Water Powered Sump Pump Vs. Battery Backup

by James Williams

Sump pumps are needed to remove water in places where it has been accumulated and is flooding up. This happens mostly in the basements or drainage basins on the land around you.

If the water continues to rise higher and reaches the level of your house's foundation, then it will be hard for you to travel and the water can destroy things on the ground.

For this, you need to funnel the water out. There are many ways to do this. And among these options, there is a close battle between water powered sump pump vs battery backup. To know which is better, let us get to know the two options first!

Water Powered Sump Pump

Water-powered Sump Pump
Water-powered Sump Pump

A water-powered sump pump is the type of pump that can get the water out of the basin or basement with the power of the water supply you get in your house from the city water supply. Some of the features of the water-powered sump pump are given below:

User Friendly

This machine is very simple to use and anyone can easily understand the mechanisms. There is literally no way you can make a mistake with using such a machine.

That makes it perfect to use for first-timers who have never tried a sump pump of any kind before. Even installing the machine is very easy and will not need much elbow grease.

Maintenance

It does not need much maintenance. That is because you will barely face any issues with the machine itself. There is less chance of it breaking down or not working the way it should.

This way you can save up on the maintenance costs. It is also corrosion-resistant which saves you from having to call in a plumber again and again.

Power Supply

This kind of sump pump is powered by water. The water supply has to be plentiful and continuous. So, the safest way to ensure such a supply is by connecting the sump pump to the city's water supply that is connected to your house.

But when you arrange this supply of water, you will need to make sure that the water pressure is at least 20 psi (pounds per square inch). If it is more than that, then the pump power will be even greater.

Operations

The water-powered sump pump works with the Venturi effect. This effect only happens when the water pressure is converted to a kind of jet where the ejector nozzle of the sump pump is. It will come with great speed and cover more distance. A vacuum will also be created with low pressure.

This vacuum is what draws the water into the nozzle. This sump water gets mixed with the city's water supply and then gets ejected eventually. So basically, for each gallon of water that is getting supplied from the city's water supply, you are able to pump out about two gallons of water.

Time Usage

These water-powered sump pumps can go on for hours because they are capable of working for an unlimited time. After all, there is no battery powering up this machine, and there are almost zero maintenance issues or costs needed.

Not even an outage of power can make the water-powered sump pump stop working. This is what makes this sort of pump perfect for any disastrous calamities related to floods. As long you can supply an unlimited flow of water with the pressure of 20 psi, this sump pump will continue to do its job.

Battery Backup Sump Pump

Battery Powered Sump Pump
Battery Powered Sump Pump

The battery backup pump is a great new kind of technology that allows you to relax as the water flows easily from the machine and empties any flooded basement or basin around you.

This is a great option when the traditional types of sump pumps do not work efficiently for you. Some features of the battery backup sump pump are given below:

Source of Power

Most of the battery backup sump pumps work on AC/DC and DC batteries. With the AC/DC batteries, the battery backup pump can run even without the main power line.

And with the DC batteries, the pump can run even when there is no power. That is because the DC batteries can run only on the batter power itself.

The Type of Battery Being Used

There are two common types of batteries for the battery backup sump pump. They are the deep cycle batteries and the wet cell batteries. The deep cycle ones are sealed shut and do not require any maintenance costs. The wet cell ones are not sealed and need distilled water to be added so that they run properly.

This is needed to be done regularly so that the cells inside the batteries do not become too dry. It will end up damaging the batteries. The wet cell batteries are very similar to the kinds of batteries that are installed inside cars.

Installation and Operations

After you install the battery backup sump, you need to remember to install a second sump pump. Install the second one right next to the main one. The second pump also needs to have strong powerful batteries installed into it.

Since power outages are the common reason for the battery backup pump to fail, the second battery backup pump is there to kick in after the main pump stops working.

Replacement Pump

The battery backup might not be an affordable option for most people when they want to get rid of flooded water.

The traditional types of sump pumps like water-powered pumps are still popular in the market. But just in case of emergencies, it would be wise to keep the battery backup sump pump aside and ready just in case your main sump pump fails.

Water Powered Sump Pump Vs. Battery Backup: Which One Is Better?

Between both the water-powered sump pump and the battery backup sump pump, the water-powered pump is the more practical option to choose from. There are various reasons why the water-powered one is better than the battery backup. Below the reasons are given:

Power Supply

the water-powered sump pump runs solely on water. The water supply comes from the city municipalities. They provide a main water line for the sump pumps.

This way the water supply will be continuous and unlimited. But with the battery backup, you will need to keep a backup sump pump since batteries can run out or even fail. A power outage can also end up making the battery backup stop working. Replacing batteries every few years will also cost a lot of money.

Maintenance

There are almost no maintenance costs or damage issues you will have to face with the water-powered sump pump. It is a long-lasting machine that is strong and can run for unlimited time. But the battery backup pumps will shut down after a while.

When the batteries deplete, the machine will shut down and you will need to reinstall the batteries. Also because the water-powered sump pump is the type that sits above the pit, you can easily handle any maintenance tasks if by any chance anything goes wrong.

Time and Usage

During natural disasters, the water-powered sump pump is definitely the ideal choice. That is because, during those days, there are usually long hours or even continuous days of no electricity.

But the supply of water from the city is not very likely to deplete so soon. The machine can run without any alternate source of power and can continue working for days continuously.

Final Words

In the battle of water powered sump pump vs battery backup pump, it is evident that the water powered one is the best choice.

It might take more time to get stored up water out of a basin or basement, compared to the battery backup one. It will also waste water since the supply of its power is originally from water itself.

But eventually, when you look at the big picture, in the long run, the water powered sump pump will save you a lot of money because it is simpler, will run for a much longer time, and stay durable.

About James Williams

Hi, This is James from HomerDIY. I have great experience in writing about everything related to Pump and DIY tools. For the last few years, I am researching the different types of tools and sharing my opinion on this blog.

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