Backup Sump Pump

By Author: waterproofing
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Most homes have sump pumps as a way to guard against flooding in the basement. These pumps are found down in a sump basin; an area below the home where permanent drains pull water down under the basement. Once the water collects in the sump the sump pump pushes that water up and out, often putting it into a dry well or into a municipal storm drain whose sole purpose is to collect water with nowhere else to go.

But what happens when the sump pump breaks?

If the home owner is lucky then the water will collect slowly in the sump, providing plenty of time to get the problem fixed. If there's a lot of water, such as from rain storms or from a high water table though, then it's much more likely that the basement is going to be flooded. This can lead to all kinds of problems, from damage to carpets and furniture to mold and mildew that will take a lot of time, effort, and money to get rid of.

This is the main reason why smart homeowners have a back up sump pump.

As the name suggests a backup sump pump is a secondary pump that can take over for the main ...
... pump in the event something happens. If the main pump breaks then the backup takes over, but other circumstances like a power outage might also kick on the backup pump. These pumps tend to run off of rechargeable batteries, and batteries can even be switched out during crisis situations to keep the backup pump going.

On the one hand a sump pump is not supposed to break down; it's the first line of defense against flooding basements, ground water, and having too much moisture in the lowest level of the home that is your castle. On the other hand though these pumps can and do break, go offline, or lose their power sources when homeowners need them most. It's for that reason that it's beyond a good idea to have a backup sump pump ready to pick up the slack and make sure that water keeps getting pushed out of the home's sump and into another location where it won't do any damage to the home.