Homemade Sump Pump ALARM

[MasterSolenoid]

I made this Sump Pump Alarm 28 years ago.
It's loud enough to wake me up if sleeping or outside in the driveway.
The Pressure Switch is from an old washing machine and has tubing connected to 3/4 dia PVC in the sump.
Easy to make (or some variation) if anyone wanted to.
Last Month I made some modifications to it. Posting here to, show-off I guess / nobody I know cares about stuff like this.
1) New Battery
2) Battery Charger with LED instructions
3) New wiring connected to Buss-Bar
4) Night-light so I 'always' know there's power
Comments are welcome, even criticism.
I can easily plug the Charger in once a Month to prolong the Battery life, although last Battery lasted six years without charging.

Battery Charger in its storage spot

Battery Charger being used

Closeup

Before Mods

 

[John_K]

My Dad's solution was to have a second sump pump on and ready to go if the first one failed. I have suggested this to several people and they laughed. Then their basement flooded. No more laughing.

 

[Donald]

A lot neater than I would do.

I have Samsung water detectors connected to my Samsung SmartThings hub. I get an indication to my cell phone if one gets wet. Mine are under every toilet and other water appliances (water heater, washer, dishwasher refrig).

The best solution if a sump pump needs to always be able to run is a 2nd one that is battery powered.

 

[Audios]

This sits a foot away from my sump, has worked before when our washing machine overflowed the sink. Yours obviously is a much nicer setup.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Basement-Watchdog-Battery-Operated-Water-Alarm-BWD-HWA/100038838

 

[AZjeff]

That's a nice looking control panel. How many times in 28 years have you had a pump fail and heard the alarm?

 

[tom slick]

Do you do this type of stuff as part of your day job? The organization, labeling, etc is not the usual diy'er quality.

 

[rekit]

Nice work. I tried some electronic sensors on my septic tank, the 3rd tank with the water pump in it, but they never were reliable. I added a water bottle (a float) siliconed to the bottom of a rod from some window blinds that comes up thru a pvc pipe sticking up from the tank lid. It is painted red, and if it shows, I have a high level. While I was in there I added a "Y" to the pump discharge piping that is up high close to the lid so when the pump goes out, i can drop a new one in and use a flexible hose to pump the tank down and then get in there and install the new one where it goes. I'm in the country obviously.

 

[Dave9]

Seems kind of labor and cost intensive. I got a battery backup secondary sump pump and the charger sounds an alarm if the battery level drops too low. I added a moisture sensor in the sump which goes off if the water level rises due to both the primary and the backup not keeping up for whatever reason... think it was about $8 and takes a new 9V battery every 5 years or so.

I'm sure it's not as loud as yours but I've never had a situation where it rained enough that fast that it all came down while I was asleep and didn't hear it... take quite a bit of rainfall to get from the depth of my primary pump to above the floor level.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Originally Posted by AZjeff
That's a nice looking control panel. How many times in 28 years have you had a pump fail and heard the alarm?

Thanks.
Pump/Float failure - Maybe twice
Power outage - just a few (I have no control over outages, but I can react)
I have NEVER had water in my basement, other people I know have.

Originally Posted by tom slick
Do you do this type of stuff as part of your day job? The organization, labeling, etc is not the usual diy'er quality.

I'm retired (Tool & Die Maker), but did work for a Co that was Sign/Instructions crazy.
Everything we buy has instructions, so why not stuff we make.

Originally Posted by Dave9
Seems kind of labor and cost intensive.

Some times it's just nice to see what your capable of doing.
It's a way of expressing and challenging yourself.
Also, I have memories of growing up where my Father dealed with water problems in his basement.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by John_K
My Dad's solution was to have a second sump pump on and ready to go if the first one failed. I have suggested this to several people and they laughed. Then their basement flooded. No more laughing.

My dad has a secondary pump in his sump with the float switch set a little higher than the top of the first one so that if the first one can't keep up with the influx of water or if the first pump fails the second on kicks in and pumps the water out. Both pumps are attached to a UPS so they can run during a power outage which he has occasionally being in a rural area.

He did this after they had an overflow into the basement and it ruined a section of drywall and carpet. The other reason he went the second pump route is because they were frequently travelling for weeks at a time and it might go unnoticed until I passed by the house to check on things and an alarm might be going off for days in which case the water would overflow.

 

[eljefino]

So what does the pressure switch detect? Flooding? Presence of pumping? Absence?

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Originally Posted by eljefino
So what does the pressure switch detect? Flooding? Presence of pumping? Absence?

The Pressure Switch is connected to a piece of 3/4" PVC which hangs in the sump/water.
If the water level raises 2" above the normal level, the Pressure Switch detects it.