What Makes the Hi & Dry RH1400 Backup Sump Pump Much Better?
Backup sump pump protects your furnace, hot water heater, or finished basement against flooding. They come on automatically whenever there is a power failure or the main pump fails or is just overwhelmed. The backup sump pumps sold in stores are made as cheaply as possible because they have to run only infrequently. However, we believe that backup sump pumps should be practically 100% reliable because it is your last line of defense! If your back-up fails, it will cost you thousands of dollars. Home insurance does not cover flooding. Top 10 reasons why sump pumps fail.
- OUT-OF-THE-WATER – The only back-up sump pump placed high and dry above the dirty sump water. No clogging, mineral deposits, or corrosion – superior reliability and longevity.
- FITS INSIDE SMALL PITS – Ideal for today’s smaller sump pits that are just too small for two pumps and two floats. (If the floats get stuck or entangled, it will flood the basement.)
- HIGH CAPACITY – Double the pumping rate of most backup sump pumps sold in stores! (1,400 gph at a 9-ft. lift vs. typically 800 gph at a 9-ft. lift. Do not be misled by claims of 1,500 gph at 1-ft. lift!)
- COMPLETE D-I-Y KIT – A complete Installation Kit with accessories (except battery). Connections, hoses, and a high water alarm included – save over $50.
- THE BEST DEAL ON BATTERY – No need to buy an over-priced proprietary battery – find your best deal and save $50 to $100.
- EASY INSTALLATION – A handy homeowner can install the pump within an hour!
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SAVE $50! LIMITED-TIME OFFER! (MSRP $349.00/pump)
Based on shipping by courier to the lower 48 states. For expedited shipping or shipping to other states and Canada, please inquire first by telephone or e-mail. Regarding shipping, returns and other terms, please review our Commercial Terms.
30-DAY MONEY-BACK SATISFACTION GUARANTEE – Within 30 days of shipment, if not completely satisfied with the pump, you can return it in original packaging and salable condition, shipping pre-paid, for a full refund of the product price excluding shipping. You must telephone us first for shipping instructions. (Purchase shipping insurance in case of damage or loss.)
TWO-YEAR MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY – Double the industry standard warranty period. We warrant the pumps against defects in material and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of shipment. You must telephone us first for shipping instructions and ship it back at your cost. At our option, we will replace or recondition the pump and ship it back at no charge. This warranty becomes void by any misapplication, misuse, abuse, or improper installation of the product.
Easy installation! Check the installation procedure and setups.
The “Out-of-the-Water” Pump Installation
Step-by-Step Installation Instructions RH1400
The Hi & Dry RH1400 backup sump pump is placed on the floor outside the sump. Only its suction pipe with a vertical float is inserted into the pit. (The footprint is only about 5″.) The slim-line vertical float switch prevents the entanglement of floats.
The suction pipe reaches almost to the bottom of the sump pit, so that the pump can empty practically the entire pit. Other back-up sump pumps usually lower the water level only a couple inches, requiring frequent start-ups which shortens the pump’s life. At the bottom of the suction pipe is a check valve and a suction screen submerged in water. The check valve holds water in the backup branch to keep the pump primed.
A flexible discharge hose (1-1/4″) is connected to the main discharge pipe through a T-connector (all included).
Feedback from Customers |
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“Installed the RH1400 day before yesterday. Followed your excellent directions. Job took a couple hours but went well. Pump has been tested and works well as advertised. When it rains, my main sump pump gets…” – James A., VA “Thanks much for your personal assistance and professional advice when I ordered your RH1400 Battery Backup Sump Pump. Before calling you, I conducted extensive research on back-up sump pumps, reviewing…” – Bob G., Barrington, IL “I purchased the RH1400 but used a plumber since I wanted to upgrade both a primary and battery back-up pump. It took about 1 ½ hrs. to complete the install. He tested both the primary and back up pump through a few on-off cycles…” – Eddie W., TN “I purchased a RH1400 pump several years ago. It has served us very well during a sump failure and multiple power outages. I can sleep at night without listening…” – Russ M., Ohio See Customers’ Feedback with Tips and Photos from Homeowners and Plumbers. |
Do Not Delay – Get Your Backup Pump Now!
Most people discover they need a backup sump pump or that there is such a thing when it’s too late. Their basement has already flooded because of a power outage or sump pump failure. They have found out that home insurance does not cover the flood damage to their finished basement, furnace, and hot water heater (say $40,000). Nor does it cover mold remediation (say $12,000). Having learned the hard way, they pick up a back-up pump in a big box store but nobody warns them that:
- This backup pump is even less reliable than the not-so-reliable primary pump it is supposed to back up.
- The “toy” float switch limits the pump suction to 2 inches in each cycle.
- It may interfere with the primary pump float and actually cause basement flooding.
- It has a short useful life and needs replacing after 2–4 years.
Comparison with Other Backup Sump Pumps
There are good reasons why other backup sump pumps are guaranteed for only ONE YEAR!
THE CHEAP DESIGNS – Most are installed right above the primary pump, attached to a T-connector on the discharge pipe. The pump has to be cocked to avoid air lock. The main check valve sits right on the discharge from the primary pump, below the T-connector, where it is exposed to strong turbulence and constant pressure fluctuations. A stressed main check valve will break or develop a hole. Once the main check valve fails, the basement will flood! All the water pumped by the backup sump pump will flow down through the primary pump back into the pit.
POOR SECONDARY CHECK VALVE – Their secondary check valve is just a thimble-like rubber flapper at the backup pump discharge before the T-connector, where it is exposed to strong turbulence. A failure of this cheap check valve will allow water pumped by the primary pump to flow through the backup pump back down into the pit. The basement will flood.
NON-ADJUSTABLE – The backup pump sits above the main pump and its elevation is not adjustable. It cannot start pumping until the water level almost reaches the underside of the concrete slab and fills drainage tiles. The basement floor will be damp because of moisture wicking through the slab.
WEAK FLOATS – Cheap floats are the “weak link” of many pumps. If the float breaks, the pump does not work and the basement floods. They have no true switch for turning the pump on and off. The tiny “toy” float switch just turns the pump on. Then, the pump runs for a pre-set interval (10 to 20 seconds), whether there is water or not. This wastes power and shortens the battery life.
EXTRA PARTS NEEDED ($$) – You have to buy separately a high water alarm and all connections needed for installation. The manufacturers usually insist that you have buy their proprietary battery at an inflated price. RH1400 just needs a lead acid battery available in stores and on the Internet.
LONG SERVICE LIFE – A heavy-duty pump, float, and auxiliaries. You would have to buy several cheap backup pumps every three years or so to outlast one Hi & Dry pump. Particularly, if you have a water softener which dumps brine and salt water into the pit causing corrosion and premature failure of any submerged pump.
Superior Pumping Power
The RH1400 emergency sump pump is powered by a heavy-duty, high-efficiency DC motor (submersible). It has a much higher pumping capacity than the backup sump pumps sold in stores – typically, by 50 to 100%. Some manufacturers state their pump capacity at a 1-ft. lift, which is deceitful. The lift (“head”) is the vertical distance from the bottom of the suction pipe to the highest point of the main discharge pipe. The higher the lift, the lower the pumping rate until about 15′ when it drops off dramatically.
| PUMPING RATES AND LIFT (gallons per hour) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Model | RH1400 outside the pit | RH1400 bracket mounted |
| 5-ft. lift | 1,800 gph | 2,600 gph |
| 9-ft. lift | 1,400 gph | 1,800 gph |
Emergency backup sump pumps are supposed to operate only rarely and have a lower pumping rate than primary pumps. There is no need to match the capacity of the primary pump. The backup pump may take twice as long to pump out the sump (say 18 seconds instead of 9) in each cycle but it does not matter. It has to wait until the sump fills up again. The main criterion is reliability, not raw power!
Example: The RH1400 with its vertical float switch set at an 8″ swing, emptying a typical 18″ tapered basin, pumps out over 8 gallons in each cycle which takes it about (8 gal / 1,400 x 3,600=) 20.6 seconds. If it cycles every minute under severe conditions, it is pumping out about (60 x 8=) 480 gallons per hour. A much larger primary pump would pump out the pit much faster in each cycle but it will still move the same volume of water every hour – the water inflow into the sump.
How to calculate the water inflow into your sump pit.
How Long Will the Battery Last?
The high-efficiency motor and a true shut-off float switch of RH1400 minimize the power drain on the battery. And if you want to double the pumping time of the backup, you can purchase an extra battery case with a set of interconnecting cables for a dual-battery set-up. For technical information on both battery backup pumps, review Backup Sump Pump Specifications.
| PUMPING DURATION (both pumps) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Intervals | with 1 battery | with 2 batteries |
| “continuous” (1-min) | 12 hrs | 24 hrs |
| 5-min | 48 hrs (2 days) | 96 hrs (4 days) |
| 15-min | 96 hrs (4 days) | 192 hrs (8 days) |
Based on fully charged batteries disconnected from power supply.
Your Choice of a Battery
No need to pay for an over-priced proprietary battery and shipping! You are free to find the best deal in local stores or online (usually $65 to $120). Nationwide retailers: Sears, Walmart, West Marine, Advance Auto Parts, Interstate Batteries, AutoZone, Car Quest, MK Battery, Pepboys, Optima Batteries.
You need a 12 Volt Marine Deep Cycle Battery which have thicker plates than starting (cranking) or automotive batteries to allow repeated discharging without warping. The common “maintenance-free” sealed lead acid battery will do the job but you may prefer the more expensive gel cell or absorbed glass mat battery. The finish charger (included) is suitable for all these battery types.
Size 27 up to 31 but not exceeding 13.5” long x 7” wide x 10” high. Stud post 1/4” or 3/8”.
Typical battery specifications: 12 Volts DC, 95 Amp-Hour, 600 CCA.
| Avoid Batteries! Use Water. |
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| Check out the most reliable backup sump pumps! |
| Hi & Dry Water-Powered Backup Pumps |
Why Hi & Dry Pump Accessories Matter
In real life, the performance and reliability of sump pumps depends greatly on the accessories. They fail much more frequently than the pumps themselves.
HEAVY-DUTY WIDELY ADJUSTABLE FLOATS
The high water level in the sump pit should not reach the drainage tiles. Filling the tiles and gravel bed underneath the floor slab greatly extends each pumping cycle and soaks the concrete slab in water. Hi & Dry pumps feature a heavy-duty true on/off float switch that shuts off the power after emptying the pit.
The vertical low-profile float of RH1400 can be clamped at any height on the discharge pipe and the float travel is also widely adjustable (3 to 8 inches). If the water level in the sump rises too high, the float reaches a switch at the top of the float rod and activates the backup pump. The pump will shut off when the float fully drops to the normal down position – the bottom stopper (the Off switch). The placement of both switches is easily adjustable up or down.
FINISH CHARGER
One Amp-hour float/maintainer charger with status lights that keep you informed on the charging status and condition of the battery.. This automatic finish charger keeps the battery fully charged without over-charging and unlike a trickle charger, it also maintains a steady voltage. It prevents the water in the battery from boiling out due to over-charging.
The finish charger monitors the battery much more closely than other chargers and does not allow its charge to drop very far before it kicks in. Some chargers appear more powerful because they are rated at, say, 10 AMPS but in reality, they do not do a good job. Many of them allow the battery to decay by more than 50% before they turn on. If your pump needs to run during that "low power" time, it won’t run very long.
Capable of charging one or two batteries as necessary.
ADVANCED WATER SENSOR AND HIGH WATER ALARM
Advanced water sensor and a loud (85 dB) audible alarm (9V battery included) lets you know that the backup pump is running and there may be something wrong with the power supply or the primary pump. Other pumps do not include an alarm. Once people figure out they need it, they have to buy it separately (value $30).
What about when you aren’t home to hear the alarm? By providing communication relay outputs, the unit can connect to your home security system or to a simple auto-dialer to notify you when the sensor is activated. Set it up to call your cell phone. Whether you’re on vacation or at the office, you can be aware of what is going on in your basement.