A water powered sump pump is a device which works by transferring water from underneath your home, to outside of your home.
The device is like a vacuum, every time the water pressure reaches a certain limit it triggers the water powered sump pump to turn on and reduce the water back to a safe level which cannot flood your home.

How is a water powered sump pump different from a regular sump pump?

A water powered sump pump is a backup pump for the standard sump pump. A normal sump pump draws water into a pit underneath your home, to prevent the water from rising into your basement. The water powered sump pump, pumps the water back out of the pit and sends the water back outside where its supposed to be.

Do I need a water powered sump pump?

Well if your only using a normal sump pump, yes it is a vital necessity. A normal sump pump only draws the water from flooding your basement by sending it into a pit underneath your home, if weather conditions are severe enough this pit could still flood after so much time, so without a water powered sump pump there would be no real reason to even use a normal sump pump. They do not work without each other.

How do I work it?

You don’t. The water powered sump pump is totally automatic. You will find that the pump has its own float switch and activates once the water level reaches a dangerous level, then pumps it back down to a safe level.

Will it suck up my electric bill?

Fortunately the sump pump does NOT run off electricity or batteries. The sump pump works off pressurization. there is also a adjustable timer in which you can set how long you want the pump to run every time it is activated by the water levels. Normally this time would need to be around 20 to 30 seconds depending on size of the sump pit along with how close your home is to the ground.
The best way to depict how long to set the pump isn’t to guess but to ask either the person who installs it under your home, or a sump pump professional.

How do I choose the right size pump for my home??

This is simple normally there are 3 different types of water powered sump pumps. These types being:
Residential RB- 750- This would be for your average home with a pretty normal amount of sump water needing lifting from under your home.

Residential/ commercial HB – 1000 This would be for homes with high volumes of sump water which are found to constantly flood from underneath.

Commercial CB- 1500 Which would be for buildings not standard to be used on single homes, which have a high volume of water at a frequent rate.

Remember also model types vary from store to store, just because it has a different name doesn’t mean it isn’t for the same level of water. The best way is to document your water problems around your home then ask a professional on what they would advise to use.

Because of the water needed to operate them water sump pumps are more expensive to run. Before getting started make sure, the area where you will be working is clean and dry. While purchasing the sump pump you will also need to purchase a rechargeable 12-volt battery, a good long-term investment would be a marine deep cycle battery they are more expensive but they will run for a longer period, and their shelf life is longer when unused. When you purchase the sump pump a water level sensor, needed piping, and a check valve should be included. The check valve is usually placed in front of the pipes to prevent a back flow into the primary pump when the backup pump is being used. You need to purchase PVC suction pipe, plastic of copper piping, discharge pipe, and a plumbing kit (if needed).

For a water powered model, the mounting must be positioned over the main sump pump. You will need to connect the water supply to the new pump. If you are installing a battery powered model make, sure it is fully charged then connects it near the main pump then connects it to the discharge pipe. With the water powered sump pump an extra step is needed yo,u must attach plastic or copper piping from the backup sump pump to your water supply. Regardless of which type you install the rest if the instructions remain the same for both types of units. Add the PVC suction pipe running it to the bottom of the sump pit, emptying the entire pit. Finally hook up the discharge pipe to the primary discharge or to the outside.

Testing once a month is recommended to assure the backup pump will work when needed. A good time to test your back up system is after a rainstorm. The main sump pump will need to be temporarily disconnected from its power source to the backup system. A battery charger with a trickle charge can be used to monitor and test the battery making sure it has adequate fluid on the inside and is retaining a full charge.

Strategically placing a battery powered water alarm a few inches below the top of the sump well can alert you with a loud shrill alarm if the pumping system fails and the water level rises too high alerting you of a potential problem.