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Heathcliff

wrote:
During last rain storm we had water backed into our basement through
the sump pit.......it was caused by the pump not working for over four
hours due to loss of power. We had significant damage that was also not
covered by our insurance. We certainly don't want to repeat this
incidence. Besides having some type of a back-up power supply, what
other inexpensive options do I have? One that comes to mind is may be
building a safety dam around the sump pit (say 3 ft X 3 ft X 1ft tall)
that would contain the water for a brief period of time in case of
extended power loss....does any one of you have any creative / simple
ideas?

The dam idea could work in theory if your basement is otherwise
completely watertight. People sometimes install such a device on a
floor drain to prevent water coming in via sewer backup - called a
standpipe. But those rely on the integrity of the sewer pipe to contain
the water. In your case, if the water table is a foot (or an inch)
above your basement floor, almost certainly it will seep in somewhere,
like at a seam between the basement floor and wall. Also, as others
have mentioned, the dam would mean the sump pump would not help you
when there is an internal source of water, such as a burst washing
machine hose. In your case it would seem the expense of a battery
powered backup ('ace in the hole' type gizmo) would be well justified.
If there is an extended outage and you are there, you can recharge it
with your car.