Don't let this happen to
you. 
Install a backup sump pump
system before
your main pump fails and avoid the mess, aggravation, and cost. The man
shown here had only a little water, but what a mess he had to clean up!
You can see the wet carpet and probably damaged wood work. This could
have been avoided by installing one of our systems before this
happened.
Click
to go directly to our Online Purchasing page
Are you here
researching Backup Sump Pumps because you've
already had water in your basement and you vowed to "never let it
happen again?" Or are you someone who has much to lose and you
don't want to end up with a horror story? Or maybe there is another kind
of scenario that you fit into. In any event, it is time to take
action and do something about it!
Every year water damages thousands of homes to the
tune of millions of dollars. And the sad thing is that most of these
events could have been prevented. For what amounts to a drop in the
bucket (pardon the water pun, please) you can purchase a reliable,
powerful backup sump pump system that will take over automatically when
your main sump pump fails, and keep your basement dry.
Why
go to work each day, worried that your sump pump may quit, or your float may
stick, or that the electricity could go off?
Why leave for vacation or
on business taking all kinds of precautions to have the house checked by a neighbor,
the mail taken in, the newspaper stopped, the plants watered, and the
family pets cared for, when probably the biggest investment, your
home,
remains at risk of flooding from the simplest, most preventable of
disasters, a sump pump failure?
You are here looking at
our systems because you already know that it's time to take action and solve this problem. Do yourself a favor. Look us over and when you
are finished, see if you agree that we have the best, most
reasonably priced products you have ever seen.
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What type of back-up sump pump
should I purchase?
Basepump
is
maintenance free in design, requires 40-100 lbs. PSI water pressure,
1/2" to 3/4"
copper or PEX piping. In basements that require
excessive new piping from the water meter to the sump pit, be aware that the
added piping may mean additional installation cost, but in
the long run, with no maintenance and no battery to replace, it may still be
your best option. Houses that utilize well water systems
cannot use a water powered backup sump pump.
Why?
Glad you asked. If the power is out, the well pump won't run!
 |
Model
# RB750 pumping rate of: 750-900
GPH
|
| Model
# HB1000 pumping rate of: 1,000-1,400 GPH |
| Model
# CB1500 pumping rate of: 1,500-2,000 GPH |
Check
out our No Sweat Installation Kits on the Accessories
Page.
I
want the water powered Basepump. How do I know which one to buy? Start
with the 5 gallon bucket test.
Hydropump
has pumping rates from 1,400 to 3,500 GPH for
various sump water volumes. Requires the use of a marine deep cycle or
equivalent battery that must be replaced every 3-5 years.
Battery
powered pumps are easy to install using the same discharge pipe as your main
pump. On the other hand, maintaining and/or replacing the battery in a
timely manner is critical. This type of system MUST be checked on a
regular basis or it won't be there, ready to take over when it is most
needed. You can't just "set it and forget it!"
|
Model#
DH900 pumping rate of: 900GPH
(easy to install, even for a novice)
|
|
Model#
DH1800 pumping rate of: 1800GPH
(easy to install, even for a novice)
|
|
Model# RH1400 pumping rate of:
1400GPH
(designed for narrow or congested sumps)
|
|
Model# PH3500 pumping rate of:
3500GPH (great for high volume sumps)
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So you're convinced that
the Water Powered Basepump is the one for you. Which Basepump model is right for you?
Answer: Your purchase MUST depend on your home's water supply
and its ability to
effectively power the correct pump,
NOT on your desire or even your need for a certain pumping rate. Use the following test before installing a Basepump. It determines if there is adequate water flow through your pipes
to operate one of our pump models and which one is best suited to
your situation. It only takes a few minutes and no special
equipment is required.
Remove the hose from an outside
hose spigot. Place a 5 Gallon bucket directly
under the spout. Using a watch, and with the water fully on, calculate how long it takes to fill
the bucket with water to the five gallon mark. (Most 5 gallon buckets are
full a couple
inches from the top). Usually the water line to the hose spigot is 1/2" and the
spigot itself is typically a restrictive type of valve. These factors
validate the test. The interior dimensions of the pumps are also
restrictive and this mimics those dimensions. So don't try to make math adjustments to
account for this. The time reading at the spigot is the time reading to use.
Don't test at the laundry tub, which may have smaller supply tubes
and/or a more restrictive faucet. Select the
Basepump model according to the figures given in the chart below. Regardless of how much each
pump model can pump, you must size it according to your home's water
supply system so that it will operate at its best.
There is one exception to this rule.
If your home has a water filter or water softener, and if the line to
the hose spigot you are testing runs through that device, this test
will not be accurate because that device will cause a much greater restriction
and invalidate the test. In cases like this, knowing the incoming water
pressure will be important because you will need to tee into the water
line for Basepump BEFORE such devices. See
the installation instructions before proceeding. If necessary, call
your local water supplier and ask them what the delivered water pressure
is for your street. They should be able to give you a pressure range
that you can work with.
|
| You must be able
to fill a five gallon bucket with water in the following maximum times for each pump model: |
| Model Number |
RB750 |
HB1000 |
CB1500 |
| Seconds per 5 Gallons |
up
to 40
seconds |
up
to 30
seconds |
up
to 20
seconds |
| Gallons per Minute |
as
low as 7.5 GPM |
as
low as 10 GPM |
as
low as 15 GPM |
Once you have selected the
Basepump according to the 5 Gallon Bucket Test above:
You
can now check the water inflows to your sump to be sure the pump you have
selected will do the job. Don't make yourself nuts with this. It really is
simple and is only additional information rather than critical
information. If you did the 5 gallon bucket test, that determines the
pump size to purchase (Small- RB750, Medium- HB1000, or Large- CB1500). This next list simply tells you if that choice is
adequate to meet your needs. Many installers will pick the unit based upon
experience rather than these test results. Often this is perfectly fine,
since many installers are very familiar with the pressures and flow rates
in your neighborhood and they already know which unit will work best for you.
Even with this, we still recommend that the 5 gallon bucket test be done
BEFORE installation to remove any doubt that your water supply system can
support the Basepump. Keep this in perspective as you study this next
section:
| You are NOT trying to match your
main pump. Just because it CAN pump 2,000 or 3,000 Gallons per
Hour (GPH) doesn't necessarily mean it has to. For a main pump
to do this kind of pumping usually means that it won't have to
run very long each time to drain the sump. A backup sump pump
must use an alternative energy source (water pressure or
batteries), remain unused for long time periods, and then be
ready to take over and keep the basement dry. It is not
designed to be your main pump so it may take longer than your
main pump to empty the sump each time.
|
|
| It's
more important to determine the volume of ground water entering your
sump pit during an average rainy time. This is done by using a yard stick
or tape measure, and calculate the water volume during a rain.
Here's how it goes:
|
As
soon as the
sump is drained by the primary pump and the pump turns off, insert
the yard stick into the sump to the low level water mark.
It's easiest to hold it against the side of the pit to keep it
stable.
Use
a watch to time
the water level rise for one minute and read the number of inches of
total rise. (If water is coming in too fast to measure for a full
minute, time it for 30 seconds and double the chart rate.)
Refer
to the chart below for your sump volume in "Gallons per Hour"
Once
your sump volume is confirmed, select a back-up pump with a pumping capacity as indicated in
the box. This figure has already taken the sump volume and been
multiplied by 1.5 to estimate the amount of pumping capacity you
will likely need. (This accounts for the water that continues to
come in while the pump is removing the water from the sump.)
Example:
An 18" diameter sump with a water rise of 8" per
minute has a sump volume of 540 GPH. 540 GPH times (1.5) = 810GPH.
This should be the approximate pumping rate of the back-up pump
selected.
Remember,
this is an ESTIMATE. Each rainfall is different and differing ground
conditions make for different readings.
|
| Another quick and easy way to
estimate the amount of water coming into your sump during a
rainfall is to listen or watch for your sump pump to run and
time the cycle from start of pump to the next start of pump.
Let's say, for example, that during a rain storm your main
pump starts every 6 minutes and runs about 8 seconds each time
draining about 6-8 inches of water from the sump each time.
Take 60 minutes in an hour divided by 6 minutes per run = 10
run cycles per hour times 7 gallons per cycle = 70 Gallons Per
Hour (GPH). Now double that to 140 GPH to account for the
water that comes in while your pump is removing water and that
tells you if the pump you select from the bucket test is
adequate for your needs. Remember, you can always order a
smaller pump than the one the bucket test indicates, but you
can't go to a larger one just because you want or need
to. You can only run the pump up to the size your home can
handle.
|
|
Sump Volume Chart
| Inches of
water rise in 60 Seconds |
|
Diameter
of
Sump |
|
2" |
4" |
6" |
8" |
10" |
12" |
Gallons
Per
Hour
(GPH) |
| 16" |
180 |
270 |
450 |
630 |
810 |
990 |
| 18" |
190 |
450 |
630 |
810 |
990 |
1170 |
| 20" |
270 |
540 |
720 |
990 |
1260 |
1440 |
| 22" |
280 |
630 |
900 |
1170 |
1530 |
1800 |
| 24" |
290 |
720 |
1080 |
1440 |
1800 |
2070 |
|
You
may now determine the
"head" pressure. This is best determined by measuring the
length of the pipe that discharges from your main pump. You must add an
extra foot for every elbow you encounter in the line. Most pumps give you their
pumping rates using various "head pressures". Take care to
note these numbers when making this decision. Many pumps will look like
they pump a lot of water per hour until you look at the head they are
using to set that rate. You need to look at the pumping rate for the
head pressure closest to what you determined was your head
pressure. |
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