How to Install Battery to Existing Sump Pump

Suppose you're a homeowner living in a flood-ridden area or somewhere that faces heavy rainfall on a yearly basis, then you're already familiar with a sump pump. Furthermore, you probably are looking up how to install battery to existing sump pump often too.

After all, these devices do not come cheap, and you will be better off trying to find a battery replacement than installing a new one. The last thing you want is property damage from rainwater filling up the floors of your home simply because the sump pump ran out of juice.

Installing Battery to Existing Sump Pump

Well, what if we tell you that installing a battery backup to your sump pump is not only possible but relatively easy too when you opt for a pump sentry. Just go through the following instructions, and you will be done with the procedure in little to no time!

Trust us; the process will save you a lot of pain, and you won't have to strain yourself out at all.

Setting Up the Battery

Now, a lot of you may wonder that since the sump pump is a hole in your basement, its battery backup should go somewhere there as well. Believe us when we say this, you could not have a more wrong assumption.

When installing a battery backup, you will never have to trudge through its filthy, dirty waters, ruin your clothes, and smell like garbage. The location of the battery is well above the surface.

One of the best ways to set up your backup battery is to install it on a raised surface at a respectable distance from the sump pump. In this regard, mounting it onto a wall is the best approach. You won't have the battery taking up too much space and is also more accessible than any other angle.

Keep it within 4 feet of the sentry so that the connection isn't iffy and proper electrical transfer can be provided. Move it any further, and you hazard the risk of exposing the sump pump to an inconsistent supply of energy.

The best option is the battery cable that comes with the device's detector to connect the two ends together. Opting for any other alternative may result in inefficient performance.

Securing the Battery

Setting up the battery doesn't end with the unit getting mounted to the wall. You will also need to ensure that there are ample safety measures in place to prevent any damages occurring to it.

Among the many options, the most common and effective one happens to be enclosing the power source within a container. A nylon or plastic box is preferable in this case as they are comparatively hardy and resistant to water.

Achieving Connectivity

We advise exercising the highest level of caution when going through this part of the installation process. You might think that you know everything there is to know about this one but trust us, you will be making a big mistake and might end up ruining the entire thing.

Sensitivity is of utmost importance, and take your time as you go through each step.

Before you start working on the components, ensure that the device itself is switched off. Recklessly tinkering with gadgets with an active electrical connection will result in significant injuries, which can turn lethal.

Once it is entirely devoid of electricity and is in a dormant state, you can start by identifying the cables and the terminals that host them.

Knowing Your Cables

Kick things off by identifying the red cable in the battery. On the sentry pump body, there is a terminal that will have markings of a similar color. Connect the wire to that end.

We recommend that you complete this part carefully and with great sensitivity as the cable's interior can easily get displaced or damaged if you try to force it in with pressure. Now do the same with the black wire.

Once you are done connecting the wires to the pump sentry, it is time to have its main body achieve connection with it. Ensure that the sump pump is tightly connected so that there are no hitches in the electricity supply later on.

Choosing the Right Electricity Source

Now that the hard part is over, all that's left to do is have the extension plugged into an AC outlet. Make sure that the outlet is serving 120V. It is quite common for appliances of this sort to burn out from an excess or deficiency of energy supply. Thus, it's vital that you get adequate power to the battery.

Once you finish establishing all necessary connections, all that's left is to activate the sump pump again. Simply switch it on like usual, and it will perform smoothly with the additional benefit of a backup power source.

Conducting Thorough Tests

Completing the installation procedure doesn't necessarily mean you're done with easing the backup into your sump pump. You will also need to examine if the gadget is working efficiently after adding the upgrade to it. Checking the performance has very little to do with complicated steps but more with repetition.

Start things off by rotating the gadget and find out if it's working smoothly in a stable setting. When you understand that it is working appropriately, disconnect the pump sentry's cable from the power source and create a scenario similar to load-shedding or current outage.

You will then have to keep an eye out on the product's LED indicator to see whether it is lit to understand consistency in the power supply regardless of the failure. Give the sump pump another rotation to understand its efficiency in backup mode.

Now that you know the unit is working properly on backup mode, all that's left is to connect the cable to the power outlet. Once it returns to normalcy, give it another twirl, and you're good to go.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it! Now that you know the process of installing battery to existing sump pump, you can be at ease when it's pouring outside or if a sudden flood occurs. Finally, you can cut back on regular replacement expenses and spend your hard-earned money on something worthwhile!