Whether or not you need an emergency sump pump depends on several factors, including the location of your home, the possibility of flooding, and your overall risk for water damage.
Emergency sump pump or backup pump?
If you live in an area prone to flooding or have a high-water table, an emergency sump pump can be a valuable addition to your home’s plumbing system. An emergency sump pump is a backup pump that kicks in if the primary sump pump fails or is overwhelmed by a large volume of water. A backup pump can be essential during heavy rain or flooding when the risk of water damage is high.
In general, it is a good idea to consider an emergency sump pump if you live in an area prone to flooding, with a high water table, or if you have had problems with water damage. An emergency sump pump can provide extra protection for your home and help prevent costly water damage in the event of a flood or other emergency.
Sump pumps are devices that can be placed in the basements of homes to help in water drainage should you suffer the problem of water flooding in your basement. It works to take out any unwanted water which might cause damage to your property. Having a basement sump pump is paramount as the basement is where most people often keep valuable items, so they would want to avoid getting them damaged. Flooding of the basement can be due to several reasons, many of which are out of the homeowners’ control.
Although one reason might be due to the seepage of groundwater, another more common one is the breakdown of the primary pumps present in the basement. If the primary unit has been damaged and is not working, the secondary or the emergency sump pump has to be used so that your basement does not turn into your indoor swimming pool. While picking out your secondary emergency sump pump, you must pick up the correct type of pump, which can even affect the choice of the power input of the emergency unit.
Battery-operated emergency sump pump is a must
If the primary sump pump gets damaged, emergency sump pumps should be ready to kick in. Most often, the emergency sump pumps are battery operated; hence, they must be well protected from water as they can easily get damaged. Other than the battery-type emergency sump pump, emergency sump pumps are also available in the water-operated variety. Such pumps are water-safe; however, they are pretty expensive and require frequent maintenance work to be performed on the pumps. Let alone maintenance, installing such water-resistant emergency sump pumps is quite tricky and requires a lot of investment both times, and, more importantly, you will end up spending a lot of money for the installation service. Therefore, it is recommended that one goes for the simple battery-operated one, at least as far as the emergency sump pump is concerned.
Another essential point is that regular pump testing is necessary alongside the central unit. One of the best times to quickly test such an emergency sump pump is during the monsoons when water levels are usually high. Such testing of the emergency sump pump is crucial to ensure the pump is properly working.
