A pump is a piece of electrical machinery that is used to move fluids using mechanical action. There is a wide range of pumps available, ranging from running with manual operation, to electricity and wind power mechanisms. It comes in many shapes and sizes, smaller ones used for household purposes whereas bigger ones for industrial usage.
What Is a Sump Pump?
A sump pump is a secondary pump used for keeping the basement dry especially when the primary pump fails without warning. It is the most crucial disaster prevention tool, commonly used as a substitute for the primary pump. For instance, if there is a natural disaster such as floods, it will collect the water in the sump basin and then will push it out of the basement. There are 2 types of sump pump usually installed in houses, pedestal and submersible. The former one is easier to operate with, whereas the latter one will be hidden from sight. A battery backed-up sump pump is a completely different pump from the main primary pump and is no way an extension of it. This device is especially useful for flood-prone areas such as Mumbai, India.
Sump Pump – a Boon
Such natural disasters come with several other hazards; the first one on this list would be electricity failure. In case of a power cut, the primary pump cannot be operated as they run on power and then comes, the role of the sump pump which is usually battery backed-up. It takes the responsibility of draining all extra water and keeping your basement dry. Some people keep another full-fledged pump as a secondary pump so that it will be more powerful. This thinking is true to some extent, however, in case of power outages, the secondary pump will be of no use. Such big pumps are difficult to run on battery, but, a sump pump can easily be battery operated.
Threats Where Sump Pump Comes in Handy
- Power Cut
In the case of power failure, the sump pump is usually connected in such a way that it does not need to be switched on explicitly. The moment the primary pump connection goes off; the sump pump will come into the picture and will start functioning.
- Primary Pump Breakdown
The primary pump breakdown will have the same effect on the sump pump, it will start working even if power is ON until the primary pump is repaired and returned to working condition.
- Excessive Flooding
In the worst scenario of excessive flooding when one pump is not enough to drain the water, the sump pump will be started and stopped automatically as per usage and then both the pumps will work simultaneously to get the job done.
Maintenance of Sump Pump
Many people are reluctant to use one extra pump and avoid it as a measure of cost-cutting. However, if we evaluate the worst cases, we will see the sump pump is a wise and financially sound choice. It has a test system that will start once a month to audit if the pump is still in working condition. In case of failure, you will get an alarm which will inform and remind you to organize maintenance for the pump. In case if you are not home, or you are on vacation, you can get an alert on your phone or via email. These things will ensure your sump pump is in working condition and will not let you down when the calamity arrives.
Installation of the Sump Pump:
- It either is connected to the existing discharge pipe or a new separate pipe.
- Battery: There can be 2 types of backup for sump pumps – AC and AC with DC. Such set up will have dual benefits, in case of power failure, DC power will be used which means the battery is being used. Now, suppose if the power supply is intact and the issue is with the primary pump, in that case, a sump pump can leverage electricity and work efficiently without exhausting its battery. Hence, this type of connection is most suitable for the sump pump.
- Float switch: This is a switch which is installed just above the physical location of the primary pump. Whenever the primary pump is not able to take the load alone, water level will rise and the moment it touches the float switch, the sump pump will get the signal to start working and soon water level will subside because of 2 pumps working simultaneously. This is an important discovery in determining when we need additional backup. Now, imagine if we had a secondary pump but we were not aware of when and how to turn it on, it would be of no use and would not serve any purpose.
Conclusion
A sump pump is surely a boon in our life, in this advanced technological era, just a few dollars of investment will free you from stress, disastrous expenses, and unwanted insurance premium. If your basement is once destroyed, it will take days to get it back to shape. It is next to impossible to predict natural phenomenon even after being so advanced in weather forecasting. So, think twice and choose wisely. The decision is yours whether you want to invest mindfully and relax while everyone else is panicking OR to join them in their panic and redo everything you did before to your basement and house. Battery backed-up sump pump is the best insurance for your house and your hard-earned money.