Installing a Backup Pump System: A Comprehensive Guide
Unplugging 110 Volt Connections
Before starting the installation, it's essential to disconnect the 110-volt connections from the existing pump system. This will ensure that there are no electrical shocks or injuries during the installation process. As the installer explains, "Kind: captionsLanguage: enI why don't you unplug the 110 volt connections right there and I'm going to loosen these stainless steel hose clamps and once I do I'll be able to break this connection all right there we go."
Finding the Pump and Backup System
Upon examining the pump and backup system, it becomes apparent that both pumps are designed to work off of 110 volts. However, the primary pump is made of cast iron and sits at the bottom of the sump pit, while the backup pump is located above ground and has a float switch that activates when the water level rises. As the installer notes, "you actually have a pump and a backup pump built in so the bottom pump has a float switch it would discharge into this pipe if it ever didn't work there's a second float switch right here to make this work."
Improving the Backup System
The installer identifies a better solution for the backup system, which involves a primary pump working off of 110 volts and a secondary pump that works off of 12 volts. The secondary pump is designed to work off of a battery and has a float switch that activates when the water level rises. To ensure the battery remains charged, a trickle battery charger is installed, and the connections are made to the battery. As the installer explains, "we have a trickle battery charger right here that makes sure the battery is always fully charged and this comes in a pre-plumbed unit just like this that's pretty cool it is now."
Adding Teflon Tape and Check Valves
Before installing the pump system, the installer adds Teflon tape to threaded connections to ensure a secure seal. As they explain, "this is a thread sealant and it's not sticky at all so when you apply it you actually want to apply it in such a way that it compresses against itself great now before I put it all together again I want to show you a little device right here that's very important for some pump it's called a check valve."
Understanding Check Valves
The installer explains the importance of check valves, which are one-way valves that allow water to flow in one direction but prevent it from flowing back. Without check valves, water would flow out of the pipe and cause problems. As they demonstrate, "this check valve is a one-way valve it allows the water to go this way but it doesn't allow it to go this way I'll tighten up these connections and then we can drop it in the pit now for the connection on the discharge side of our pump we're going to use this inch and a half PVC pipe."
Installing the Pump System
The installer begins installing the pump system by attaching the 12-volt battery to a protective plastic box. The box is installed on a shelf, keeping it away from water in the basement. Next, they make the electrical connections for the low-voltage connections, ensuring that the battery charger and primary pump are properly connected.
Testing the Backup System
Finally, the installer tests the backup system by simulating a rainstorm with the French drain. The water level rises, and the float switch activates the secondary pump. To their satisfaction, the pump is on and quiet, indicating a successful installation. However, they also test the backup system's failure mode, engaging the siren that alerts them to backup mode. They note that the pump will last anywhere from 4 to 5 hours when used constantly but can run for a full day when used intermittently.
Conclusion
In conclusion, installing a backup pump system requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following the steps outlined in this guide, homeowners can ensure their basement remains dry even when the lights are out. With proper installation and maintenance, a backup pump system can provide peace of mind and prevent water damage from flooding.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI why don't you unplug the 110 volt connections right there and I'm going to loosen these stainless steel hose clamps and once I do I'll be able to break this connection all right there we go and now let me lift that right out look at what you've got in here you actually have a pump and a backup pump built in so the bottom pump has a float switch it would discharge into this pipe if it ever didn't work there's a second float switch right here to make this work but both of these pumps work off of 110 volts so when you didn't have any power you had two pumps not working Chaine here is a better solution you still will have your basic primary pump right here made out of cast iron working off 110 volts it sits down in the bottom of that sump pit there's a float switch right here as the water level rises as you can see the float switch Rises right here makes the click and brings the pump on but should this pump ever stop working either you lose power or the pump itself is broken then you still have a backup there's a float switch right here now that water level keeps Rising because the first pump doesn't come on and watch what happens now this switch comes up makes the click here it and it brings on this pump but this pump is not 110 volts this pump works off of 12 volts it works off of a battery so these connections come over to here to the battery when it comes on it'll be powered off of this and to be sure that the battery has power when you need it we have a trickle battery charger right here that makes sure the battery is always fully charged and this comes in a pre-plumbed unit just like this that's pretty cool it is now before we go into the pit there's some threaded connections I want to add a little Teflon tape to now this is a thread sealant and it's not sticky at all so when you apply it you actually want to apply it in such a way that it compresses against itself great now before I put it all together again I want to show you a little device right here that's very important for some pump it's called a check valve now on each of these pumps is a check valve if we didn't have it think about what would happen that pump would come on the water leaves goes up this pipe and tries to go outside when the pump shuts off all the water that's in that pipe would come back down again so this check valve is a one-way valve it allows the water to go this way but it doesn't allow it to go this way I'll tighten up these connections and then we can drop it in the pit now for the connection on the discharge side of our pump we're going to use this inch and a half PVC pipe the connection down here is going to use a hose clamp connector but you can see that when this pipe comes up it doesn't quite line up with our old work right there the pumps in a slightly different location than the old one for that we're going to use a couple of 45° angle fittings and that'll create an offset just about perfect for us to make that nice straight pipe there at the top we're going to use this this is another hose clamp connector but this goes from inch and a quar a smaller size pipe to our inch and a half size right here once I've done that we'll put the piece of pipe in and make our Mark right here like a pro now anytime you make a cut like this you can see there's a little bit of a burr what I like to do is to actually clean those off and to reing the inside of the pipe make it smooth all right now we're ready to clean and to glue the pipe and the fittings push together firmly hold it for about a 5 count Perfect all right good looks perfect except for that little purple stripe okay the power FR backup pump's going to come from this it's a deep cycle marine battery I'm going to install this into a protective plastic box the Box goes up onto the Shelf I installed that's going to keep it up and away from any water in the basement and now we just need to make the electrical connections all right so that is the last of our low volt Vol connections so now we have a couple of line voltage connections one is right here the battery charger we talked about you can see there's power going in it's charging and once the battery is fully charged you'll see it with this indicator light right here okay the other is the 110 volts that's going to go down to our primary pump down here now let's test it imagine it's raining the water's coming in through the French drain water level rises the float comes up pump is on oh that's quiet isn't that quiet all right all right so now let's test the backup this thing fails the lower one the water continues to rise this upper float switch now engages all right the pump is on but you also can hear this really annoying siren that you can disable and that's designed to tell you that you're in backup mode all right and how long does this pump last on the battery well it really depends if it's going to be used constantly and never shut off it might be 4 to 5 hours but if it runs intermittently as they often do you might get a full day out of it so you now have a prim pump and a backup pump going to keep this place dry even when the lights are out\n"
