Don't trust your your battery sensors

[paulsiu]

My neighbor the plumber suggested a while back to add a Sumpro for backup. I did take his advice and install one. This was fortuitous since after a few months after I install the Sumpro, there was a massive hail storm that knocked out the power for half the day. The Sumpro run continuously during that time and dropped to 80% power.

Ironically, the plumber who recommended the sumpro had his basement flooded. He had two sumppro and two sump pump but apparently his batteries were old.  He didn't replace the battery because the sumpro told him that they were OK and had 95% power. I actually had a similar problem with my watchdog who said my battery had water when it was empty.

I am thinking I should test the battery monthly and replace it every 5 years or so. I figure I could test it by unplugging the battery for half and hour and see how far it goes down.

 

Paul

 

 

Edited September 28, 2017 by paulsiu

[Marc]

2 hours ago, paulsiu said:

My neighbor the plumber suggested a while back to add a Sumpro for backup. I did take his advice and install one. This was fortuitous since after a few months after I install the Sumpro, there was a massive hail storm that knocked out the power for half the day. The Sumpro run continuously during that time and dropped to 80% power.

Ironically, the plumber who recommended the sumpro had his basement flooded. He had two sumppro and two sump pump but apparently his batteries were old.  He didn't replace the battery because the sumpro told him that they were OK and had 95% power. I actually had a similar problem with my watchdog who said my battery had water when it was empty.

I am thinking I should test the battery monthly and replace it every 5 years or so. I figure I could test it by unplugging the battery for half and hour and see how far it goes down.

 

Paul

 

 

What if you were to just throw 5 gallons of water into the sump once a month and watch how much battery charge it takes to empty it?  Replace the battery when the needed charge is considerably higher than typical.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Marc

[John Kogel]

Install a water alarm along with a fresh battery.

The cheap $15 alarm is a buzzer that sits on the floor near the pit. The $100 model will call your cell phone.