I know that 99% of people that perform crawl space encapsulation with waterproofing do not install a battery back-up system. Just like proper crawl space insulation, it is overlooked and many times its importance is not explained to homeowners.
Have you ever invested a lot of money on something but skimped on that one thing extra and realized how big of a mistake you made by not buying it?
In many cases, that one thing was just a fraction of the cost of the item or project but you had already invested so much. Well, that is what battery back-up systems are to the world of crawl space repair and waterproofing.
Two Pump Battery Back-Up System
There are a lot of products to choose from when it comes to sump pump battery back-ups. I feel the one I am about to share is overlooked by many crawl space encapsulation contractors. Most crawl space and basement waterproofing professionals install a 2 sump pump system.
The two-pump system with battery back-up has been around for years and is a decent system. The cons are normally the secondary pump is a smaller plastic pump. During heavy rains and having no electricity is not the time to rely on some wimpy secondary sump pump.
Best Battery Back-up Sump Pump System
We have been using the SEC America Pump Sentry 822PS for a few years and this system is amazing. What makes it unique is that it is actually a DC to AC Converter. When your electricity is on and you are using AC, all is good. Once your home loses power, the Pump Sentry 822PS switches to a marine battery. This causes any loss of power to the sump pump to be regained almost instantly.
This instant switch to a battery system improves the chance of little to no water getting on the vapor barrier. Less water on the vapor barrier means your dehumidifier is functioning less (actually not at all with power out). Lower humidity means decrease chance for mold growth and sagging floor damage from wood rot fungus.
CAUTION: Get power to your sump pumps and dehumidifier as quick as possible to avoid mold and water damage. According to FEMA, mold can begin to grow in as little as 24 to 48 hours.
Features of Pump Sentry 822PS
The Pump Sentry also creates a trickle charge to the batteries so they are always ready to go. It can handle up to three batteries in order to give a longer run time. It comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
All that is great, but what makes it so much better than a dual pump battery back-up system is you only need the one primary pump. The same pump that guards your home with power is the same pump that guards your home during a power loss.
Read Article: Encapsulation Sump Pump
Another great benefit is it can be installed with your current sump pump. The dual pump system requires you to remove your primary pump in most cases. This can waste money. Also if one of the pumps fails on the dual pump, many times both need to be replaced. Plus, if that dinky secondary pump never gets used, how do you know it works when you need it?
I hope you found this information useful. Please comment below if you have any questions or would like to say hello. I am also putting a video for you to watch about the SEC America Pump Sentry 822PS.
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2 thoughts on “Crawl Space Encapsulation Battery Back-Up”
How long will the pump run on the backup battery?
Sorry I don’t have a good answer for this. Depends on how much water the pump is having to pump. The efficiency of the pump, the type of battery back-up system installed, type of battery used and how many batteries you have hooked to the system. Many battery back-up manufacturers say 1 hour to 5 hours. Hope that helps.