Sump pump backup options

If your home has an active sump pump, be warned: your sump pump will not last forever. I promise. It probably won’t give you any warning before it fails, either. It’ll be a silent event that happens in the middle of the night during a heavy rainstorm. You’ll know it failed when you awaken to a flooded basement. I recently made an internal training video for my company, and while demonstrating my own sump pump, I discovered that it had failed!

[@robdowns9339]

I have the alarm. It is cheap and effective.

[@bfullsyou]

You might've merely had air lock in your pump at home.

[@manishsaxena2127]

Thanks. Alarm is a good advise. What should I do when I find out the sump pump is not working and basement has already started flooding. Is there an external pump system that I can use to keep pumping the water out till repair team arrives.

[@zeruulln]

I put a digital flow meter on my sump connected to a super cheap plc that alerts me if no flow on the drain has been detected in over a week. Also have a sump with dual pumps / a 120v pump (utility power) at one level of water and a 12v pump (battery power) higher up that triggers if the level gets too high and sounds a loud alarm anytime it is triggered.

[@kevinjohn5412]

@zeruulln do you have any links to the ones you use. I’m a new home owner so want to get a backup installed

[@smittyone66]

Thanks for the video. Question: I have 2 sump pumps do I need a battery back up for each one or just one back up?

[@hamstergraphics]

Sumps are normally connected with an overflow pipe in-between , so one backup should do.. I would presume anyway. I have 2 pumps also and am just looking into this since I spent an all nighter bailing water out by hand a couple of night ago..

[@jerryderhodes7564]

I had my sump drain pipe freeze enough that the basement flooded anyway. An alarm, second backup pump, with separate drain pipe, with a emergency general.

[@jerryderhodes7564]

Generator

[@Davegbuf]

I have not seen any significant improvement to sump bump backup solutions in years. You would think that by 2023 we would have more efficient choices that don't require replacing batteries or wasting water.