Basement Watchdog Big Combo - Manual (Page 7)

the top of the cap.
Do not glue the
sensor into the
cap. (b) If you
have battery B, a
hole has been
molded into the
top of the battery
to accept the fluid sensor rod. The sensor
hole is marked by the label on top of the
battery. Hold the sensor straight and press
it firmly into the hole all the way up to the
connector. Do not bend the sensor rod.
If you are not using the Basement Watchdog
battery, you cannot use the battery fluid
sensor. However, you must attach the sensor
to the POSITIVE (+) post of the battery or
the alarm will sound continuously. The
Basement Watchdog sump pump system will
not warn you if the fluid level is low in this
configuration. You will need to check your
battery every couple of months to see if it
needs water. If the battery dries out, the
system will not work.
4. Connecting the battery: Remove the wing
nuts from the battery terminals. Remove the
security tag from the battery cables. Attach
the battery cables to the battery…the BLACK
wire to the NEGATIVE (-) post, and then the
RED wire to the POSITIVE (+) post. Replace
the wing nuts and tighten.
Note: Connecting
the cables to the wrong posts will damage the
controller.
5. Connecting the charger: Immediately plug
the charger into the charger jack on the back
of the control unit, then into an AC outlet on
the wall.
6. If the pump alarm is sounding, press the
YELLOW button to silence the alarm.
7. Replace the cover on the battery box.
8. Connecting the primary pump: Plug the
piggyback controller into a properly grounded
3-prong outlet. Then plug the primary pump
into the receptacle on the controller.
9. For a neater installation, secure the cables
from the controllers to the discharge pipe in
a couple places with the additional cable
ties. Make sure the wires are not touching
each other or overlapping each other.
10. After the initial installation, be sure to check
the pump operation by filling the sump with
water and observing the pump through one
full cycle. The primary pump should run for
10 seconds after the lower float drops.
11. A pit cover is recommended for all
installations as a safety measure, and to
prevent debris from falling into the pit. Place
the cover on top of the pit making sure not to
pinch or crimp the pump wires with the cover.
The pit cover usually has an existing hole that
will allow the cords to be passed through it,
or you can drill a hole in the cover.
Product Operation
The dual float switch on the primary pump
contains two large floating rings enclosed within
a protective cage. Water will lift the bottom
float by 1/4”, which will activate the pump. If
for any reason the lower float does not activate
the pump, the water will rise to the second float,
and it will activate the pump. As the pump
evacuates the water from the pit, the floats will
drop. The pump will run for an additional 10
seconds to extend the cycle after the lower float
drops. The blue controller for the primary pump
powers this switch.
During a power outage, or when more water is
entering the sump than the primary pump can
handle, the backup pump will automatically
begin pumping. It also has a dual float switch,
so if one float fails to activate the pump, the
second float will activate the pump as soon as
the water reaches that level. As the water
recedes below the float switch, a timer in the
control unit will run the pump an additional 25
seconds to evacuate the pit.
While the pumps are active, water will come out of
the 1/8” hole that is located on the top of the
main pump, and out of the hole in the elbow of
the backup pump. This is normal. The holes are
needed to prevent an air lock within the system.
DO NOT obstruct the holes or an air lock may
prevent the system from activating.
Batteries and sump pumps need maintenance.
The control unit on the backup system monitors
the battery and power conditions, and sounds an
alarm when maintenance is required. Below is
an explanation of the warnings and alarms.
Understanding the
Warnings & Alarms
The control unit for the Basement Watchdog
backup pump features a series of warning lights
that pinpoint potential problems. In addition,
an alarm sounds to alert you to the problem. In
some cases the lights and alarm will go off
automatically when the problem has been
solved. In others, the YELLOW button must be
pushed to reset the alarm. Refer to the table
below for a quick review of the features and their
corresponding alarm status.
Page 6
8 9 5b 6
Battery No No, must push
YELLOW button
Fuse No Yes
Water Yes Yes
Pump Yes No, must push
YELLOW button
Power Yes Yes
Alarm can be
silenced
before
problem is
corrected
Alarm shuts off
automatically
when the
problem is
corrected Warning
5a
FUSE
CHARGER
PUMP
4
POSITIVE
POST
NEGATIVE
POST
3b
3a