How to Choose the Right Basement Sump Pump

Having the right sump pump can help you weather a storm that would otherwise leave you fighting water damage or worse. A sump pump is designed to move water out of your home before it can get to destructive levels, fending off not only flood waters, but also the hassle of an insurance claim and the expense of water damage mitigation. With a job this important, your sump pump needs to be up to the task! Here are a few factors to think about before choosing one.

Submersible or Pedestal

Pedestal sump pumps, which are elevated to keep them out of the water, used to be the standard, but this was before the technology was up to the challenge of making them waterproof. As the ability to make them waterproof was developed, submersible sump pumps have become much more common, but there is still some debate on which is the better investment. Submersible pumps are more expensive but offer the convenience of being able to be installed in the pit, and they tend to be quieter since they’re submerged. Pedestal pumps are less expensive and last many years longer than a submersible pump, but since they prevent the pit from being sealed, it won’t work with a radon mitigation system.

Horsepower

Not all sump pumps are created equally, and regardless of whether yours is submersible or Pedestal, it’ll need to be powerful enough to do its job and remove water from your home if it floods. How powerful you need depends on a few different factors, such as the size of your house and the severity of flooding you’re likely to experience. A common size for many homeowners is 1/3 horsepower, which is powerful enough to remove water from an average home with low to moderate flood risk. If your home is larger or your risk of flooding is higher, however, you may benefit from a 1/2 horsepower pump or even, in the most extreme instances, a 3/4 horsepower pump.

Type of Switch

Once you choose the type and size of pump, you’ll need to decide how it’ll turn on and off. For peace of mind, you’ll want a switch to turn your pump on automatically if your home starts to flood, and off once your home is out of danger. A switch that will turn the pump on automatically as the water level rises will protect your home even when you’re not there to operate the pump, and being able to turn itself off automatically will prevent the pump from running dry and burning itself out. There are a couple different main types of switches: mechanical switches that use a float to measure the water level and turn the pump on and off as it rises and falls, and electronic switches, also known as pressure switches or capacitive switches, that electronically detect the water level and turn on when it gets too high.

Planning for Power Outages

Your power source is something to keep in mind too. Many of the conditions that would create a situation where your home is at risk of flooding could also mean a loss of power, so it’s important to be sure you’re ready for such an event. The safest way to protect your home is not to rely on either electricity, which can go out, or a battery backup system, which needs to be maintained and can fail if the demand is too great. Instead, consider installing a water-powered backup sump pump. These systems tie into the municipal water supply and use its water pressure to power the pump, ensuring that you’ll never be left without a working sump pump in the event of an emergency.

Navigating the Waters

There are a lot of decisions to make when shopping for a sump pump. For greater ease navigating the waters, so to speak, call Maeser today. Our technicians are there for you from the moment you decide to shop for a sump pump until the day the installation is complete.