Sump pump battery backup is the first line of defense of any home against water damage so let’s a look how it works, its importance and its battery backup.
For those living in flood-prone areas and wet climates, sump pumps are good to have installed in your homes. Unfortunately, this simple system that works to prevent any disaster from happening is likely to be ignored. Let alone the battery backup for the sump pump.
How Does a Pump Battery Backup?
But what is a sump pump and what makes it important?
A back up sump pump is a machine used to keep things dry in basements or crawl space. It is installed in the lowest part of the basement called the sump pit. As the pit fills in with water, the sump pump then can detect the rising water pressure through a float activator or a pressure sensor. It also automatically works to pump out excess water through the pipes away from your home’s foundation, ensuring that the water is out.
Preventing water from coming in not only means keeping things dry but also means saving money from water damage. That’s why every homeowner needs to keep the sump pump powered at all times.
As not only does it help to keep things dry in your basement, but it also protects from water seeping through your home’s walls and foundation. This can also prevent staining your wall and for wall paint from peeling off.
Consequences of Not Having a Sump Pump
According to FEMA, 99% of US counties have been by flood (1996-2019). This increases your chances of experiencing water damages. The average cost of cleaning up damages caused by water is between $1,304 to $5,514.
Black water is the worst type of water damage that happens inside a home. It is called such as it can often come from either groundwater or sewage. These waters are likely to be exposed to various harmful contaminants that can be a health risk to anyone.
It is estimated that about $7 - $7.50 is being charged per square foot just to clean the damage caused by black water.
Choosing the Right Sump Pump
There are different factors when determining what’s the right size of sump pump to install in your house. This includes the depth of the basement, the area of drainage connected to the sump, the depth to ground water, and how much excess water are your expecting to get in your area.
Below is a quick overview of the different sump pump sizes and their wattage and amperage. And some sump pump can be 120V or 240V.
- 1HP – 2,000 watts, 10 amps
- ¼ - 550-600 watts, 5-3.8 amps
- ¾ - 1,500 watts, 8 amps
- ½ - 1,000 – 1,050 watts, 6amps
Choose the Right Sump Pump Battery Backup
It is highly recommended to have a back-up battery for sump pumps installed because an electrical power outage is one of the leading causes for sump pump to fail. A typical back-up battery can last a few hours before it runs out of power. This is crucial especially during heavy rains and there’s power interruption.
To make sure that you don’t experience this and to achieve uninterrupted power, you can have your sump pumps be powered by a renewable powered-source generator instead of fuel generators. This allows you not to worry about your basement being flooded when the power is out and you don’t know when it’s coming back up. Your superpowered power bank is constantly being renewed because you’re not relying on your local grid but by Mother Earth’s gifts.
Be sure that you you’re your sump pump’s specifications or what you’re looking for in a generator as this can help you narrow down your choices when looking for one. The first thing to check is the wattage. You'd better make sure the battery backup system is powerful enough to power your sump pump. The second is to check the voltage to make sure you choose compatible 120V or 240V battery backup.
One of the top choices in the market are Nature’s generators. The product line ranges from the standard systems (120V1800W), the Elite systems (120V3600W) or the Powerhouse systems (120V/240V/7200W). They are known for their industry-leading value while providing quality with heavy-duty design. The generators are solar-powered and also wind powered, which is crucial during the rainy days or at night!
And moreover, these generators can be integrated into the home power by installing the transfer switch elite (120V) or powerhouse transfer switch (120V or 240V). Some sump pump are hard wired into the load center at home. You do need a transfer switch to make the sump pump powered by the battery backup. They are also low maintenance so you don’t have to worry about them daily.
Users also have the option to use Nature’s wind turbine alongside their solar panels to recharge them. This allows owners to recharge their batteries whenever there’s no sun but there’s wind or vice versa, especially during emergencies or power interruptions.
Final Thoughts
Remember, water is best experienced in pools and beaches not inside our homes. A couple of inches of water that has seeped through can already cause damage to properties and give you headache. So it’s important to have a running sump pump 24/7 for peace of mind and happy wallet.
And, having a renewable-powered generator is an investment for sure. But there’s a difference between being prepared and not being one. Because not being prepared can lead to even more expenses.
But if you don’t know where to start with all of these talk don’t be shy to reach out to us or any of your local experts for guidance. Research is key to making sure that you got the right generator that fits your sump pump battery backup, budget, and needs.
Resources:
https://www.fema.gov/data-visualization/historical-flood-risk-and-costs
