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Water Powered Backup Sump Pumps

MasterOfNone | Aug 11, 2009 | Views: 296 |

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Imagine arriving home to a flooded basement. All of the hard work and money spent installing your entertainment center, home gym or expensive home theater system is ruined. This disaster could have been prevented by installing a water powered backup sump pump. It doesn’t require electricity or batteries; it runs primarily from the municipal water that is already in your house.

If your electrical power goes out in a storm, your regular sump pump won’t function. If you have a battery backup pump, it may not be powerful enough to handle the amount of water pouring into the sump pit. A water powered sump pump has no moving parts, requires no electricity or batteries and is an added measure of insurance if your primary sump pump should fail.

The basic principle of how a water powered backup sump pump works is with pressure and suction. Most often, the pump is installed outside of the primary sump pump, usually on the ceiling of the basement, or in the rafters. City water enters the pump in one end, and then is forced through a narrower tube inside the pump, creating pressure. This pressure creates suction. A hose is attached perpendicular to the flow of water. It is this hose that, under pressure, will draw the water out of the pit.

How the pump is activated is generally based on gravity. There is a float installed inside the sump pit which is attached to the pump. When the water rises, the float rises as well and will trigger a valve on the pump. This valve opens the powerful stream of water coming from the municipal water supply, thereby drawing the water out of the sump pit and removing it. The float then descends back down as the water level lowers, pulling the valve closed. When the water level in the pit rises again, the cycle starts over.

Water powered backup sump pumps are very reliable. They are independent of the main sump pump. There is no electricity to hook up or batteries to replace. They are easy to maintain, having virtually no moving parts, and are easy to install. Most home improvement centers carry a basic installation kit to help with putting in the pump. The average do-it-yourself homeowner will find this a manageable weekend project as most of the pumps come with easy to follow step by step instructions.

Today’s basements are no longer the cold, damp, moldy rooms of yesterday. They are bedrooms, exercise rooms, media centers and home offices. A water powered backup sump pump is a device that should be in every home that has a basement.

Tags: basement; home improvement; sump pump;