Water-powered backups are a game changer if you’re on city water, no doubt. I’ve had a couple tenants call me in a panic during storms, and the battery backup was just... dead weight. I switched to water-powered for my own place and a few rentals, and honestly, it’s been less hassle. The only thing that tripped me up was a slow leak at the connection once—caught it during a spring check, so now I’m religious about those tests.
One thing I’ll say, though—if your sump pit is on the deeper side, sometimes those water-powered pumps can take a bit longer to catch up if you get a real downpour. Not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind. And yeah, if you’re on a well, forget it. Had one property out in the sticks and had to stick with batteries there, which meant more babysitting.
Funny how these “set it and forget it” systems always need a little babysitting anyway...