If you are a property owner, then you must know how important it is to have a sump pump in your basement. Not only does it eliminate the tiring process of draining out flood or rainwater manually but also prevents water damage to the foundation.
Now even though we can’t deny the necessity of a sump pump, sometimes it can rack up quite an electricity bill. Plus they often get damaged and consume a huge amount of electricity unnecessarily. This is why it’s important to find ways to be cost-effective with your sump pump usage. And the best way to do that is to keep track of any unusual energy consumption with a smart energy monitor.
- What Is Sump Pump And Why Is It Essential?
- Sump Pump Cost - The Factors Contributing To The Cost Of Sump Pump Ownership
- Common Problems Associated With Sump Pumps (Rising Electricity Bills Of Sump Pumps)
- Create A Monitoring System For Your Sump Pump With The EVVR Energy Monitoring Smart Plug & Relay
- How To Set Up EVVR Smart Plug With A Sump Pump
What Is Sump Pump And Why Is It Essential?
A sump pump is a tool or device used to remove water from the basement or crawlspace to the outside, away from your house. The reason it’s called a sump pump is because it’s kept in a sump.
Now, a sump is essentially a basin or a pit that sits below the surface of your basement floor. Any water inside the basement naturally drains into the sump. The sump pump is placed in this pit to remove any water that accumulates inside the pit.
In recent days, a sump pump is one of the most commonly used tools to prevent flooding of your basement with rainwater or soil/groundwater. Usually, the pump has a sensor that can detect the water level inside the pit. So whenever the water reaches a certain level, the sensor triggers a switch that activates the pump.
Generally, there is a discharge pipe that is directed from inside the pit to somewhere outside of your house. This pipe drains the accumulated water away from your property before it can damage the foundation.
The recommended location to drain the water is usually to a nearby neighborhood drain, dry well, or a pond. Otherwise, the water may flow back to the property and cause structural damage.
If we think about the necessity of a sump pump, it’s almost essential in any modern property. Not only does it help to prevent flooding but also has other subsequent benefits. For example,
Regulating Water
Especially during heavy rain, the basement accumulates a lot of rainwater. Also, the groundwater may rise due to heavy snow melting and other reasons. The sump regulates and drains this water outside of the basement keeping it safe from flooding.
Prevent Mold Growth
Any excess moisture or water buildup is the main reason for mold and mildew growth, which can become serious health issues at any time. A sump pump helps keep the basement area dry and subsequently prevents any mold growth.
Prevent Damage To The Foundation
Water damage in any foundation can be disastrous and expensive. Not only does it slowly destroy the structure but also the furniture, flooring, carpets, and almost everything else that’s on the floor. To prevent such a catastrophe, a sump pump is extremely important.
Overall to keep water damage to your home at bay, it’s essential to set up a sump pump.
Sump Pump Cost - The Factors Contributing To The Cost Of Sump Pump Ownership
Even though sump pumps are not that expensive, the overall cost of having a well-maintained sump pump can be pretty hefty.
Apart from the initial purchasing price, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the overall cost. So, it’s important to know how much it costs to run a sump pump before setting up your own.
Installation Cost
The installation cost depends on what type and model of sump pumps you are using. Some models are easy to install and you can do it yourself with the help of manual and YouTube videos.
On the contrary, some are quite tricky and will require professional help for proper installation.
Additionally, you will also need to build the sump to place the pump inside. All of these add to the installation cost.
Energy Bill
Do sump pump use a lot of electricity? You will obviously need to pay electricity bills to run the sump pump. To reduce the energy cost, you can use a cost-efficient sump pump. Generally, smart sump pumps consume much less electricity than traditional sump pumps. You can also make your own smart sump pump by using smart plugs.
Back-Up Motor
Some house owners like to keep a backup sump pump system in case there is a power outage. A backup motor sounds like a good idea, especially for areas with heavy rain and frequent flooding.
Monitoring And Maintenance
Sump pumps need regular monitoring and maintenance for efficient performance. Usually, sensors are installed so that they can detect the water level and trigger the pump switch. For better monitoring, you may also set up a smart monitor.
These are usually the upfront and monthly costs of running a sump pump. Costs like replacement of damaged parts, permit fee to drain water, insurance, etc. are some other factors that might add to it.
Common Problems Associated With Sump Pumps (Rising Electricity Bills Of Sump Pumps)
Sump pumps are not a device that consumes an unnaturally high amount of electricity. Do sump pump use a lot of electricity? So, an efficient sump pump will never cause your electricity bill to rise. However, a faulty or damaged sump pump is one of the most common culprits that raise electricity bills.
Let’s look at some of the ways your faulty sump pump can contribute to excessive electricity bills.
Constantly Running For A Long Time
Sometimes sump pumps will run continuously for a long time even though there is no water inside the sump pit. Usually pumps with pressure sensors monitor the water pressure and trigger the switch when there is low pressure. But if the sensor is damaged or faulty, it can send false alerts to the motor and keep it running.
This is why setting up a real-time energy monitoring system is important to prevent such incidents.
Short Circuit Or Power Surge
Sump pumps are high-power appliances that draw a considerable amount of electricity. So, if the line or power socket it’s connected to isn’t suitable for such appliances, it can create a power surge or short circuit. This means random fluctuations in the power consumption which lead to unnaturally high energy bills.
You can prevent this by using a smart plug that’s compatible with high-power appliances. These plugs can also detect any fluctuation or surge in the line and turn off the connection automatically.
Overheating Of Old Sump Pump
Old sump pumps are subjected to a lot of wear and tear and overheat easily. The overheating causes its efficiency to fall and as a result, they tend to absorb more energy to cope with its usual function. This can also result in a surge in electricity bills.
As there are a lot of reasons why a sump pump may result in atrocious power bills, a well-maintained monitoring system should be set up to track any unusual energy consumption.
Create A Monitoring System For Your Sump Pump With The EVVR Energy Monitoring Smart Plug & Relay
We already talked about how important it is to create a monitoring system for your sump pump energy consumption to reduce electricity bills. This takes us to our next discussion, the EVVR Energy Monitoring Smart Plug & Relay.
As the name suggests, it's a combination of a smart plug and a smart relay. The plug is remotely controlled with the EVVR app. The plug is extension cord type so it’s very easy to install just by plugging in with the selected appliances.
Some other benefits you can achieve with this custom monitoring system with smart plug are,
Remote Control From Anywhere In The World
EVVR smart plug provides seamless remote control over the connected device from anywhere in the world. This is extremely beneficial for when you’re out of the house for a long amount of time. So even if there is heavy rain around your property, you can turn on and off the sump pump instantly instead of having to wait to get back home.
No More Overheating
EVVR Smart plug is designed with safety protection against overheating, overload, and tampering. So, even if your sump pump overheats, the smart plug will alert the user through the app. In case of excessive overheating, it turns off the connection preventing further incidents like electrical fire or short circuits.
Additionally, the plug is designed to support high power appliances up to 16 Amps so it’s perfect for sump pump connection.
No Sneaky Energy Draw
With EVVR smart plug you don't have to worry about any vampire or phantom draw. It eliminates any such phenomenon, keeping the electricity bills at bay.
Real-Time Energy Monitoring
With the EVVR app, you can see and track how much energy your sump pump is consuming in real-time. It lets you see the overall energy consumption and gives ideas on how to cut back.
Compatibility With Apple HomeKit
EVVR smart plug can be integrated with Apple HomeKit to create a complete smart home system. You can use the voice-controlled feature to control the sump pump and schedule the turning on/off operations.
How To Set Up EVVR Smart Plug With A Sump Pump
EVVR smart plug has a unique cord and extension setup that’s super easy to install with any device. To set up your sump pump with it follow the instructions below,
- Plug in the EVVR Smart Plug into an electrical outlet and turn on the switch.
- Now plug the sump pump into the EVVR smart plug
- Sync the Apple HomeKit Home App and EVVR App over WiFi.
- And it’s ready to go!
Conclusion
Most people forget to check on their sump pump regularly since it’s placed in the basement out of regular sight. This is why faulty sump pumps often go unnoticed and cause a huge rise in the electricity bill.
But with a smart energy monitor, you can easily keep track of the energy consumption and unusual phenomena of your sump pump. And using a smart plug like EVVR is the best way to achieve that.
To know more, please contact us!
