I know this is slighly off topic, but I know you guys know all. I need to get a battery backup for my sump pump in case my power fails. We very rarely loose power, I think the longest we have been out is for 3 hours in the 6 years I have been here. However, we lost it today for a few hours, and the sump pump well was getting a little more full than I would like, so I am looking for a battery backup that can take over for a few hours if the power fails. I don't need a huge generator that has to run for days. I was thinking about maybe just getting a PC UPS, but I thought there might be some better solutions.

Google was surprising unhelpfull as everything I can across was for full systems, which I don't need. I just need to plug my current pump into a backup, that is then run to the wall.

And this is in an unfinished part of my basement that I am just trying to keep as dry as possible.

I prefer the zoeller aqua not system, its far better than the basement watchdog or ace on the hole. Don't forget it's not just for power outages, but also when your sump quits working, which in my experience is only like 5 years or so...

I agree, the zoellers are nice, and especially up here in the NW chicago burbs where we get plenty of storms and the pumps work hard (heh, its raining now).

Also, i have not had much experience with them, but look at the system where you tie your plumbing into it and it uses the water pressure to pump the water out. no limitations of batteries. For every gallon of tap water used it supposedly will pump a gallon of the sump water out. i have heard they are good, but that is all i can offer on that.

I will offer my .02 worth of info regarding the backup sumps. I have two regular sump pumps and a battery backup pump for a total of three sumps. I have the Basement Watchdog system as my backup sump. The model I have is The Big Dog (http://basementwatchdog.com/basement_watchdog_bigdog.htm) and I can say it has saved my rear several times in the past five years I have had the unit. During that time I have had three or four sump pump failures and once or twice it was a double pump failure. With out the backup I would have had water in basement on two occasions.

I personally don't like the water powered units because your using what your trying to get rid of to power the stinking thing. My neighbor has the water powered type and his valve malfunctioned and ended up with almost an $800.00 dollar water bill because his pump was running all the time and did not know it.

I understand you are trying to save money by thinking of using a PC APC unit but I think where the problem lies is the amount of draw a pump will have on the system and how long the "back up" will last. My system runs on 12v DC and the controller charges and maintains the battery. I would guess that a computer will have a much smaller draw on the APC than a pump would have and I think you would need to be careful because I would guess a pump would have a high current draw when it first starts which could harm a PC APC type of device.

I could take some photos of my install for you if you would like to see a "real world installation" of the Basement Watchdog.

I like my system, it was expensive, but well worth in IMO due to actually working like it is supposed to do.

Regards,

RTROSE

I like my system, it was expensive, but well worth in IMO due to actually working like it is supposed to do.

Regards,

RTROSE

I never understood this?! I had customers spend 10-50K on their basement remodel and cry about a $900 backup system to save them from a flood!

Some people use a boating bilge pump and a 12 Volt car battery.
A "Rule-Mate" RM750 or RM1000, either under $100 might be good.

Some people use a boating bilge pump and a 12 Volt car battery.
A "Rule-Mate" RM750 or RM1000, either under $100 might be good.

I would hesitate to use this "system" as a true backup but if you needed an emergency emergency pump this could work. I would still wonder about run time. If you go this route I would skip the car battery and go for a marine trolling motor battery that is a little more heavy duty and use specific.

Regards,

RTROSE

I always wondered in case of a really bad and prolonged power outage what gauge "jumper cables" would you need to run from the 12v sump pump to the car battery and charging system? Let's say you need 100 ft of wire from the pump up the stairs and out to the garage.

I always wondered in case of a really bad and prolonged power outage what gauge "jumper cables" would you need to run from the 12v sump pump to the car battery and charging system? Let's say you need 100 ft of wire from the pump up the stairs and out to the garage.

great question....(i don't know the answer...)

my calculations show that for a 10amp load over 100ft @ 12v DC with a copper cable at 77 degrees F, you would get
17% voltage drop with 10ga
10% voltage drop with 8ga
7% voltage drop with 6ga

8ga would be the sweet spot and the pump *SHOULD* run fine at 10.8v (or 11.7 if car is running).

The problem is 12v dc....it would be better (even though you will have 50 percent loss at the inverter) to use an inverter at the car, then a regular extension cord then a switching power supply back to 12v. even though inefficient, probably much cheaper than 100ft of 8ga copper. And you can USE the inverter and extension cord and power supply for other things...8ga copper is 250 bucks of something that sits there forever.


I always wondered in case of a really bad and prolonged power outage what gauge "jumper cables" would you need to run from the 12v sump pump to the car battery and charging system? Let's say you need 100 ft of wire from the pump up the stairs and out to the garage.

Maybe a gas operated water pump or small generator makes more sense for the back-up to the back-up then $250 of wire.

This one ($150 northern tool) looks like a pimped out weed-whacker:http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/999362_lg.gif

What about the situation where your sump pit is not really big. It fits the one normal sump pump (I have Zoeller that I love it's build quality) but want to have atleast a "backup" electricity for it. Ideally I would prefer to be able to put in the 2nd pump on a battery but I really dont' think I have any room in the pit for another pump. Atleast I would like to have backup power to run the same pump if the electricity is the only thing "out".

Any suggestions of brands of products, etc... that would only be the in between power backup part for your current pump?

BTW - I like BIGmouthinDC's suggestion on the gas powered pump as the backup to the backup plus that would work in my situation incase the power and or the regular pump itself goes. Only drawback is that it's not any automated backup but still a tool to have on hand if you are home and have a dead pump (battery / electrical backup is nothing to a dead pump).

I had a zoeller in my old place where the back up stacked on top of the primary sump pump. I don't remember the model numbers. Might be worth asking about at the plumbing supply shop.

I always wondered in case of a really bad and prolonged power outage what gauge "jumper cables" would you need to run from the 12v sump pump to the car battery and charging system? Let's say you need 100 ft of wire from the pump up the stairs and out to the garage.

I think is this instance, you'd be a lot better off getting a bucket out.

-Suntan

I think is this instance, you'd be a lot better off getting a bucket out.

-Suntan

Actually having thought this through I have a walk out basement and with two sections of hose I can get down hill from my house so If I can just get it started I can actually siphon out the excess water. You just have to sit there and control the volume so you don't suck it dry and have to start over.

Actually having thought this through I have a walk out basement and with two sections of hose I can get down hill from my house so If I can just get it started I can actually siphon out the excess water. You just have to sit there and control the volume so you don't suck it dry and have to start over.

In your situation, with little head pressure needed to overcome, something like this is also a viable backup.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100145129

Chucked into a battery powered drill, it would allow for self priming of your gravity fed sump drain with little hassle. Don't remember if it allows for free flow through the pump when not spinning though.

-Suntan

OK now I'm thinking a stationary bike and one of those do-dads.

OK now I'm thinking a stationary bike and one of those do-dads.

Pump water and get a good workout! Excellent idea!!