Anyone put two sump pumps in one basin?

[sixdogs]

We had a close call with the recent deluge and my sump pump almost quit. We made it by the skin of our teeth.

A second, or backup sump pump would have made me feel better in the panic of a deluge or a failed pump. I have plenty of room in the basin so I wonder about putting two pumps in there and directing to the same discharge. I would run one pump for a few months and then switch to the other. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Anyone else do two pumps in one basin?

Also, in getting ready to install the new pump there is mention to drill a "weep hole" in the discharge pipe right above the pump but no mention as to why. Does everyone do this?

 

[kevinwak]

In one town around here most houses have two or three sump pumps. They install them at different levels so that one comes on first and then once it gets to the level of the next one it will kick on. That way there is a back up should the primary pump fail. They often have a third pump that is 12V dc running of of a deep cycle battery. That area of town has poor drainage and high water and the first pump probably runs 20 hours of the day.
The weep hole is probably to allow the discharge line to drain back to prevent freezing.

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[mfridenmaker]

You don't need a 2nd pump, you need a battery backup pump. If the electricity goes out OR if the original pump fails, the battery back-up pump kicks in. I have a slightly used, full battery back-up system I want to get rid of. I'm not sure where you are in Ohio, but if you private message me, I will give you more information on what I have and why I'm selling it.

Mark

 

[xzcVAbc5]

No idea on the weep hole. There should be no problem with having two pumps to the same discharge. Make sure you have good check valves. I would set one of the pumps a little higher than where the first one turns on so they both aren't always running. The second one would only run if the first one wasn't keeping up.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

If I remember correctly the weep hole is to let air in so the water can exit your drain line when the pump shuts off. Just like a drain vent on your house plumbing. It also does what Kevin said for the vertical pipe coming from your pump. I've been thinking about putting in a second pump as a backup, the only downside is making sure the floats won't get caught on each other, that would be bad.

 

[MikePA]

I had a battery powered backup sump pump. Total waste of money. It couldn't pump enough water and the deep cycle battery didn't last long enough. Perhaps they've gotten better.

I have a stand by generator for when we lose power.

I have a flexible coupling half way up the vertical discharge pipe. I also have a back up pump, also with a discharge pipe attached. If the pump fails, I pull it and the discharge pipe out of the pit, drop the backup in the pit, reconnect the flexible coupling and I am back in business.

 

[4570Man]

I was in a repurposed hospital building a few weeks ago. They had multiple sump pump pits that were 10 or more feet deep. They all had two pumps, and they were big pumps with a 3" output line.

 

[mfridenmaker]

I had a battery powered backup sump pump. Total waste of money. It couldn't pump enough water and the deep cycle battery didn't last long enough. Perhaps they've gotten better. I have a stand by generator for when we lose power. I have a flexible coupling half way up the vertical discharge pipe. I also have a back up pump, also with a discharge pipe attached. If the pump fails, I pull it and the discharge pipe out of the pit, drop the backup in the pit, reconnect the flexible coupling and I am back in business.

If you buy junk, you get junk and it sounds like you bought junk and therefor your opinion of a total waste of money. If you purchase the right system for the application, it will work as intended. I'm sure your NASCAR pit stop system of flexible couplings and multiple drop-in pumps works for you, but what happens if you're not home or not awake? Obviously, you don't understand the purpose of a battery back-up sump pump. Battery back-ups are temporary solutions to temporary problems. They are not meant for long-term use, the deep cycle batteries last for 12-36 hours depending on cycle times. Standby generators are great, as long as you're home or awake when the power goes out to turn them on. Stand alone, automatic generator systems are even better as long as you can afford the upfront costs. Most people aren't home, standing over their sump pumps with a spare pump and a wrench in hand waiting for them to fail. Unfortunately, I've had more experience than I care to admit with sump pumps, battery back-ups, and basement water problems. I've had ZERO failures with a battery back-up system since installed. Just my humble opinions...

Mark

 

[superpickle]

If you have the room an additional pump wouldn't hurt. A battery setup in addition is nice. The weep hole is to relieve head pressure on the line so on startup the pump is not trying to push a full column of water

 

[MikePA]

Time to leave the thread when the insults start.