Power out and no backup on the sump pump? Here's what to do tonight.
When the power goes out in a storm, your sump pump stops with it, and the pit starts filling at whatever rate the ground is sending water in. Until the power's back you have three real options: run the pump off a generator set up safely outside, bail the pit by hand, or protect what's in the basement and wait it out if the pit is filling slowly. Which one you need depends on how fast that water is rising.
The storms that came through overnight on June 11 and 12 knocked out power to more than 24,000 DTE customers across Metro Detroit, and that's exactly the kind of night a sump pump without a backup goes quiet. If you're reading this by phone light with the lid off the pit, here's the order to work in.
First, see how fast the pit is filling
Take the lid off, put a flashlight on the water, and watch it for ten minutes. Note where the waterline sits against the side of the pit, or stick a piece of tape at the level, so you can tell whether it's moving. How fast it climbs tells you how much time you have and which of the options below makes sense.
If the level has barely changed after ten minutes, you likely have hours, and the power may be back before it matters. If you can watch it climb, you have less time than it feels like, and it's worth acting now rather than hoping. Either way, keep your feet out of any water that's already on the floor near outlets, cords, or the furnace and water heater.
Option 1: a generator, outside and 20 feet away
A portable generator will run most residential sump pumps, and it's the only option that actually keeps the pump doing its job. The rule that matters is where it sits. The CDC says to run generators outside, at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents, because the exhaust is carbon monoxide and it drifts back into houses faster than people expect. Never in the garage, the basement, or on a covered porch, even with the door open.
Run a heavy duty outdoor extension cord from the generator straight to the pump's plug. Don't try to power the pump by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. That feeds electricity backward into the house wiring and out onto the utility lines, where it can hurt the crews working to restore your power. If you don't already have a working carbon monoxide detector on that floor, this is the night it earns its keep.
Option 2: bail it by hand
If there's no generator, a bucket works when the pit is filling slowly. It's hard, repetitive work, but it's real. Scoop the water out, carry it outside, and dump it well away from the house and downhill if you can. Pouring it next to the foundation just sends it back through the soil to your drain tile and into the same pit a little while later.
A wet/dry vacuum empties a pit faster than a bucket, but it needs power too, so it only helps if you have a generator running anyway. If the pit is rising faster than you can bail, stop and switch to protecting the basement. Nobody should be hauling buckets up the stairs all night.
Option 3: protect the basement and wait
If the water is going to win, spend your time on what it's about to reach. Get boxes, electronics, rugs, and anything in cardboard up off the floor, starting with whatever sits closest to the pit and the lowest corner of the room. Photos of the space before anything gets wet will help later if you end up talking to your insurance company.
If water is spreading toward the electrical panel, the furnace, or the water heater, leave the basement and stay out until the power situation is sorted. Standing water and live electrical equipment isn't something to work around in the dark.
What doesn't help
Skipping showers or holding off on laundry won't slow the pit down. Your sinks, tub, and washer drain to the sewer or your septic system, not to the sump, which only collects groundwater from the drain tile around your foundation. (Some older homes do have a laundry drain or floor drain piped into the pit, and if yours does, that's worth fixing once things are dry.)
Running the generator in the garage "just for a minute" doesn't help either. Carbon monoxide builds up quickly and you can't smell it.
When the power comes back
Don't assume the pump restarted. Go down and watch it run through at least one cycle. If it doesn't kick on as the water rises, check whether the outlet it's plugged into is a GFCI that tripped when the power dropped, and reset it. If the motor hums but no water moves, unplug it and call us, because running a stalled pump can finish off the motor.
If water got high enough to reach the water heater or furnace, don't relight or restart either one until it's been looked at. We wrote a separate guide on what to do with a water heater after a basement flood, because that's the appliance where rushing costs the most.
Take this off your plate before the next storm
Every step above is a workaround for one missing part. A backup pump runs on its own when the power drops, so an outage becomes something you read about in the morning instead of a night on the basement stairs. We lay out the options in our honest take on battery backup sump pumps. Battery units work anywhere, and water powered units are an option for homes on city water in Novi and Farmington Hills. On a well around Milford, the well pump loses power too, so battery is the answer.
If your primary pump is getting on in years, it's worth checking that too. Our list of signs a sump pump is failing covers what to look for.
Quick answers
What do I do if my sump pump loses power?
Check how fast the pit is filling, then pick one of three options: run the pump from a generator placed outside at least 20 feet from doors and windows, bail the pit by hand if it's filling slowly, or move belongings up and stay out of the basement if water is spreading toward electrical equipment.
How long does it take a basement to flood without a sump pump?
It depends entirely on how much water your drain tile is collecting. After heavy rain some pits fill in minutes, and in drier conditions the same pit might take hours. Watch the waterline for ten minutes and you'll know which situation you're in.
Can I run a sump pump on a generator?
Yes. Most residential sump pumps run fine on a portable generator. Keep the generator outside at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents, and run a heavy duty outdoor extension cord directly to the pump. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.
Countryside Plumbing is a licensed master plumber serving Milford, Novi, Farmington Hills, and southeast Michigan since 1979. Sump pump installation, repair, and battery backups are a big part of what we do. Free quotes at 248-705-7543.