Replacing a sump pump -- plumber recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fyi battery backups don't last that long - only 6-8 hours. The water pressure system is more expensive, but can run indefinitely during a power outage.

That's not true at all. A typical one will be rated for 7 hours of run time. That's total run time. They typically run about 10 seconds at a time, until the basin fills up again. It can run for several days, if not a week at that rate. Water powered back-ups are a very bad idea and waste a LOT of water to run the pump. Can't be used with well water, obviously.

I disagree with your assessments. An extended power shortage will drain the emergency back-up, basement floods, resulting in the emergency battery underwater and battery acid floating in the mix. A municipal siphon pump only operates when the float rises and opens the valve, and frankly, if the basement floods, the water necessary to activate the municipal siphon pump presents a minor cost compared to the potential flood damage and contamination.
Batteries lose their charge over time if not recharged.

You're so dramatic. The battery is sealed. It doesn't leak ever. All sump pumps operate on a float switch that rises and activates the switch to turn on the pump. How is that relevant? Battery back-up pumps can go nearly a week, if necessary.

[Anonymous]

Our pump got stuck once, and our pit didn’t overflow at all. And we get a lot of water. Presumably it just backed up in the drain tiles and against the foundation for a while? There were no consequences. Once I fixed it, it filled and drained several times in a row (even though by then the rain had long passed).

So I’m not that stressed about our battery backup (which wasn’t even relevant because the float getting stuck was the problem).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, we have a back-up battery for the current pump and will get that replaced, too.

We will also want the plumber to redirect the discharge pipe in our backyard.

-OP

The battery back-up pump should not need replacing. It probably almost never turned on. Replace the battery only. Make sure the plumber buries the discharge pipe and runs it out a good 15 feet or more away from the house, ending in a yard drain, not just open to daylight. It should also have an air gap, anti-freeze device installed where it exits the house.