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| A Backup Is Essential |
By:
Kurt Zier writes about utility pumps available at The Home Depot. He covers the functions of utility |
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A modern automatic utility pump is well-designed to operate reliably and without supervision in critical applications. Homeowners depend on their automatic utility pump to remove unwanted standing water on their roofs or in their basements, and count on uninterrupted, continuous operation to ensure their belongings are safe from water damage. In addition to the pump itself, essential reliability is provided by the right backup system.
In many geographic locations, electrical power suffers from frequent outages, and the automatic utility pump will not operate continuously enough to do its job. In these areas, a backup is essential. Most areas will have a power outage from time to time, and if this happens even once in a decade, it could be enough to cause serious damage. For these reasons, a backup is a smart idea in any location. In addition, although your automatic utility pump is designed to be reliable and last decades, it is susceptible to failure at some point. Checking your pump monthly is a good idea, but having a backup takes care of reliability during that month.
A typical backup system is a second automatic utility pump connected in parallel with the first, and run from a battery. This battery is often a common 12V lead-acid battery. Alternately, it can be a deep cycle battery, designed for immediate operation after a long period of dormancy. These types of batteries are found in many marine applications. Additionally, the battery will have a trickle charger to maintain its capacity, and a specialized controller to monitor the charge and set an alarm if there is a problem.
Another backup system involves a second automatic utility pump connected by the water pressure from the municipal supply. These water-powered sump pumps are similar to their battery-driven counterparts in that they also have separate float and check valves, set at levels above those of the main automatic utility pump.
The backup systems for the automatic utility pump themselves must be checked, since they operate infrequently, and component failure may not be readily apparent. For this reason, many backup systems include control units that periodically check the operation of the backup system and alert to failures on the components.
Another fail-safe device is a simple battery powered alarm that can be hung a few inches from the surface of the standing water, and can sound a shrill alarm if the water level reaches too high.
A good policy for reliability is regular maintenance. A yearly check is the minimum amount of time to manually confirm that the entire automatic utility pump system is functioning properly. Areas where the pumps run frequently due to a high water table, water drainage, or severe weather conditions, should be checked more often. When examining an automatic utility pump, and cleaning it, be sure to remove dirt, gravel, sand, and other debris to maximize efficiency and extend the life of the pump.
Maintaining a backup system properly will help avoid problems that could lead to costly repairs. A backup system can also operate when you are repairing the primary system. In this way you will have reliable operation for your automatic utility pump system. |
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