According to Todd H. :
(Chris Lewis) writes:

Lee Valley sells a manual pump (looks much like an old fashioned
lever-action well pump) that would probably work.

Interesting. Is this what you're referring to?

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...2,2280&p=10380

Yeah, but for some reason I thought there was something useable
as a pipe fitting on the outlet. Somewhat more restrictive
where you can place it obviously ;-)

Certainly is cost effective. Some thought would have to be put
into the requisite plumbing though. A 2nd pipe to the sump would have
to be run I suppose to avoid having to pull a submersible pump in an
emergency. I don't imagine you can draw water through an electric
submersible pump while it's still connected.

Easiest would be to have a separate suction line of course.

There's no great problem sucking thru most pumps - most sumps are
impeller pumps which will simply have their impellers spin in the
water flow. However, it will be greater drag, which you don't want
with a hand pump.

They'll probably also generate a little electricity as they wind
(water? ;-) mill, which is probably not a terrifically good idea -
it would also increase drag if anything else in the house is trying
to source power from that leg of the main feed, and the pump switch
is on. Might also give you a tingle.

You'd want the sump switched off.

Nah, another suction line is better.

If that hand pump had a hose fitting on the outlet, then you
could tee it into the sump pump's outlet line. Provided you had
one way valves for both the sump and handpump.

[This is probably how I'm going to configure my battery backup system.
Essentially a truck battery, a marine bilge pump, a scavenged float
switch, and a kit-built 12V charger. It won't just do the sump -
I'll also have some smallish 12V emergency lights and an 400W inverter
running off the battery. Just enough to keep the sump, a few LV bulbs,
and the TV/laptop running ;-)]
loads.]
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.