April showers bring May flowers – and flooded basements if the electricity goes out.

What happens, in the middle of a heavy rain storm when the electricity goes out, does the sump pump still work? For most people the answer is “no”.

The extended weather forecast is calling for a long period of rain. This is causing me to think back to a day after a Labor Day weekend when I got a call from an agent that had just showed one of my listings. “Dan, your listing has 13” of water in the basement – thought you would want to know.” Turns out the electricity went out and subsequently the sump pump didn’t come on when needed.

Believe it or not, there were three items of good news in this flooding. The first is that the basement was unfinished. Second, there was only $700 worth of damage. Finally, the relocation company had taken ownership of it and they would be picking up the tab for the clean up. For most of us, however, there wouldn’t be any good news in a situation like this.

The preventive measure for this is relatively simple and straightforward. It’s a matter of installing a battery backup for your sump pump. It fits in the same sump pump crock that you already have and gets plumbed into the existing discard pipe. When the electricity drops out, it switches on and is ready if needed. This is peace of mind. Like everyone else, I don’t like water in my house where it doesn’t belong.

If you don’t already have a battery backup, I highly recommend considering installing one. They have the potential to save you a lot of money, and protect one of your most important investments: your home.

Interested? Here are a few links to get you started:

• Basement Watch Dog specializes in this type of pump
• Home Depot – Emergency battery backup sump pump system