There just aren't many situations where a sump pump would not need a battery back-up system, actually, none that I can think of. If you have a basement with a sump pump, someday the pump will fail, jam or not function because of a power outage. What do you do when that happens? I've had some customers counter with, "I have another pump sitting next to the sump pit when the current one fails. If I loose power, I can rent a generator." This is fine if you are home and have the time to do these things. If you happen to be away for the weekend and the pump fails, be prepared for the worst.

Safeco Insurance has published a recent study where it was determined that water heaters and washing machines were the two appliances most likely to do water damage in a home. A burst washing machine hose has the potential to pump 500 gallons of water per hour into a home. Braided stainless steel washing machine hoses are one way to prevent this type of flooding from happening. With water heaters, sometimes the relief valve will go off. More times than not however, the tank will begin to leak which will then require replacing the water heater. To prevent flooding from a leaking water heater, have it installed in a drain pan that is piped to a drain or sump pit.