Sump Pump Alarms, Float Switches, Spare Parts – (Reviews 2023)

Reviews

Best Sump Pump Alarms of 2019

There are many things that can go wrong during a storm. Or a flood that can prevent your pump from doing its very important work. It can be quite dangerous to have your pump unattended. So, it is advisable to have a sump pump alarm (wifi or not) that will let you know when something went wrong. It can warn you about:

After it detects a problem, the sump pump alarm system goes on. And, you can hear it in your home (the sound is usually around 110 DB at 10 feet). It is also usually rigged to send you an SMS to your phone, or several phones since you cannot be at your home all the time.

Best Sump Pits & Basins of 2019

You need a sump pit to collect the water in the basement, so you could drain it safely away with a sump pump. Sump basins or Sump Pump Covers are usually 30 inches deep, and they are between 18 to 24 inches wide. If the sump basin is too small, then it will quickly overflow and flood your basement even if you have a sump pump during times of stress. It will also shorten the lifespan of your pump and your check valve. Because the pump will constantly turn on and off to pump the water out. Installing a small sump pump backup is also not recommended since it is not suitable for such a task.

If you are an engineering type, this chart will help you estimate how strong a pump you will need for your sump pump basin as you measure the rate of water table rising. You can do it by inserting a yardstick in the put and then measuring how fast the water level rises

Best Sump Pump Batteries of 2019

Power outages or other kinds of power failures are very crucial things to consider. Especially when those are inevitable during heavy rainfall or storm events. So these will be the times that you are going to start to think about extra insurance for your primary sump pump before flooding gets heavier and starts damaging your basement, crawl space and the foundation of your building. Sump pump alarms can be considered one of those extra insurance options. But, sump pump batteries are more functional since those are electric generators. And they will be there to support your sump pump to keep working continuously during power outage times.

When making a choice of what type of battery backup system to get, you need to consider two main types that are available:  – There are marine or solar batteries which are maintenance free and they just need to be set up and they will work on their own. There are also lead-based batteries which are just like those that are commonly found in cars. They require maintenance which means that you need to pour distilled water in them periodically to keep the lead cells from drying out. That prevents battery damage. Marine batteries are obviously more expensive.

Another factor to consider is also whether to get the DC system or an AC/DC system. The AC/DC system will siphon power out of the power outlet (DC) until the power fails and when that happens, it will use battery (AC) power. The AC system will only use battery power.

Best Sump Sump Pump Basin covers of 2019

While there are no reasons to cover your sump basin from the technical standpoint, there is a need to do it when installing the sump pump if you want to prevent your children that are playing on the basement floor from falling into the sump basin or if you just want to prevent objects from falling into the dirty water. Covers could be made at home from various materials, or they could be bought in the hardware store. One factor to consider when getting the cover is if you have a radon gas problem and if the cover should seal your pit or not. You need to have your house tested for radon gas before making such a decision.

Best Sump Pump Float Switches of 2019

A sump pump float switch is a type of sensor with a lever that detects the water level in the sump basin and then it can send a signal to the pump to start pumping. It can also be used to alarm the owner of the rise of a water level (like sump pump alarms). If the switch is normally used, it can deliver millions of on and off cycles. It fails if it is overloaded if there is a spike in the voltage constantly (just like every other appliance fails when that happens).

The float switch is one of the most important parts of the device. If it does not detect the water level properly,  the pump will either not function and your basement will get flooded, or it will force the pump to pump air – that uses up electricity and it also shortens the lifespan of the pump drastically. You should never skimp on the cost when it comes to choosing the float switch.

Best Sump Pump check valves of 2019

A sump pump check valve allows the water to go in one direction and it also prevents it from going into another one. So this part of sump pump will make sure that the water won’t come back in any circumstances after it pumped up along the way through pipes which are vertically installed That is a very important feature to have in your sump pump system.

It is located in the sump pump discharge line of the pump. They sense the flow of water inside them and they open up as the pump is working to bring it out of the pit. Once all the excess water is drained and the pump stops working, the leftover liquid starts going down the pipe back into the pit and the check valve prevents it from escaping the hose. This is very useful since it stops the pump from working overtime by cycling the same minuscule amount of liquid continuously.

Sometimes this process ends up with noisy sound in the pipes which is called “water hammer”. There are kinds of quiet sump pump check valves on the market if you would like to choose noiseless options. Like the with the float switch, you should not try to save money on this accessory.

Best Sump Pump hose kits of 2019

A sump pump hose is a line through which the water flows from your basement into the sewer or another area where you intend to dump it. Its design is very important in preventing clogging and keeping your system running without any interruption. You should do your very best to keep the drained water far away from your house since you do not want it going back and getting to your home foundations. That eliminates the purpose of your expensive pump system. If you are in an area that is prone to freezing temperatures, you should take care to insulate the hose to prevent it from icing up. The ice will build gradually, and it will make the discharge hose more and more narrow which will strain the whole system until it is blocked fully.

Best Sump Pump platforms (stands) of 2019

When using a sub pump you need to make sure that the sediment that is built up in the sump pit does not reach the pump itself. That is why it is important to put a platform under the sump pump and keep those particles away from the pump. The sediment will build up eventually, but it will take more time for that to happen with the stand. A stand can be store-bought, or you could just use a couple of bricks to keep the pump elevated. The pump can handle solids of a certain size. But there is no reason to have it working overtime like that.

Float switches, check valves and Sump Pump alarms

Vertical or horizontal switch differences

Vertical Float Switches

These switches can be mounted through the top or bottom of a container. This can make them especially good for situations where there is no side access to the tank that needs liquid level detection.

Horizontal Float Switches

Horizontal float switches will be mounted through ports in the side of the container. The ports are sealed to prevent leakage, and the float side goes inside the tank, with the wires coming out through the port. Since these float switches are mounted through the side of the vessel, they are good for applications where the top and bottom of the tank are inaccessible.

further information

How does a float switch work?

A sump pump float switch is a type of sensor with a lever that detects the water level in the sump basin and then it can send a signal to the pump to start pumping. It can also be used like sump pump alarms warn the owner of the rise of a water level.

How does a check valve work?

A sump pump check valve allows the water to go in one direction and it also prevents it from going into another one. The sense the flow of water inside them and they open up as the pump is working to bring it out of the pit. Once all the excess water is drained and the pump stops working, the leftover liquid starts going down the pipe back into the pit and the check valve prevents it from escaping the hose. When working properly, the check valve prevents the pump from cycling the same tiny amount of water over and over. That brings down the electricity bill and stops the lengthens the lifespan of the pump.

Sump Pump Alarm Systems

Having a sump pump alarm is a must since it can warn you of a potential problem before it causes damage to your property. If the water level rises too fast, you can be notified of that fact. That is a useful feature to have if you are away at work or even out of the country. The sump pump alarms produce a loud sound when something goes wrong.

Sump pump alarm system is also linked to the internet. So, it can send you text messages when it gets triggered. The sump pump alarm not only notifies you if the water is rising too fast, it can also notify when the pump itself fails (most modern pumps have an inbuilt sump pump alarm system), when the water stops flowing (because of the blockage in the intake or the discharge), or when the power is out and the battery from the backup kicks in. During a storm or a flood, sump pump alarms can be a lifesaver since several hours can mean a difference between a ruined house foundation or no repair bills at all.

Conclusion

The accessories like sump pump alarms that we presented here can increase the sump pump installation cost. But you should not look at it as a cost but as an investment or insurance. Having battery backup sump pumps or sump pump alarms, for example, is more expensive. But it will be worth its weight in gold when the power goes out. Paying a little bit extra for a good float switch or a check valve will prevent the sump pump, which is the most critical part of the system, from failing because it cannot detect the water in the sump pit or because it just cycles the same bit of fluid every few seconds in an almost empty basin.

If you are still unsure of what exactly do you need for your home, you should call a professional plumber or an electrician to give you expert advice. This review cannot go into great detail since every home is specific.