Securing Sump Pump Plug

[dragon60030]

I am a new home owner and just had my first sump pump flood and I want it to be the LAST. My problem is that the plug on the unit jiggled out just enough to not supply enough juice to run the pump, but too much to trip the battery back up. The result $2600 in cleaning and damage.

How can I secure this plug in the socket with out creating a fire hazzard. Any suggestions?

[trinitro]

I would invest in a better quality outlet, I've never seen a sump pump pull its plug out. You can get a twistlock outlet/plug if you want to, but perhaps there is another problem.

[GregH]

dragon60030,

Trinitro is likely right in that the receptacle is likely worn out.
A new one would grip a plug tighter.

Also, something doesn't sound right with your back-up pump.
There is no such thing as not supplying enough juice for a pump to run but too much for a back-up pump.
You should study how your back-up pump works to find a better explanation as to how it works.
The ones I am familiar with have you set a float switch on the back-up pump a bit higher than the main pump float.
Maybe your battery is defective or float out of adjustment.

Take a look at how yours is set up to see if my guesses about your pump are correct.

[dragon60030]

Thank you for the advice. I did some more looking at the back up generator. In my anguish of seeing all that water I didn't really see what plug it was that came undone. The power supply was fine, but there is a second electrical plug that goes into the generator. Not being electrically inclined I don't quite know how to describe it. Rather than a standard plug is is large and rectangular with the prongs in it. It reminds me of the plug in for my digital camera. It runs into the battery back up. That is what was loose and kicked back on when I changed the altitude on the cords. I am trying to remember what the lable on the generator said it was. Of course the piece of paper I wrote it down on is at home.

Do most battery back ups have two cords (one for power to the unit to keep it charged and the second one to do something else?)

[GregH]

What make and model is the back-up unit?

[dragon60030]

It has been an interesting two weeks. What I thought was meerly an unplugged system was actually so much more ($$)

After three straight days of rain the basement once again had water in it. I thought I was having plug issues again, but no not this time.

The 24 hour plumber paid me visit. Apparently I had three problems. 1) my ejector pump (which addressed the basement bathroom and flood drain) was dead! 2) The main sump pump was dead (it probably was with the first flood and I just didn't know what to look for) 3) the back up sump pump burnt out after pumping all that flood water and other water out.

So that night I had a sump pump and ejector pump installed. I still need to get an emergency back up sump pump, but that is waiting for a couple more paychecks.

For the record the back up battery supply was an Ace in the Hold and had a 2 prong plug.
:rolleyes:

[GregH]

dragon60030

Thanks very much for the feedback.