*
I have a basement in an older home that is prone to flooding. I have a sump pump but need a reliable backup. Batteries are problematic when the power is down for more than 2 hours. i’ve heard of high velocity pumps w/ double batteries on a trickle charger.
Any good advice? I’m wet and moldy.
Listeners write in about haunted pipes and building-science tomes, and they ask questions about roof venting and roof leaks.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
the unit i have runs on a 12 volt battery. it is a lead acid battery. if the battery runs out and power is out, I can hook up a car battery or even rig up jumper cables with extensions(like tow trucks use) and run it right off a car!!.
*A popular type of backup sump pump in my area uses city water to drive the pump!
*As Bill points out, any 12-volt source can extend the capacity/time of a battery-powered sump pump. If you are likely to be around, heavy gauge wire to your car battery while the engine is running (maybe 2000 rpm to give a decent current) will run the pump and charge the pump's battery. Alternately, you could "supersize" (in McDonald-speak) the battery in the pump's circuit and install a large marine or golf-cart battery and thereby triple or quadruple its capacity. Replace with a larger battery, don't just add. A battery bank should all be the same type, size and batch or one will always charge first and the other will always disharge first - ask any sailor.What Bob refers to is called an aspirator and you may have seen one in a chemistry class used to create a vacuum. A venturi (a smooth constriction in a pipe) is powered by flowing city water through it. A suction port (at the narrowest point) creates a vacuum that can suck more liquid (or gas) in.Another option if you have a low point to drain to: Lay a siphon line and, if you can create a vacumum at the high point to get it going, can be self-powered until the fluid level drops at the source. Careful positioning of the outlet (into a basin just barely below the height of the source) could give you a year, unpowered solution with only accumulated dissolved gases needing to be removed from the high point, ocassionally. Repost or email for more details. -David
*Dean - Click here for everything you need to know. Their batteries are special, long-run-time models and their pump capacities can reach or exceed the main pump.PS - I have one too. BTW they are expensive, but you knew that, right?Jeff
*Bilge pump.
*Thanks for the response. I'll do some research on heavy duty batteries. I was in the Army--no sailors in my outfit so batteries and pumps are new to me.Thanks again.
*dean, i have the basement watchdog. it has worked well, and is easy to install and use.
*
I have a basement in an older home that is prone to flooding. I have a sump pump but need a reliable backup. Batteries are problematic when the power is down for more than 2 hours. i've heard of high velocity pumps w/ double batteries on a trickle charger.
Any good advice? I'm wet and moldy.