The weather in Ottawa can turn quickly. When heavy rain coincides with a power outage, a primary electric sump pump can stop while water is still coming into the pit. That doesn't mean every home needs the same equipment. It means you should know how your system works.
The 7 questions
- ☐ 1. Do I have a sump pit, and when did the pump last run? Lift the lid. Pour in a bucket of water and watch the pump start and stop.
- ☐ 2. How old is the pump? Many last 7 to 10 years. Older pumps fail without warning.
- ☐ 3. What happens if the power goes out? Without a battery backup pump, nothing pumps until the power comes back.
- ☐ 4. Would I know if the pit was overflowing? A high-water alarm, or a model that sends a phone alert, tells you before the floor gets wet.
- ☐ 5. Where does the water go? Follow the discharge pipe outside. It should drain away from the foundation and not be frozen or blocked.
- ☐ 6. Could sewage back up through my floor drain? If the City sewer surcharges in a storm, only a backwater valve stops it. Do you have one? Has it been checked?
- ☐ 7. Is my home eligible for a City rebate? The City pays up to $1,500 for a sump pump with battery backup in an existing pit ($3,000 with a new pit) for homes built before 2004, and up to $1,000 for a backwater valve for homes built before 2012. The permit must come first.
Battery backup, alarm or generator: what does each one do?
| What it does | What it doesn't do | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery backup pump | Keeps pumping when the power is out or the main pump can't keep up | Run for days. Runtime is limited by the battery. |
| High-water alarm | Warns you that the pit is too full | Move any water |
| Whole-home generator | Powers the whole house, the sump included | Come cheap, often $10,000 or more |
For basement protection alone, a battery backup pump plus an alarm is usually the best value. A generator makes sense if you need the whole house powered.
City of Ottawa Residential Protective Plumbing Program. The City pays the lesser of the maximum or the actual cost. Homes built before January 1, 2004 qualify for storm-side work and before January 1, 2012 for sanitary-side work. Replacing a device you already have doesn't qualify. Apply within one year of the permit. Source: ottawa.ca.
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