those of us with basements, I’m sure I don’t have to explain how important our sumps pumps are. Let one fail just one time and you’ll remember it forever! Here are a couple smart ideas that will help you save money, prevent damage to your property and a whole lot of hassle in the event of a water emergency.
One option is what’s called a high water safety alarm. It is 9-volt battery operated and has a sensor that you place where, if water reaches the sensor, it sends an audible alarm alerting you to the potential hazard.
Want a more automatic solution? How about a back up sump pump? It’s a secondary sump pump that “kicks in” if your main sump pump fails or even if you have a power outage.
There are two types of back up sump pumps.
Batter-operated backup — This secondary sump pump is mounted just above the existing sump pump and runs off of DC current (a car battery) hooked up to an AC powered battery charger to make sure it’s fully charged and ready to go when you least expect it.
City water backup — This backup sump pump is mounted the same way, but uses water for its energy source or what we call hydropower. If the main sump pump fails, a switch is triggered, turning on the city water, which is connected to a small pump. The pump then begins evacuating the water that is in the sump crock along with the water that is being used to turn the pump. Completely automatic, with no external power source needed!
No matter which solution you choose, it’s better to be safe than sorry. A backup system or even a simple alarm can keep you high and dry and your home healthy and safe.
Joel Wensley is a licensed mechanical contractor in Michigan, a member of the Comfort Institute and is also the president of Mechanical Heating & Cooling in Dearborn Heights.