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Failed Battery Backup Systems

A severely clogged basement drain system filled with mud and roots.

Car batteries lose their charge when sitting on a basement floor for a prolonged period of time.

The key to a long-lasting system is to find one that will stay potent for when you need it.

Sooner or later, your primary sump pump system is going to fail. When it does, homeowners must be able to count on a battery backup system to carry them through the storm.

Every basement sump pump should have at least one battery backup system installed. Even if the power never fails, a battery backup is still an invaluable part of your waterproofing system.

When You Need A Backup System:

  • Heavy Rains Knock Out The Power
  • A Fuse Is Blown
  • The Primary Pump Is Accidentally Unplugged
  • The Primary Pump Fails
  • Heavy Rains Overwhelm The Primary Pump

Of course, if your backup system stops working, your basement is going to flood anyways. But what can you do to avoid a battery backup system failure?

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At Basement Systems, we specialize in high-quality, long-lasting battery backup sump pump systems. Our award-winning systems are just what you need to prevent basement flooding and put your mind at ease.

Whether you live in Canada or the United States, we have a locally owned and operated dealer ready to offer you a free basement waterproofing estimate! Each of our dealers has been professionally trained and certified at our International Headquarters and has exclusive access to our line of Patented, Warrantied Products in your area.

A basement that is flooding with iron-ochre-laden water.

How Long Does It Last?

How long your battery backup will last depends on how hard it's raining when the power is out, and how much water is in the ground under your home.

Our battery backup system is designed to pump out more than 11,500 gallons -- so powerful that we tested it by pumping out an entire swimming pool!

An Effective Battery Backup System

A battery backup system is needed most often when heavy rains have resulted in a power outage, or the primary sump pump is overwhelmed by heavy water volumes during a rain event.

Therefore, an effective battery backup system should be long-lasting and powerful enough to pump enough water out of your basement to keep the space dry when water volumes are heavy. Makes sense, right?

The system should also be equipped with an alarm system, which can sound off to warn you that your backup system is in use. This gives time to check your primary pump call for service. Otherwise, your battery backup system will run until it dies, and then your basement will still flood!

Automatic Generator-Powered Systems

Hooking your sump pump system up to a generator system is a good idea if you're already planning to have an automatic one permanently installed.

Automatic generators need to be wired by an electrician -- the total cost will be between $7,000 and $10,000.

If you decide to opt for a generator-powered system during power outages, remember that you will also need a second sump pump installed that can turn on in the event that the primary system fails.

Are Portable Generators A Good Option To Power My Sump Pump?

Alternatively, you can spend about $400 and purchase a portable generator unit. However, since this system is not automatic, you will need to be both home -- and awake -- when the rain starts to operate your sump pump system.

To operate the generator, you'll need to drag it outside (in the rain), gas it up, start it, and run an extension cord down to your sump pump system. Who wants to do that every few weeks?

Our TripleSafe sump pump system installed in a basement.

Our UltraSump® Battery Backup Sump Pump

The UltraSump® system is a powerful battery backup sump pump system that is designed for long-lasting protection in your basement.

Our system has been tested to pump out as much as 12,181 gallons of water on a new battery. Additional batteries can be added on to your system for even more pumping power.

The UltraSump® also includes an alarm system that sounds off when it cycles on, so you can respond. It is also able to attach to some home alarm systems, so you can get a phone call from anywhere you happen to be.

More about our UltraSump® Battery Backup System

Is A Battery Backup System Enough on Its Own?

A battery backup system is an important piece of a complete sump pump system -- no system should be without one. However, if you want to be fully protected, you'll need one more piece to the system: A secondary sump pump.

At Basement Systems, we recommend installing a powerful secondary sump pump with each waterproofing system.This will maximize your protection -- with two pumps working together to keep heavy water volumes down without the limitation of a battery charge. This is the best way to keep your basement dry during a heavy rain event.

A secondary sump pump will also be able to run without the limitation of a battery charge if your primary sump pump fails for any reason -- including clogging, mechanical failure, and overheating.

What's Keeping Your Basement Dry?

The Problem Primary Sump Pump Secondary Pump Battery Backup
Normal Rainfall green checkmark gray checkmark gray checkmark
Heavy Rain Overwhelms
Primary Pump
green checkmark green checkmark gray checkmark
Complete Power Failure red x red x green checkmark
Primary Pump Failure red x green checkmark green checkmark
Primary & Secondary
Pump Failure
red x red x green checkmark

What We Do NOT Recommend

There are millions upon millions of basements and crawl spaces out there, and a great many of them flood. Because of this, waterproofing these spaces has become a BIG market -- one that many companies want to be part of.

Because of this, there are many different makes and model of backup system to choose from on the current market -- some much, much better than others. Below are three models we do NOT recommend to homeowners:

(Click for more information.)
a car battery with jumper cables installed Generic Battery Backup Systems A dc to ac powered sump pump systemAlternate Power Sources For Primary Sump Pumps a diagram of a water-powered sump pump system Water-Powered Sump Pumps

We Can Add A Battery Backup Sump Pump To Your Waterproofing System!

Don't wait for your basement to flood! Install a battery backup system now, and gain the peace of mind of knowing that your basement can be counted on a dry, usable space.

Each locally owned and operated Basement Systems dealer offers free basement waterproofing estimates to homeowners in their service areas. We have dealers serving throughout Canada and the United States that are standing by to help you.

Each free estimate includes a professional inspection and consultation, a written estimate on a customized waterproofing system, and a complimentary copy of our full-color, comprehensive waterproofing book.

To schedule your free basement waterproofing estimate, call or e-mail us today!

Generic Battery Backup Systems

Nearly all suppliers of battery backup equipment do not supply batteries. Batteries are heavy, expensive, and difficult to ship. Instead, they leave it to contractors to head down to the automotive store and buy a car battery.

Unfortunately, car batteries are not made for this kind of application. Their ampere-hour capacity diminishes quickly after a year or so, which will lower the number of gallons of water it can pump out each hour. In other words, your sump pump becomes less and less powerful as more time passes.

Other suppliers provide an expensive battery backup system, with batteries that need maintenance every six months. If you don't remember the maintenance, your system may fail.

The key to an effective battery backup system is to find one that's made to power a battery backup pump, has a powerful charge, includes an alarm, and is as maintenance-free as possible.

severe leaking through a basement wall crack

Alternate Power Sources

This system uses a DC battery powered system to run your AC-powered pump. When the power goes out, the system converts DC battery power to AC power to run your system. Since an AC-powered sump pump is typically more powerful than one powered by DC power, this seems like the ideal solution.

However:

1. A battery backup system also doubles as a secondary pump. What happens when your pump is old, clogged, or overwhelmed by heavy water?

2. Converting DC power to AC power is very inefficient. More than half the stored power is lost in this process. So while your pump discharges a lot of water, it won't do so for long. In our test, the battery dies after only an hour of operation. Since the primary pump we used pumps out 2,200 gallons per hour, that means you could only count on 2,200 gallons of protection, compared to over 11,500 gallons for our system.

stains and water on a concrete wall from a leaking window

Water-Powered Sump Pumps

Water-powered sump pumps are installed above the pump and are powered by your town's water supply instead of electricity. As long as you have town water, your system can't run out of power. These systems are long, lasting, durable, and should continue to operate properly for many years.

Unfortunately, these systems can't always pump out enough water to keep a basement dry and protected. Their capacity is largely dependent on your home's water pressure. Additionally, their wasteful design requires 3-5 gallons of town water to be pumped away for each gallon of water you pump out of your basement.

At Basement Systems, we do not manufacture sump pumps, and we're not obligated to offer any specific brand or design unless we believe they're going to get the job done, and done right. Currently, we do not currently offer water-powered sump pumps.

moisture seeping directly through a concrete basement wall

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Quality, Innovation, Patents, Awards

Our innovative and forward-thinking approach to designing products has solved wet basement problems that the basement waterproofing and crawl space industry has faced for decades, and our patented sump pump systems are the smartest and most reliable. Plus we listen to our customers and respond accordingly! Basement Systems Inc. has been awarded 24 Patents and 19 Innovation Prizes on waterproofing products we use every day, including a battery back up sump pump system. This approach ensures the best waterproofing systems and solutions available.

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