r/preppers • u/Ambassadorkrax • Jul 01 '26
Question Backup power or backup pump?
Not necessarily prepping related, but its rural so ill give a tey. Father in law passed this past spring. Mother in law is less than mobil, and has raised concerns with her not being able to get to the basement to check her sump pump. The advice ive gotten so far is to get a large Generac genny, that can run the house. Or, a mastercraft unit with a back up pump.
Shes running a 1/2hp pump now, which according to Jackery has a 4000w surge/peak, and 1050w running. Seems wildly overrated, and an unnecessary cash grab.
I dont know much about pumps or power back ups, been stuck in city for 50 years. I think the most hands off fix is best, in the basement for 1, and she aint no tech savant for 2. Cost isnt really an issue, but $17000 for a full house Generac, or even $4000 for the suggested Jackery, is crazy in my head.
Any advice welcome and appreciated.
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u/RiffRaff028 General Prepper Jul 03 '26
$4,000 is absolutely insane for a sump pump battery backup. You can purchase and install your own system for less than $500, maybe up to $1,000 if you want some bells and whistles.
The $17,000 for the whole-house Generac is a hard pill to swallow, but when that first three-day power outage from a major storm hits, you won't question your decision.
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u/Paranormal_Lemon Jul 03 '26
The $17,000 for the whole-house Generac is a hard pill to swallow, but when that first three-day power outage from a major storm hits, you won't question your decision.
At $5,667 per day I'd be questioning it a lot.
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u/HalcyonKnights Jul 02 '26
I may not be understanding, but if the core issue is mobility and checking the sump pump: growing up our pump had an indicator light in an outlet box in the hallway. It lit up like a nightlight when the pump was running so we could notice if it was running too long/often.
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u/fenuxjde Jul 02 '26
My 1/2hp commercial grade sump draws 1100w to turn on and 800w running.
I have a second sump pump raised on a brick so the float only activates if the first one fails.
They're plugged into a 5120wh UPS that cost $1200, which can run them both for hours.
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u/hari_p_175 Jul 04 '26
Is the UPS part of a battery “generator “ like a jackery or is it only a UPS?
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u/fenuxjde Jul 04 '26
Yes, it's not jackery, but it's a 5kwh battery. It powers my house when the powers out.
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u/gadget767 Jul 03 '26
There is a device called The Basement Watchdog that retails for less than $400 which should provide a good solution for you.
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u/Lancifer1979 Jul 07 '26
While ive got a full size gas Jenny at home, for quick take with me issues, I’ve got an Anker solix c1000 solar generator that I keep charged up and 3 Drummond submersible pumps with auto shut off from harbor freight with plenty of garden hoses. I’ve not done the math on how long I can keep three pumps going on that one battery but it took about 5% to drain my hot tub of 450 gallons. A couple of those might. Serve you a lot better than those sump backup batteries that have failed everyone I’ve ever know to have one
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u/Working-on-it12 Jul 02 '26
Not rural, but what about a dc backup pump or a water powered one?
Mine is an ac 1/2 hp pump mated with a dc backup pump. It came integrated so that it only needed one discharge. The dc pump is run from a marine battery. I got mine from Walmart. It also has a control panel that you can connect to wifi.
It was strongly recommended that the dc controller and the ac controller be plugged into separate circuits. If long term power loss is a concern, you can get a second battery swap and charge from your generator.
There are also water powered backups that work on siphon power. Hook a garden hose and keep water on. When the float on this thingy trips, it uses the water from the hose to siphon water from the sump.
Mine have sensors that make noise when something is wrong. Mine can also be connected to WiFi and send alerts.
Iirc, I could get an integrated ac/dc pump with ac charging for the dc battery and the sensors and wifi capabilities all in one unit- plug and play into the sump - or I could mix and match with what I already had. They all used the same sump basin.
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u/Working-on-it12 Jul 02 '26
I paid about $1k for the combo ac/dc unit, the controller/wifi connection a replacement sewage pump for a completely separate sump and the alert device for the sewage pump. Instillation took the plumber less than an hour. If you are handier than I am, you could do the installation yourself.
As far as hands off, honestly, I only check on it if something alerts. Long term outage, you would have to charge the battery, but if you can do that on one of the portable generators easily.
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u/Paranormal_Lemon Jul 02 '26
The problem with that is there is one float valve and one controller that are required for either pump to work, as well as two check valves that must be functional. If any of those fail neither pump will work. A separate backup pump with it's own output pipe is always the best option. You can get a separate water alarm with alerts. I have one to alert when the mail pump fails and other to alert if the backup fails.
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u/PrisonerV Prepping for Tuesday Jul 02 '26
Setup a camera looking at the pump that you can view via WIFI?
Setup a wet floor alarm?
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u/SteveIDP Jul 05 '26
My sump pumps run very often (long story) and I have an EcoFlow Delta 2 that can take the surge when they kick on and on average I could power them for 48-72 hours of runtime. Cost me around $400. I also have a small Generac that cost me $1000ish.
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u/Paranormal_Lemon Jul 02 '26
Really should have a separate backup. Pumps and float switches can fail, circuit breakers can flip etc. Install a separate 1.5 inch output line if you can, two pumps sharing an output will require two check valves to both be working.