Sump Pump Question

[Rambler]

I vote for battery backup with solar charging, rather than a gas generator. You could use it off of 12v, or you could attach an inverter and use it to power your fridge when the power is off and the sump pump is not needed. You could probably get a good setup with an auto transfer switch with a couple panels, battery and inverter for a couple thousand dollars. But what do I know, I don't have a basement. I do have solar though, with battery back-up and an auto transfer switch that powers critical loads.
R

 

[W2R]

Walt, thanks - - that sounds a lot less complicated (and perhaps even a lot less commonly needed), than I had thought.

 

[saluki9]

Just brainstorming here...

You're all set when you're home. The only problem is getting things started when you're at work and the power goes out in the morning, or when you're on a trip.

Could you set things up so that a neighbor or neighbor's kid could go over and turn on the generator and plug in the pump when the power goes out?

I do have some responsible kids here in the neighborhood. The problem is that they would be a school when I'm at work. Also, when we get a storm here the time between an outage and an indoor swimming pool can be about 10 minutes.

 

[saluki9]

No problem, just offered an option to OP.

One of my mottos developed over many years: "listen to me, then you do it your way"

I've found a system sold locally that has a 12v pump that throws out 4000 GPH at 10' lift. It has two marine batteries that will keep it running between 7 and 12 hours depending on flow. I do like the idea however of identical pumps.

 

[ls99]

I've found a system sold locally that has a 12v pump that throws out 4000 GPH at 10' lift. It has two marine batteries that will keep it running between 7 and 12 hours depending on flow. I do like the idea however of identical pumps.

That is an impressive volume of pumping ability. Hope you never need that at full capacity. Even 2000 gallons of water coning in per hour is a lot. That would be filling about 36 55 gallon drums per hour. So at full capacity you could fill more than one 55 gal barrel every minute.

Need to be a bit careful with battery types.

Marine batteries are nothing but ruggedized car batteries, to handle lots of shock an vibration. They are not deep discharge batteries, thus can not handle full discharge with impunity.

There are batteries designed for deep cycling, they usually are found in forklifts, golf carts and such. But that battery discussion can open up another can of worms, with many opinions. I think Sams clubs, Costco etc have them at reasonable prices.


The trick with the batteries is to have a smart charger which will prevent boiling the battery, yet keep it full.

Good clean tight connection to battery is essential.

Happy days!

 

[REWahoo]

There are batteries designed for deep cycling, they usually are found in forklifts, golf carts and such. But that battery discussion can open up another can of worms, with many opinions. I think Sams clubs, Costco etc have them at reasonable prices.

The trick with the batteries is to have a smart charger which will prevent boiling the battery, yet keep it full.

Yep, lots of opinions on this subject but I agree that a deep cycling battery would be better for this application. Most non-boat RV's use two 6v golf cart batteries hooked up in series to power 12 volt systems. Use a smart charger and check the fluid levels and they will give you the most [-]bang[/-] pump for the buck.

 

[FinanceDude]

How much are those non-battery powered pumps? I live on top of a hill and my sump pump works fine, but I would like the peace of mind in case the power goes out.

I have city water..........

 

[UncleHoney]

How much are those non-battery powered pumps? I live on top of a hill and my sump pump works fine, but I would like the peace of mind in case the power goes out.

I have city water..........

So far the ones I have found range in price from $139 to almost $500.

Here are some links to several different ones and some discussion about them.

I think I would favor a water powered emergency pump over battery operated. I just think battery maintenance would be a pain and something you might forget or put off and when needed most the batteries would be dead.

We've had a sump pump for over 25 years and only a few times have I worried about what would happen if the power went off and only once have we actually had a monster rain (about 10 days ago) and a power failure. In 25 years I wonder how many batteries I would have had to replace. Like everything else, even a water powered pump would need periodic testing and maintenance.

The links;

Basepump|The backup sump pump that uses water to pump water

Zoeller's HOME GUARD Backup Sump Pump System that is powered by water.

Wayne Water Powered Sump Pump, Model# EWP10 | Sump Pumps | Northern Tool + Equipment

The Pros and Cons of a Water Powered Sump Pump