[Shotimes] OT sump pump backup system

[Mike Wojton]

Interesting.  I did some research on these systems.  They don't work like I
thought.  I thought that there was some kind of valve that would release
when electricity goes out, thus supplying city water to the pump.  That's
not right.  They use a float in your sump pit to trigger the flow of water.
Water flowing through the valve will siphon water from the sump pit.  So
when you install it, you need to set the float level above the float level
of your primary pump.  In my area water is pretty expensive, so you wouldn't
want it running while your primary pump is still capable.

A typical system will be in the neighborhood of $500-$600.  The system needs
a certain amount of water pressure to create the siphon.  A typical well
pump won't supply it, so they are only recommended for city supplied water
systems.


--
Mike Wojton
Dover, PA

   -'95 White MTX
      '96 Brake Upgrade
      Eibachs (front)
      Dynomax catback

"Avoid the clap." - Jimmy Dugan



On 12/22/05, Ron Porter <ronporter@prodigy.net> wrote:
>
> That's why, for folks on municipal water systems, the water-powered backup
> sump pump is THE best.
>
> With my well system, I'll be down there with a bucket!!
>
> Seriously, though, it's an issue for folks like my buddy (who has a
> cottage
> Up North and may not be home when power goes out) or myself when I'm on a
> job site for 30+ days and my wife can't handle issues like that.
>
> The bottom line, which I learned 40 years ago, is NEVER store anything in
> the basement that has any value.
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Paul Nimz
> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 12:48 PM
> To: `V6 SHOtimes
> Subject: RE: [Shotimes] OT sump pump backup system
>
> Yes most batteries are only good for couple of hours.  For serious battery
> backup get a commercial grade UPS system.  Or three or four regular deep
> discharge batteries in parallel.  But parallel battery connections have
> their
> own maintaining problems.
>
> Paul
>
>
> On 12/22/2005 11:14:55 AM, Ron Porter (ronporter@prodigy.net) wrote:
> > A friend of mine got one after losing thousands from his freezers when
> > power
> > went out for a few days.
> >
> > After that outage, he spent big bucks to get his basement remodeled.
> > Since
> > he is on city water, he got a water pressure emergency sump pump, as an
> > outage over a few hours will kill the battery on a battery-backup
> system.
> >
> > Ron Porter
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.
> > net]
> > On Behalf Of Mike Wojton
> > Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 11:26 AM
> > To: `V6 SHOtimes
> > Subject: [Shotimes] OT sump pump backup system
> >
> > I want to get a backup system for the sump pump in my basement.  Anybody
> > have
> > any experience with such things?  The easiest way to do it, I would
> guess,
> >
> > is get a
> > battery system to power the pump when the power goes out.
> > I'm sure it would
> > have
> > to be some type of battery that can sit for long periods of time before
> > being used.  Is
> > there a charging system involved to keep the battery charged?  If not
> could
> > you just
> > put a trickle charger on it?
> >
> > I also heard about a system that uses water pressure to turn a
> pump.  The