"Keith" #ca wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a sump pump in a well beneath my floor. Works great and keeps the
basement dry. However I fear that we may get water at the same time we
have a power outage. So I've been looking at battery back-up units. Most
kits that I've found in stores around here have a 12 volt pump that
attaches to the outlet of the existing electric pump. It kicks in if the
water rises in the well above the cut-in level of the AC float. This DC
pump is powered by a deep-cycle battery (not included) that is kept
charged by trickle charger (included).

The kits include the 12 volt pump, a charger, a plastic box to hold the
battery, and a few fittings. The cost here in Canada is between $250 and
$380 (I think the more expensive ones have a fancier charging unit and
perhaps the pump delivers more gallons per minute. Isn't that a bit
expensive for what you get? Especially as there is no battery included?

I'm wondering if I could purchase the pump and a trickle charger
separately for considerably less. Someone suggested a marine bilge pump.
Do these pump the volume of the sump pumps - about 20-25 gpm? Is the
trickle charger sold in the kits any different/better than a cheap trickle
charger sold at any hardware/automotive store? The ones in the kit don't
look to be all that elaborate. Also, are all deep-cycle batteries equal?
If they are left on charge continually, will they hold a full charge for a
long time (years)? How often would they have to be replaced?

If the components are cheaper, and the pump has adequate capacity (I don't
picture bilge pumps handling a 10' head, but then I don't know much about
bilge pumps...) then it ought to work. All you would lose would be the
buzzer and lights that tell you what is going on.