“Do I need a sump pump?” Many homeowners ask this question. 
A sump pump is one of those things you hope you never need, but unfortunately if you have a basement or crawl space it might be a good idea to have one. A sump pump is a safeguard to help keep your basement or crawl space dry. It is placed in a basin at the lowest level of your basement or crawl space so it can remove rising water before it reaches the basement floor.
Types of Sump Pumps
There are 2 primary types of sump pumps:
1) Submersible sump pump – a submersible sump pump is designed to be placed in a basin in basement or crawl spaces. The entire pump can be submersed in water. It has a float that will automatically start the pump when water rises to certain level and shut it off when the water recedes. The water being pumped can be directed to a storm drain or somewhere other than your basement. Since the pump is in a basin water will never reach the floor level so flooding will not occur.
2) Pedestal sump pump – a pedestal sump pump sits above the basin so the motor is not submerged in water. It has a hose or pipe that is place in the basin to suck up the water. It basically works like a submersible pump only the motor is not designed to be in the water. Pedestal pumps are used when the basin is too small to fit a submersible pump. It is said that a submersible pump will handle great amounts of water and it is quieter because it is placed in the basin. A pedestal pump will usually last longer because the motor is not submersed in water.
When is a Sump Pump needed?
If you live in an area that get lots of rain or if your house sits in a low area and water tends to lay around your house after a rain and you have a basement or crawl space it might be a good idea to have a sump pump. Many basements have water seepage that may not necessarily flood the basement but can leave it damp and mold and mildew can develop. A sump pump can be used to catch the water as it seeps in and pump it back out so you won’t have a water problem. Other basements would simply flood if there wasn’t something to stop the water from coming in. With a sump pump you can be assured that it will automatically turn on and pump rising water before it floods the area.
On the other hand, there are many basements that are dry and don’t have water issues. If you are fortunate enough to have a dry basement or crawl space you may not need a sump pump. However, you never know when that freak rainstorm might come along and drop enough rain to flood your basement. Keeping this in mind it might not be a bad idea to have a sump pump as a precaution. It is completely up to the home owner to make that decision based on whether or not they believe water could eventually find its way in to the basement.
If you would like to see a selection of some sump pumps for your basement or crawl space, check out the ones on our website at Basement Sump Pumps.
Battery Backup Systems
Another thing to consider is the fact that during a heavy rainstorm the power can go out and your sump pump won’t operate when the power is out. Unfortunately, the sump pump may be needed the most during heavy rains and you risk flooding if the power goes out. For this reason you should consider a battery backup system or a generator for your sump pump.
There are 2 types of battery backup systems:
1) Battery Backup Sump Pump – a battery backup sump pump comes equipped with a battery and a 12V sump pump. If you have an existing sump pump you would have to add a battery sump pump in the basin along with your existing sump pump. The basin would have to be large enough to fit both sump pumps. The backup pump will operate when the power goes out.
To see the battery backup sump pump pictured above on Amazon click on the following: Wayne ESP25 Upgraded 12-Volt Battery Backup System, Black
2) Power Inverter – a power inverter will allow you to run your existing sump pump when the power is out. A battery connects to the inverter so that the pump can run just as it does when the power is on. You can get inverters that automatically come on when the power goes out. These systems aren’t cheap but they can save you a lot of money in the long run.
To see the Power Inverter pictured above on Amazon click on the following: Raybend Primary Sump Pump Backup Power System
Both of these backup systems will work but they will only run as long as the battery holds a charge. This can be a real problem if the power is going to be out for an extended period of time. For this reason you might want to consider a generator to back up the sump pump. You can run the generator as long as you have fuel for it. Depending on the output of the generator you can also use it to operate a refrigerator, lights and other electric appliances while the power is out. The only disadvantage with a portable generator is the fact that you must be home to start the generator and plug the sump pump into it when the power goes out. You won’t have that issue with a battery backup system because they will automatically start when the power goes out.
I hope you found this article helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment below.