An outdoor sump pump alarm is a simple device that detects when your sump pump has been activated and notifies you by sounding an audible alarm. In other words, the purpose of the outdoor sump pump alarm is to let you know when your basement or crawl space is flooding.
How Does The Sump Pump Alarm Work?
The water in a sump pit, which holds your home’s primary or auxiliary sump pump, acts as a trigger for the outdoor sump pump alarm to activate. It works similarly to a smoke detector. An impeller probe in the water sensor picks up on changes in weight due to atmospheric pressure (water building up). Then, it sends an electric signal resulting in activation of the system (audible alarm).
How To Install Outdoor Sump Pump Alarms:
Place the sensors in the sump pit to pick up on changes in water weight and sound off if your pump becomes clogged (prevents false alarms). When your primary sump pump fails, the auxiliary sump pump takes over. The system will not activate until there is a 2-3 inch difference in height between the two pumps. This prevents false alarms when your primary pump cycles on and off, such as emptying your bladder (not advised!) or taking too long to turn back on after you’ve emptied it after use. Test the system by pouring water into the pit until the sensor kicks out an alarm letting you know that it’s working. Clean components at least once a year.
The outdoor sump pump alarm activates when your primary (or auxiliary) sump pump fails, and the water level in the pit is 2-3 inches higher than that of the secondary pump. This prevents false alarms when your primary pump cycles on and off, such as when emptying your bladder (not advised!) or taking too long to turn back on after you’ve emptied it out (after using the bathroom). A clean and simple installation allows for easy testing and also prevents flooding before it happens! The sensors will be placed in the water in a sump pit connected directly to your main drain line. Typically, only one works at a time, but you will want to set them up accordingly if you have multiple pumps.
Note: Since the outdoor sump pump alarm is not hardwired in your house’s electrical system, it can be moved to a different location (like when you sell your home) without having to rewire.