Basement Terms: Battery Backup Sump pump – what it is, what it does, and why so many people are confused.

Over this past week I must have fielded somewhere close to 1000 phone calls dealing with people’s flooding issues in places like Milton, MA; Warwick, RI; and Newton, MA. One of the questions that I’ve gotten from many, oddly enough, is what’s the point of having a battery back up sump pump installed in the first place.

2^nd pump to help with volume.

First and for most, it’s a separate pump. Yes! It’s not just a battery that’s there to be hooked up; it’s a completely different pump from a standard sump pump. This means a couple good things for you as a homeowner!

First: It’s designed to back up the pump you have! Even some of the best pumps in flooding situations get overwhelmed with the amount of water they have to pump out of a basement. If the water comes in faster than a pump can pump it, then what’s to stop the water from getting in your basement? That’s where the battery backup can come in handy! It can act as a normal pump to backup the pump that’s installed; helping to handle volumes of water that 1 sump pump would normally fail to move.

Secondly, it can run on both battery power and normal electricity! This is the best of both worlds. You get a second pump to keep you dry when you’re power’s off, but you also get a pump that can operate when the Nor’easters cause the lights to go out in your neighborhood.

Depending on the type of battery backup sump pump you buy you can actually add power to it. The 2400s that Pioneer uses can actually carry up to 3 batteries to give you a combined total of approximately 21 hours of continuous pumping protection.

A Few words of caution:

I) If you’re in an area that’s prone to longer power outages of more than 2-3 days, a generator for your home might still be needed. Yes, a back up pump can help, but it can’t be guaranteed to work in a time frame that exceeds the power of the batteries it’s attached to.

II) A sump pump can’t solve all basement flooding issues. Moisture comes in the basement in a few different ways and a sump pump can only truly protect you against rising water under the slab of your basement floor. They aren’t designed to protect against foundation wall crack leaks, water coming over the foundation of the home, or water coming over the footing/wall joint and into the basement.

III) Size matters: A 1/3 HP pump can only do so much, having a pump that meets the same size as your standard AC pump is a good choice. For places along the shore or in areas that normally get high volumes of water during the rainy season, it’s possible that you’ll want to start with a stronger AC pump all together. Normal sizes for these are 1/3, ½, or Full HP. (1 HP).

Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Storm Ready Basements: Generators vs. Battery Back up Sump pumps.

Pioneer Basement has always suggested battery back up sump pump units be installed when you have a waterproofing system installed. It’s good common sense. If your power goes out you have a window of safe operating time until you need your power turned back on or emergency service. Keeping your basement from getting wet is a top priority.

However, it is still highly recommended that you also have a generator for your home.

If I’m already protected with a battery back up sump pump, why should I get a generator?

A totally reasonable question. If your battery back up unit has 1 or more batteries that are chained together to provide you with power, simply weigh your options. What’s the back up time on that battery? 7, 8, 16 hours?

If a battery has a limited operating time to provide power a generator can add to that protection. Most battery back up sump pump units use AC power when the power is on in the home and automatically switches to Battery Power once the power is out. By having a generator you allow your battery back up to stay charged longer and continue to run off AC power.

A battery provides a finite amount of power for a finite amount of time. It’s always best to have another plan. Generators are good for the whole home, not just for the sump pump.


Why buy a battery back up then if I’m going to be protected with a Generator?

Another excellent question. Generators also have limits. Most have fuel that needs to be added and can only maintain a particular power level for so long. Once the fuel runs out, the power it can generate runs out. You still need a battery back up sump pump in this case to run off battery power rather then just fully rely on AC power to operate.

With these past storms Pioneer Basement had many customers call whom still required battery back up units. Some of whom called with water in their basements now realizing that it’s a smart choice to have a battery operated sump pump installed.

Now, granted, most places don’t lose power for over 8 hours, however there were places in New Hampshire, Vermont and Northern Massachusetts these past two weeks that did loose power for over that time. The combination of Generator and Battery Back ups can give you a better fighting chance than just relying on an AC power sump pump alone.


Safety Tips for Dealing with Generators:
*like any type of motor powered equipment that emits CO2, run it outside. By running a generator in the basement with the windows closed you’re introducing carbon monoxide into the air supply. Basically it’s the same with running your car in a closed garage.

*When running an electrical line make sure that it’s properly insulated and that there are no kinks in the line and that the entire cord is covered with the plastic. (i.e. make sure there aren’t any cuts or openings you could walk on or touch while your generator is running.)

*When refueling the generator make sure to wear eye-protection and gloves to protect your hands. Make sure to turn the unit off when refueling to protect you and your home from a fire hazard.

Do you need to get your basement storm ready?

If you have a waterproofing system, thinking about getting one or just need something to give you a little bit of an edge in the next big storm, consider investing in a Battery Back-Up Sump Pump.

Battery Back-Up Sump Pumps are not just batteries that can be connected to an existing pump. They are typically whole separate units that require separate discharge lines as well. The higher quality units will also give you an alternator box to help recharge these batteries using AC power.

The nice thing is that these pumps don’t just come in handy during a power outage. They can be tailored to help out in any situation, using AC power or battery power. By simply placing the switch at a level that allows for the Battery Back up to kick in at a particular water level under your basement floor, you’ll set yourself up to add in pump redundancy. If the normal pump can’t handle the flow, the battery back up will turn on and jump in to “lend a hand.” BBU Sump pumps are essentially adding another two pumps to your line of defense against basement flooding. 1 pump that works when the power is on and another pump that works when the power is off.

With the massive storms blowing through over the next few weeks because of Hurricane season don’t forget to have a solid waterproofing company in your phone book in case you need an emergency pump out.

One such company is Pioneer Basement. Serving as far west in Massachusetts as Berkshire county, as far west in Connecticut as Hartford, all the way to the shore lines of southern Rhode Island, and well back up into Boston.

If you need an emergency pump out, if you want to stop the water from ever coming in again after this big storm, or you just want to get pumps to keep you well defended, get in touch with Pioneer Basement: the Basement Experts.

How safe are Battery Back ups for Sump Pumps?

The right word is Extremely.

Battery back ups are low maintenance, encased in waterproof covers, usually accompanied with user control panels to monitor battery power levels and functionality.

Not all sump pumps can be powered by battery. Many companies supply sump pumps that are already designed to be powered by battery power. These would be the first option to a battery-back up sump pump system. Some are strong enough even to take over for the primary A/C power pump you have installed.

There are quite a few battery-back up sump pumps on the market. However, there are only some that are as versatile, strong, and rugged as the PHC-2400 Pro-Series Battery Back-Up pumps from Glentronics. Pioneer Basement has often supported the need for a battery back up. In New England Nor’easter storms, hurricanes, and heavy rain in spring and fall can, and often do, cause power outages.

By having 2 incased batteries supplying your sump pump with power; you give yourself an extra 18 hours of fighting chance to keep your basement dry under the worst of conditions.

There has been no record, that I have access to, of any major injuries with any battery back up system.

As with anything, there is some simple safety tips to familiarize yourself with if you choose to have a battery-back up sump pump system installed:

* Know when it needs to be maintained.
* If it’s refilled, what does it need, how do you do it, and what safety protection do you need.

As with any battery, use common sense. Don’t handle the battery out of the case with bare hands. Don’t open the battery to do any refueling unless you have gloves and eye goggles on. Don’t slam the battery down on the floor because that could render it useless by shaking the plates inside the battery.

If you have any questions about having a battery-back up sump pump system installed, contact your local GrateProducts Contractor in your area to ask how you can have a Basement Inspection at your home and find out which style battery back up sump pump is right for you and your basement’s protection needs.

Backup sump pumps that do not waste drinking water

The best way to protect a basement from flooding during an emergency is to install a battery backup sump pump. These systems can provide days of pumping when the power is out or the primary sump pump fails. Battery backup sump pumps include a separate pump and a powerful battery that is connected together with a monitoring controller.

Plumbing contractors offer the industrial grade version of these sump pumps under the PHCC Pro Series Brand. Product information and a listing of factory authorized installing contractors is available at www.stopflooding.com

For the Do It Yourself homeowner there is the Basement Watchdog brand of energy saving sump pump. Details on this brand and a list of stocking retailers is available at www.basementwatchdog.com

There are also backup sump pumps that actually use the power of your fresh running water from a faucet. The fresh water sucks up soiled sump water and dumps it outside of the building. Unfortunately this wastes huge amounts of valuable fresh drinking water that is needed to sustain us. As we have all witnessed in the summer months, we are restricted or prohibited from watering our gardens and lawns because there is a shortage of fresh water. Some areas have had to ration water just to provide basic service. This is the same fresh water that we are allowing to be used in backup sump pumps when the proven technology of battery backup sump pumps is available. A back-flow valve is required on water powered pumps to prevent the sump water from flowing back into the fresh water supply. If a valve is not installed properly the polluted sump water can contaminate your drinking water as well as the rest of your neighborhood. For this reason a licensed plumber is required to install these pumps properly.
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above contributed by Glentronics.

It for these reasons, and many others, why Pioneer Basement and the Pioneer Home Basement Finishing Network don’t install drinking water use sump pumps. Our Waterproofing Experts only use the PHCC Pro Series Brand, which doesn’t use drinking water. We do this because we’re concerned about the health and safety of our nation’s people.

Additional Reading:
Sump Pumps: Going Green is the Standard; DIYGUYCT.blogspot.com
Why you need a battery backup sump pump: Glentronics.com