Do I Need a Sump Pump Backup System?

If you have a sump pump in your home, you likely know how important it is. A sump pump works to remove water in areas prone to flooding, typically basements and cellars. Without sump pumps, many Maryland cellars and basements would be rendered inoperable. But what happens if your sump pump fails? Or if there’s a power outage? At Michael Runk Plumbing and Heating, we’ve installed and worked on hundreds of sump pumps across the state of Maryland, and we wanted to take some time today to talk about why you should have a backup sump pump system in your home.

A Backup Kicks In Precisely When You Need it to

A backup sump pump will only perform its duty when you need it to. Your primary sump pump will handle everything when it’s working properly, and there are no problems, but you need your home protected even when something goes wrong. When you have a backup sump pump, be it water or battery-powered, you’re protecting your home or business against floods, even when disaster strikes, which is a time when floods are common.

Battery-Powered Backups Have Long Been a Good Choice

When the power goes out, your primary sump pump will stop working until electricity returns. But a backup battery sump pump doesn’t run off your home’s primary power source; it runs off its own battery. Most battery backup sump pumps have somewhere between seven and eight hours of run time, though it’s important to keep in mind that as batteries age, they can lose some of their juice and won’t work for as long. If you have a battery-powered backup, it may be a good idea to keep a spare battery around.

Water-Powered Backups Are Increasingly Popular

A battery backup will only work for as long as the battery lasts, and if the power outage outlasts the battery, you’ll be in trouble. With a water-powered sump pump, this isn’t an issue. Water-powered pumps aren’t powered by electricity at all and instead are powered by the kinetic energy created by running water that the pump is there to remove in the first place. It truly is a self-sustaining system. As long as there is water that needs to be pumped out, the pump will work, and when there is no more water to be removed, it will cease.

Have Your Backup Sump Pump System Installed by an Experienced and Professional Maryland Plumbing Company

Have you been having issues with flooding? Is your primary sump pump not enough? If you’re interested in installing a backup sump pump in your home or business, or require service on an existing backup or primary sump pump, our team of professional Maryland plumbers is standing by ready to assist you. Feel free to give us a call at 866-507-1619 or reach out to us through our Contact Page. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you.