# Sub pumps



## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

*I have a pedicel pump.looking for a battery backup .Anyone c an recommend a good one
*


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

I have had several. None were good. Following


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Chromedoggy said:


> I have had several. None were good. Following


Thanks I had tha feeling.I just have to worry if electric goes out when Iam not home my basement will flood in two hours.


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

retired dundo said:


> Thanks I had tha feeling.I just have to worry if electric goes out when Iam not home my basement will flood in two hours.


If you have city water, I hear the water powered units work, I always had battery operated


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Nope well


Chromedoggy said:


> If you have city water, I hear the water powered units work, I always had battery operated


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

had a battery unit and it failed from lack of use. Reliable generator would be my only suggestion.


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## DigitalGuru (Feb 25, 2019)

Do you have wattage / amps for your pump? I purchased in 2014 an APC Back-UPS Pro 1500VA UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector (BR1500G) for my computer. I've replaced the battery once and so far so good. You can add an external battery pack to run it longer. Not sure how long it would run your pump though.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I've rigged up a tube with a check valve out one of my easement windows so I can hook up my deep cycle battery and bilge pump from my 14' boat in a few minutes and pump it out. Two battery powered water alarms down there too to let me know when things get wet.

However, I need to be home when it happens, and I need to have enough charge on the deep cycle to outlast the power outage...


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Menards sells (or at least they used to) "Simer Ace in the Hole" battery back-up sump pumps. I plumbed one in-line with my regular pump, but mine also failed after about 10 years due to never cycling. Just froze up. If you would exercise it on a regular basis, it would probably be fine, but I ended up going the standby generator route. I now have two regular sump pumps in-line and feel much better. The battery backups will only run for about 8 hours and then your battery dies. So they don't do you any good if you are out of town for the weekend.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

I use a Basement Watchdog from 15-20 years ago. Still seems to work fine as I run it once a month. I say fine because it hasn't been truly tested to see if the system will run for 4+ hours in a long time.

The information about how long the battery will run the system have to include how many times the pump kicks on. If your pump kicks on 25 times a day, the battery backup will probably last 3-5 days. If it kicks on 10 times an hour, then yes, 8 hours is probably the limit.

Also, pay attention to your sump pit, if it is small, it will be hard to get a pump and a backup in the same pit. I recommend the pedestal pumps as your primary, as the floats on the submersibles do not last more than 2 years, and have a tendency to catch on the walls keeping them up/on and running too long which pulls air into your pipes. Will even put an airlock above your checkvalves that your battery backup cannot push thru.

Also, a battery backup will not pump as many gallons per hour as your primary pump. So if your primary pump is working hard.....say 30 times an hour, then your battery backup may not actually be able to pump your sump pit down.

The only thing that beats a battery backup sump pump is a Generac generator, but your looking at $5000-15000 to install one. Versus $400-600 for a backup + a deep cycle battery.


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## cliftp (Jan 13, 2007)

retired dundo said:


> *I have a pedicel pump.looking for a battery backup .Anyone c an recommend a good one
> *


Hi retired dundo I was one of the people in South West Michigan who came home to a flooded basement. We were dry for 26 years, didn't even own a sump pump. Long story, but to your point, a company called Stay Dry out of Lansing put a dewatering system in my house. I have two sump pits, two sump pumps, made in Kalamazoo Michigan, not sure of the brand, just remember from the brochure and two battery back ups, one for each pit with their own separate 12 volt sump pump. Stay Dry seems to have a nice sump pump system that has a battery back up built in as part of it. The battery, a 12 volt deep cycle is hooked to a full time charger/reporting device so I can keep track of the system. The only month the pumps have not worked was January this year. In February it moved 5,929 gallons from under my house. We also have a Generac whole house generator. I am "trying" to refuse to ever have water in my basement again. So far so good. Dry as a bone down there. Here is the company I used web site. https://staydrywaterproofing.com I know they will install just their sump pumps in your basement. The problem may be room for both pumps. I ended up with new sump pits also. 

Wish you the best, water in the basement is not fun!

Paul C


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## junkman (Jan 14, 2010)

CrawlerHarness said:


> The only thing that beats a battery backup sump pump is a Generac generator, but your looking at $5000-15000 to install one.


Get water in the basement and that whole house generator starts sounding like a good deal.I had a minor flood and it did more than $10,000 in damage.Not to mention the things that money just can't replace.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

Just a very important note. Do not plug your battery backup pump into the same circuit as your regular pump. 

Neighbor's were gone for a week......and their main pump seized up and tripped the circuit breaker. Unfortunately his battery backup was plugged in same circuit, so his backup did not recharge and failed after XX hours. They came back to 10 inches of water in the basement.


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## Uber-Schneider (Apr 5, 2008)

Had a bad storm at my house when I lived in PA, and working away from home during the week. Power went out, my boys tried emptying the sump pit as best they could using dishpans and the downstairs tub, but we still got partially flooded. Found out the cheap rubber flapper on the check valve was blown clear out and water was coming back in every time the rain fell working the pump extra. *Don't skimp on quality unless you like swimming in your basement.*


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## Bruce William (Feb 11, 2004)

Watch dog from Home Depot.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

I wouldn't call it cheap. Those rubber flappers wear out over time. I keep 2 extras sitting in my sump pump room. I have had 2 of them wear out as well. But you should be able to hear the water come back in after each pump cycle. The water will swoosh back in at the end of a cycle. So only about half of the water pumped


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

You should also have a venturi back up system as well. It can save your bacon.


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