Sump Pump & Battery Backup Systems
A sump pump fails silently, and you find out during the storm that would have needed it. That's the whole problem with this piece of equipment.
Chicago basements sit low, the water table is shallow in a lot of neighbourhoods, and our heaviest rain arrives in short violent bursts. The sump pump is what keeps groundwater moving out from under the foundation, and it runs unattended in a pit almost nobody looks at until there's water on the floor.
The failures are predictable: a stuck float switch, a worn impeller, a check valve letting water fall back into the pit, a discharge line that froze shut in January, or simply a pump that reached the end of its life. Most of those are cheap to fix and cheaper still to catch early.
The part worth real thought is backup. Pumps fail most often during storms, and storms are exactly when the power goes out — which means a primary pump on house current can be perfectly healthy and still leave you with a flooded basement. A battery backup or water-powered secondary is the difference between an inconvenience and a finished basement you're rebuilding.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the quote
- Full test of the existing system through an actual fill-and-discharge cycle
- Diagnosis of pump, float switch, check valve, or pit issues
- Sump pump repair or replacement
- Battery backup or secondary pump installation
- Check valve and discharge line connection
- High-water alarm installation where you want one
Quoted separately
- The pump, battery, or backup unit itself
- Electrical work beyond connecting to an existing suitable outlet
- Exterior discharge routing, regrading, or drain tile work
- Pit excavation or installing a sump system where none exists, quoted separately
- Foundation waterproofing, crack repair, and interior drain tile
- Restoration of water-damaged finishes
What drives the price
We quote after diagnosis, not before. These are the factors that move the number most on this particular service:
- SYSTEMRepair, straight replacement, or adding a backup alongside the primary.
- BACKUPBattery-powered versus water-powered secondary — different equipment and cost.
- PITWhether the existing pit and discharge are usable as-is.
- POWERWhether there's a suitable outlet at the pit or an electrician is needed first.
- ALARMAdding high-water alarm monitoring, which we'd recommend on any finished basement.
Chicago note
Chicago winters add a failure mode most cities don't have: a discharge line that freezes shut. The pump then runs against a blocked pipe, burns out, and you discover both problems at the spring thaw. If your discharge has ever frozen, mention it — the fix usually involves the termination and the pitch, not the pump.
Related services
What the visit involves
Test a real cycle
We fill the pit and watch the whole cycle rather than judging from a bench test.
Isolate the failure
Float, impeller, check valve, and discharge all fail differently and cost differently.
Discuss backup honestly
We'll tell you whether your basement genuinely warrants a second pump or not.
Install and cycle test
Everything gets run through a complete fill and discharge with you present.
Questions about sump pump & battery backup systems
How long does a sump pump last?
It depends almost entirely on how often it runs. A pump cycling constantly in a wet spring wears far faster than one that runs a few times a year. Rather than a number, we'd give you a habit: test it before each wet season by pouring water into the pit, and treat any change in sound or cycling as the warning it usually is.
Do I really need a battery backup?
It comes down to what's downstream of a failure. If your basement is finished, holds a furnace and water heater, or stores anything you'd hate to lose, we think it's worth it — because pumps fail during storms and storms take the power out. For an unfinished basement with a floor drain and nothing valuable, it's a reasonable thing to skip. We'll say which category we think you're in.
What's the difference between battery and water-powered backup?
A battery backup runs the secondary pump on a stored charge and works during a power outage, but only for as long as the battery lasts. A water-powered backup uses municipal water pressure to drive an ejector and runs indefinitely without electricity — but it uses city water while running and isn't permitted everywhere. We'll tell you which is viable at your address.
My pump runs constantly. Is that bad?
It usually means either a genuinely high water table, a stuck float, or a check valve letting discharged water fall straight back into the pit. That last one is common and easy to miss — the pump keeps moving the same water in a loop. Worth diagnosing, because constant running shortens the pump's life considerably.
Can you install a sump system where there isn't one?
Sometimes, but it's a bigger job involving breaking the floor, excavating a pit, and often tying into drain tile. We'd want to look at it and be honest about whether a sump is the right answer versus a drainage or waterproofing approach, which is a different trade.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. You'll get an honest read on urgency and cost before anyone comes out.