Do I Really Need a Battery Backup Sump Pump?

Does your house constantly lose electricity when there's a storm? whether or not, you might want to consider getting a battery backup sump pump for your basement. What's the point of having a basement sump pump if it goes down with your electricity, when it is most needed?

My house, which is located in Laurel, Maryland, loses power frequently, especially when there's a severe storm. Unfortunately, our sump pump is not batter powered. It has no battery backup. So when it rains a lot and windy, ironically, our defense mechanism against flooding doesn't exist anymore.

Some homeowners like myself keep a portable electricity generator as an emergency sump pump backup system. It is also a great idea, but a battery backup sump pump can take care of all the hassle and it works when it is really needed. Installing a battery backup sump pump is a great investment for your house protection.

The most common battery backup sump pumps can pump water out for anywhere between 5 hours to 15 hours, depends on the brand you get. But if you choose a battery backup sump pump just based on the hours of pumping, you are doing it wrong. You also must consider the pumping capacity of a battery backup sump pump. Here is list of things you need to keep in mind when choosing a battery sump pump for your basement.

• How many gallons per hour (GPH) can your sump pump handle? 1000 GPH? 3000 GPH?
• How fast can it recharge itself?
• Does it switch automatically when power fails?
• Does it have a self-diagnosis or testing features?
• Does it alarm when there's a problem?
• Does it show the percentage of power remaining in the battery?

Those are the things you need to keep in mind when choosing a battery backup sump pump for your basement.