Is Your Home Ready For Another Rainstorm?

A sump pump is a device that helps remove water from a basement or crawl space. Sump pumps are often used in areas where the water table is high or regions with a lot of rainfall.

A sump pump is often inserted in a sump pit. During wetter periods, water will collect in the sump pit. As the water level rises, the sump pump should kick on and pump the water out and away from your home.

In addition to regular sump pumps, many homeowners add a sump pump backup system to prevent plumbing emergencies.

A battery backup sump pump is precisely how it sounds: it’s a sump pump that has a battery.

You see, sump pumps are most needed when it’s very wet. For example, there’s a lot of water in the ground during heavy rainfall, and water always seeks the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance is often in your basement.

Unfortunately, power outages in Ottawa most frequently occur during rainstorms as heavy rain often comes with strong winds. If these strong winds knock down a powerline, your regular sump pump won’t have the power to kick on.

In case of this plumbing emergency, many Ottawa homeowners purchase Battery Backup Sump Pumps.

These sump pumps are ready to work if your primary sump pump fails for any reason, including power outages!

If you or your neighbours have ever had a flooded basement, then we strongly advise to have two sump pumps.

There are many reason to have a backup, but one reason is simple: Sump pumps don’t last forever.

On average, sump pumps last around ten years. However, there is no expiration date on sump pumps. Sometimes, you may have a dud that doesn’t more than a couple years.

If your primary sump pump fails, you’ll be grateful you had an emergency backup pump.

Additionally, a battery backup pump isn’t only beneficial during power outages. If your other sump pump can’t handle the incoming water for any reason, the battery backup is there to help.

That means if the primary sump pump breaks or it can’t handle the amount of water that’s flooding into the sump pit, the backup sump pump system will save the day.

You never want to learn the hard way that you should have invested in a backup sump pump.

Some of the advantages of a battery-powered sump pump backup systems are:

• Battery backup systems can work even when the power is out
• A battery powered pump is available if the circuit breaker trips
• A backup pump will work if your primary sump pump overheats
• Your backup pump can help the primary sump pump when it’s overwhelmed
• A backup pump can save the day if your primary pump fails
• There might not be any better return on investment than a battery backup sump pump if you have it when you need it

Some of the disadvantages to a battery backup system are:

• The battery has a limited run time
• Batteries need to be replaced

The answer to this question can vary on the situation, battery, sump pump, and age of the unit.

A battery backup pump usually won’t run continuously. Under normal situations, your battery should last several days or a week. So, it should last until the power comes back during typical power outages!

However, if your backup sump pumps battery runs continuously, the battery life is drastically reduced. However, it should still last for several hours.

You should expect to replace the battery on a sump pump backup every 3-5 years.

With a bit of skill and determination, an amateur should be able to install a battery backup sump pump.

Just make sure that you do it right and follow the instructions! Many basements have flooded due to incorrectly installed sump pumps!

Since basement floods can cost tens of thousands of dollars, we’d encourage you to consider hiring an insured plumber.

… I may be a little biased, but I’ve heard that John The Plumber is the plumber Ottawa trusts the most!

And, with that customer satisfaction guarantee and warranty… You can’t go wrong!

At John The Plumber, we’ve completed thousands of sump pump installations.

And, with our incredible warranty, we’ve seen which sump pumps frequently require a replacement.

In our experience, you can’t go wrong with a Pentair Hydrostatic or Liberty Pumps sump pumps.

The best way to ensure your sump pump is working is to pour enough water into the sump pit that the pump kicks on.

If the sump pump activates and clears the water from the pit and out of your home, there are no clogs in the discharge line, and the pump is working!