usually an “out of sight, out of mind” item that you simply expect to work all of the time. Many homes contain a primary pump which provides pretty good peace of mind during rainy weather.
But what happens during extended periods of heavy rains and stormy weather, especially if your home is prone to losing electricity during bad weather? Without electricity, your primary sump pump will stop working, which can result in a flooded mess in your basement. The best assurance you can give yourself to make sure this never happens is to install a battery backup sump pump system or a whole house generator.
Read on or call the drain and sewer experts at Reid & Pederson for help today!
South Suburbs
NW Indiana
Sump Pump Battery Backups
Let’s take a look at battery backup systems first. What exactly does a battery-powered backup system do? It’s simple – if your primary electric pump fails due to a power outage, the battery-powered pump kicks on, takes over and ejects the water away from your home.
How long can you expect your sump pump battery backup system to keep things dry in the event of a power outage? Well, the answer to this varies depending on how much water enters your sump pit and also on the amount of battery capacity available with the backup system. If your home is situated on a high water table, then your pump will be forced to run more often, causing the battery on the backup system to drain faster than without these conditions.
Sump Pump Backup Installation
When installing a sump pump battery backup, it is very important to make sure that you install one of the correct size and type for your basement and your drainage conditions. Here at Reid & Pederson, we recommend and install the Aquanot brand. Running around $1,800, the cost may seem pricey, but since you want a backup system that will pump the equivalent amount of gallons as your primary one does, this system is a great choice and provides plenty of assurance that the system is doing just that.
Installing just any brand of backup system can lead to wasted money and a false sense of security if in the end it’s not pumping out the same number of gallons that your primary pump does. If you’re unsure of this, give us a call and we will be happy to discuss your situation with you.
Whole House Generators
And for complete peace of mind during power outages? A whole house generator is your answer. A whole home generator turns on immediately after a power outage, leaving you with zero worry that your sump pump will stop working and your basement will flood. A whole house generator is especially useful if your home is prone to losing power because it keeps your entire house running during the outage. All home systems continue to operate and there’s no worries about ruined food in the fridge, stifling heat or a freezing cold home.
Although a home generator can be pricey, running anywhere from $6,000 – $10,000, the peace of mind and money you can possibly save by making the investment is priceless. If you’re considering a whole home generator, we recommend installing two electrical sump pumps alongside it. That way, if your first pump stops working for any reason, the second pump will kick on and you’ll always have a working pump – and the reassurance that your basement will always remain dry.
Sump Pump Repair & Maintenance
While a sump pump is useful in keeping your basement dry, it is important to remember that maintenance is a critical part of keeping it working correctly. There are some simple steps you can take to maintain the operation of your pump such as listening for any strange noises coming from it, replacing the battery on your back up pump every 3-5 years, and going outside of your house to physically take a look and ensure that it is actually doing its job of pumping water away from your home.
If you begin to experience any of these issues or if you suspect any other problems with your sump pump, reach out to us at Reid & Pederson Drainage. Also be sure to check out our “5 Sump Pump Problems & How to Fix Them” blog post!
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