sump pump backup

First step I'd take: DAGS (do a google search) on "sump pump backup" and then work on filtering the 247k hits with additional search terms.

Much has been written on this, and even a segment on "Ask This Old House" on water-powered pump. Why not tap into that first?

I've Google'd around quite a bit and know the pro's and con's of each. I guess I was looking for a experiences good or bad people have had with Basepump or Basement Watchdog (especially Basepump). I'm a little put off that you have to order Basepump direct (why don't any of the big box stores carry them?).

I've had the big basement watchdog for about a year, and it's saved me a couple of times already. I have a dead flat lot with no way to run the drain tile to daylight and no storm sewers, so I have an outside sump pump that runs to a dry well. If the power quits during a heavy rain, I will get water in the basement without the backup. Also have a generator for long outages.

That said, I have well water, so water powered is not an option. If I had reliable city water, I'd probably go with the water driven pump.

FWIW, with 30% duty cycle, you should get 24 hours backup on the BWD with a good battery, and you can gang two batteries for even longer capacity if you want. Figure on replacing the battery(ies) every 4-5 years.

HTH,

Paul

For that, you want to use groups.google.com advanced search, and maybe specify this group.

All in all, I think the Basepump would be best for me. I live in Baltimore and the odds of a water failure or a power failure at the water company at the same time there is a power failure at my house seem very slim.

I have been trying to figure out how to make installation as simple as possible, but I don't think I'll figure it out totally until I order the thing and have it. Like will it fit perpendicular to the floor joists, how hard will it be to run the pipe down to the sump; will I find that pipe to be an obstruction (My basement is stuffed, and I have a shelf two feet below the 'ceiling' there.)

But the basement watchdog uses a much bigger pipe and getting that to fit in the same sump cover would be a problem of its own. The copper pipe for the baseppump will fit in the corner right next to the current plastic pipe for my AC sump pump.

I want a backup 1) for power failures, and 2) once in 28 years, the water was coming in so fast my regular sump pump couldnt handle it. (Of course maybe I should take that pump out and put in a bigger one. That would solve 2 but not 1. I keep thinking of this and then forgetting it a few minutes later.)

I don't konw but it doesn't bother me for some reason. I guess I think they think they have a limited market, and stores don't want to stock it for an occasional sale. So does that mean they weren't in business before the Web? I forget how long they've been in business.