Reddit reviews Basepump RB750 Water Powered Backup Sump Pump with Water Alarm

This is exactly what a sump pump is suppose to do. This will happen when it rains and probably a few days after as all the water that has soaked into the ground makes its way to the sump pump. As a back up you may want to look into either a battery backup pump or a water activated one. https://www.amazon.com/Basepump-Water-Powered-Backup-Sump/dp/B000GBUU7G

There are multiple reasons why a house would have a pump in the basement.

A sump pump is an open topped, clearwater device used generally for removing rainwater or groundwater from a basement.

An ejector pump is an entirely different device that is sealed, vented, incorporated into the plumbing system, and used for removing below-grade wastewater from a basement.

A sump pump gives you a lot of options as to the how and where, and the plumbing code does not really refer to how you manage water on your property if you're not tying into the plumbing system. Personally, I don't like to see emergency sump pumps discharging into a sewer, as a back-up could cause a flood in the basement, and a clogged (or flooded) line can prevent the pump from removing water when needed.

I prefer to see a sump pump leading to a water retention device such as a dry-well, cistern or leaching ring, so long as the device is not itself prone to flooding. Another option would be leading the discharge end to an actual down-hill area that can reliably accept the discharge.

Don't assume that the presence of a pump is an indicator of a bad situation. I don't like having floor drains that lead to the sewer system in finished basements, and usually try to outfit mechanical rooms (with RPZ's, boilers, water heaters and AC units that are prone to water discharge) with pumps and water alarms rather than floor drains.

Finally, if you're prone to power outages that would render an emergency pump inoperable, consider a water-powered pump like:
https://www.amazon.com/Basepump-Water-Powered-Backup-Sump/dp/B000GBUU7G

This pump has some warnings to consider with it. If you have an electric well pump supplying your domestic water pressure, a power outage would knock that out as well and render the device inoperable. This device wastes a tremendous amount of water and is frankly the last option to employ for that reason. The device has the potential to introduce a high degree of hazard to a plumbing system; an RPZ must be installed on the water service to the home (to protect the municipal water supply) and I would want either an RPZ or a double check valve assembly with an intermediate atmospheric vent at the device to protect the occupants of the home from poisoning. These devices are known to generate an intense water hammer when closing and would require a piped in water hammer arrestor upstream of the device. Finally, don't forget to leave this device in an accessible area.

I personally believe that all basements are giant bathtubs just waiting to be filled. Make sure that your tub has a drain :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Basepump-Water-Powered-Backup-Sump/dp/B000GBUU7G

It uses the magic of siphon suction, water flow to pump. The catch is, its only for being a backup. Otherwise you will waste water like crazy. You would only want this if you had city water. If you live on well, and pressurize your own water source, it would not be a good solution.

My personal suggestion to backups of backup sump pumps is a water powered one. https://www.amazon.com/Basepump-Water-Powered-Backup-Sump/dp/B000GBUU7G

I mean, a generator is fine and all (and definitely get one!), but unless you get a full automatic switch over, it may not operate at a time when you're not there and still need the backup to the backup to function.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/m/video/0,,20260244,00.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GBUU7G?pc_redir=1397432871&robot_redir=1


I have another brand of one of these installed. It is a water powered backup. Saved me one time. Well worth it.

Hope the links work.

Yes. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not sure if it would be a viable solution for me as it states 12.5 gallons a minute. But, it is still a good fail safe in the event we lose power and don't have a river of water to compete with. Link for the model I just looked at.

My zoeller sump pumps move 72 gallons/minute each assuming a 5 foot up-pipe. My pipes are probably closer to 8 or 9 feet. I'm guessing I move about 120 gallons per minute during the worst storm.

there are also backup pump setups that run off a water main like this

A friend of mine bought a house with an electric one like you have and one of these as a backup.

Yep, completely agree. You can't fix this kind of thing by hacking it. You need to get to the root of the problem and fix THAT. First thing to do is to run a garden hose down into the basement and fill up that sump pit. The pump should kick on well before you get close to the top -- maybe a little over half way. It should take only a few seconds for the pit to evacuate -- 15ish seconds.

If it's taking a long time (more than 20 or 30 seconds), then the motor is about shot, or it was too small in the first place. If the drain distance is fairly long (more than 30 feet), it's quite likely that the sump motor was too small, because people often don't realize that you need higher horsepower for long drains, especially if the vertical pipe is long. Honestly, I just install 3/4 horsepower and don't screw around. You're talking about a price difference of maybe $60, and it protects stuff that's worth a lot more than $60, so why fool around?

If it doesn't come on until the water is very high (like almost out of the pit), then the sensor is probably going bad and might intermittently fail.

Finally, if the power in the area is dicey (like if the power goes out any time there's a little rain), then you might need a battery back-up sump pump, or better yet, one of these.