Water powered sump pump or electric?

Yes and no. There is a water powered sump pump available, but it is used in addition to the electrical sump pump, not instead of. The water powered pump should supplement the AC electric pump, not replace it. Water powered back up sump pumps are emergency pumps, used just for power outages. They are idle and cost you nothing when they are not in use. But when they are needed, they are relatively inexpensive. And here in New Jersey they have been needed a lot in recent years.

The water powered sump pump should be the backup, not the primary

1. The Primary Pump is powered by electricity and is low in operational cost because electricity is inexpensive. The primary pump has the most pumping capacity over a prolonged time because the AC electric motor is also the most efficient.
2. The Secondary or Backup Pump is powered by something other than AC electricity so when the power goes out, you can still evacuate your sump pit and prevent flooding from occurring. The backup pump is your contingency plan for when there is no electricity.

Your primary sump pump should be very reliable.

A-1 Basement Solutions installs Zoeller 57001 .3HP submersible sump pumps only. This Sump Pump will pump an average of 3,000 Gallons Per Hour (GPH). Model 5701 are our choice because they feature cast iron construction with lower and upper bearings that are oil fed cast iron. The impeller is also made of cast iron. We believe that Zoeller Pump Company creates the best sump pumps available today.

What you need to know as a homeowner with a Sump Pump

The Sump Pump that keeps your basement dry is powered by electricity

Even if you have a French Drain installed for basement waterproofing, you need electricity to power the sump pump.

Without a working sump pump your basement can flood.

You need a backup sump pump that can work without electricity for up to a week.

Does your basement flood when there is no power? You better have a backup. A way to pump out water when there is no electricity. An alternatively powered pumping method is needed.

A water powered backup sump pump will protect your basement in the case of a power outage. This unique product is powered by your municipal water supply and requires no electricity to operate. BECAUSE IT IS DEPENDENT UPON WATER PRESSURE TO OPERATE YOU MUST BE CERTAIN OF YOUR MUNICIPAL WATER UTILITY'S ABILTY TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT WATER PRESSURE DURING A POWER OUTAGE.

At A-1 Basement Solutions, we install the Liberty SumpJet SJ10 as our water powered sump pump. With 60 PSI water pressure and an 8 foot vertical lift the SJ10 will pump 17 GPM which is equivelent to 1,020 Gallon Per Hour (GPH).

As long as there is adequate Municipal Water Pressure the Water Powered Sump Pump will continue to operate. That means day after day, week after week if necessary, until the electricity is restored.

The water powered sump pump uses 1 gallon of city water to pump 2 gallons out of the pit, and then all three are discharged from the house. Using the ratio of 1 to 2, at 1,020 GPH the system will use 510 gallons of water to remove the1,020 gallons from your basement. If your water costs 2 cents a gallon, (510 x .02=$10.20) it would cost approximately $10 an hour in water use to keep your basement dry. That is a small price to pay to prevent flooding until the electricity is restored.