THE BASEMENT WATCHDOG Model 30HDC140S Big Standby Sump Pump Battery

Our power went out and the basement flooded after the nor'easter of 2006. I had battery backups installed for both my sump pumps in August of that year. I have to periodically check the water level and add distilled water, but other than that I have had no problems.The batteries first real test came this year during Superstorm Sandy: we were without power for 4 days. The sump pump that runs the least was still at 100% when the power came back on. The other pump had a leak in the outflow and was running far more frequently. It ran down to 25% after 2 1/2 days, and I recharged if from my car for a hour. It was still at 75% when the power came back on a day and a half later.Since the average life of these batteries is advertized to be 5 to 7 years, and mine are already 6 years old, I realize that I am on borrowed time. So I am ordering a backup battery in the eventuality that one of them fails. Having a spare will also come in handy if, in the future, I need to recharge the battery while there is a high load on the pumps. Redundancy on the back of redundancy.I like the fact that the batteries are shipped dry. I have been told that lead-acid batteries begin to age as soon as they are made, and many have been sitting of a shelf for months or years by the time they are sold. Having to buy acid locally adds a bit more hassle and danger, but is worth it in knowing you should get the full lifespan out of the battery.I usually don't bother to publish reviews, but figured that these batteries had been given a bad rap. Remember, you just expect a battery like this to work; many people probably expect it to work indefinitely. Thousands of people have bought these batteries, and there are only a dozen reviews. It seems logical to me that the few people who got lemons are more likely to take the time to post than the thousands of satisfied customers. So here is a satisfied customer. Make of it what you wish.Edited to add: one of my two original batteries just gave up the ghost. My neglect probably contributed. I hooked up the new battery I bought last year in parallel with one of the old ones and then pretty much ignored it. I checked on it last week when the alarm went off warning of low electrolyte, and all 6 cells were low. Unfortunately, I only had enough distilled water to re-fill 3, but I kept the battery hooked up for 2 days until I got more, at which time I re-filled the other 3. While recharging the battery got very hot, and within an hour, the "battery problem" light came on. It goes off when I take the battery out of the circuit, so I assume the battery is shot. I suspect trying to recharge it with 3 cells empty and 3 full did some damage, but it may already have been dead. Still, I checked the little scratch-off circles on the top, and it seems I installed it in May 2006, meaning I got 7 1/2 years out of a battery advertised with an average 5-7 year lifespan. The other, installed the same day, still seems to be running fine. So I really can't complain.

Pet dogs sometimes make a watery mess on floors. Even a good watchdog has accidents. They all require training, bonding time and plenty of food to keep them strong and healthy.But there is one watchdog that I just placed in our basement that for the most part I can leave unattended and know that he will not leave a mess on the floor. He even trains a smaller dog to back him up when necessary.We have two separate, independent sump pumps in our large basement. While neither one had a battery backup, we would use a generator should the electrical power go out during a rain storm. That worked fine--as long as someone was home to work the generator.I decided to install at least one battery backup sump pump system after researching scientific evidence and predictions of major solar flare activity in 2012 that could disable electrical power grids. Technical specifications and customer satisfaction testimonies led us to purchase the Basement Watchdog Combination system.I just finished the installation and tests today. I only had two minor snags which was solved by calling the toll free number to the manufacturer. On the other end of the phone, I did not get some "David" that was located in some overseas outsourced shop either--I got a REAL AMERICAN located in the central part of our great nation.The snags were:The smaller blue box that does not have a disconnect to the pump system to allow the user to run the power cord through an existing small hole in your sump hole cover plate. The user must cut that power cord (about 6 inches from the blue box), run that cord through the sump hole cover plate, then splice the two back together BEFORE plugging the unit in. The manufacturer's representative told me that they are working on a disconnect on future models.The second snag was more operator error. If you plug the main sump pump unit (the larger 12 horsepower) into a separate wall outlet the main sump pump will continue to run and not shut off. You must plug that sump pump into the input of the blue box, and separately plug the AC adaptor to a separate wall AC outlet.So "My Dog" is now in our basement, and it's the best investment I ever made. Our Basement WatchDog holds his water until it gets outside, and has a smaller dog to back him up.Stay Safe,...GhillieMan

Fits great. Functional and great price.