Basement Buddy backup sump pump opinion

[Dave]

What is your opinion of this water powered backup sump pump device? Thanks for your opinions.

[Joseph Meehan]

Limited usefulness. It may work for you in a pinch. Keep in mind that it will be worthless if you are not home at the time. They also don't pump a lot of water, especially if they have a high head Like the typical 8 foot from the basement to outside.

Consider the alternative of a battery powered pump. Also consider that the battery will need to be kept charged and replaced from time to time as they don't last forever. They also have a limited ability to pump based on the total battery power available. They will not pump a lot of water for long. These can also double for a backup to the original pump going bad.

If you have a special problem, like frequent power outages and a need to pump a lot of water during these times (power outages often are connected to a lot of rain an the need to pump a lot of water, then consider something a little more serious including a sustainable power source like a gasoline powered pump or generator.

[m Ransley]

Zoeller and Basepump make units. Basepump says its water powered pump will do a 10ft head with a 3/4 main at 50 psi and pump 750 GPH. At 75 psi 1000 GPH.

For 1" main at 50 psi 10 ft head 1500 GPH @ 75 Psi 2000 GPH at 10ft head.

Those sound like good numbers to me, no batteries to wear out no batteries to discharge. And to knock out my city water , well our municipal water has generator backup. Basepump & Zoeller are automatic, nothing to worry about. You just have the float set higher for backup. I fail to see the drawback or the thought that it is worthless or of limited use , and no you dont have to be home thats the point of it. Its only limited if you are on your own well.

[Jim Elbrecht]

I'm with Ransley.

Last winter I put a new sump hole in my basement and I used the "Sump Buddy" by Bur-Cam [in Quebec Tel:[phone] ]. I got it from Home Depot for $99 USD. I used it as a temporary pump to bail the hole while I was getting all my other parts together. Granted, I only needed about 3' of head, but I used the 1 1/4 hose that was supplied & it drained the sump hole only slightly slower than a 1/2 horse pump I eventually installed. They claim 600 GPH discharge with 5' of head. That's some pretty serious water.

It is completely automatic as long as my municipal water is working. [and I'm about 100 feet lower than the supply, so it isn't likely that I'll ever lose water. Hasn't happened yet in 20 yrs anyway.]

Nothing is perfect, but I'm more secure knowing that baby is standing by than having to rely on the batteries being good when the power goes-- and that the power will be back before the batteries die. [situation I can take care of if I'm home-- but those thing usually happen when you leave for a week.]

Jim [Gary should be along next to tell you how to make your own.]

[Joseph Meehan]

I was not aware that there was an automatic version available. I will have to look into that. It may well be a good backup. I am on a city water supply and that would seldom fail due to a reasonable short time for the same reason the primary failed.

[user]

I have the Zoeller. As I posted here last year, it saved our bacon during an extended ( 4-day ) power outage we had - our

30 gallon sump pit was filling about every 20 minutes, in our newly-finished basement...

However, I have found that you really need to keep spare parts on hand. I've had to replace the float switch twice. ( Though it was subsequently redesigned ).

It's a decent device - just make sure you test it every couple of weeks to ensure that it's still in good shape.

- Rich

[rosie]

is there such a thing as an ALARM that can be hooked up to a sump pump that would alert the homeowners if its not working? power outage? pump failure?

[user]

You can buy cheap water alarms. Just place them somewhere above the level of the pump, and below the level of the floor. ;-)

[m Ransley]

I have a cheap alarm and yes its cheap i cant even hear it. Some can have the alarm upstairs where it will be heard. Then there are good alarms and ones that go with your alarm system.

[Jim Elbrecht]

Sure-- You can buy a fragile, complicated, not too loud alarm for about $15. Or go to radio shack & buy a loud siren, or buzzer, a

9volt battery, a battery terminal with pigtail & a coil of speaker wire. [$5-10 total]

Sit the alarm & battery someplace where you'll hear it & run the wire to your sump hole. Expose the ends of both wires & arrange them so they are at the height you want to be warned about.

Run a wire from one side of the battery to one side of the buzzer. Solder the speaker wire- one side to the battery's other terminal and the other to the buzzer. When the water gets high enough it will complete the circuit. Test by touching the bare wire ends to each other.

Don't get Radio Shack's loudest siren and stick it behind your most comfortable chair. I did that and nearly had a heart attack when it went off.

Jim

[Dave]

I have one that is connected to my burglar alarm system.

[rosie]

yes, that is what i have...............i was asking for my neighbor who doesn't have a system built in already!