Customer Reviews for Basement Watchdog Big Dog CONNECT 3500 GPH Submersible Battery Backup Sump Pump with Smart WiFi Capable Monitoring Controller and Charger

-I have been happy with this unit since I installed in in 2007. -Couple of times when the power went out this pump gave me peace of mind not being concerned with getting power (generator) hooked up. -The add water light(alarm) never went off but today another light(alarm) went off telling me to check connections ... replace battery. Well I see the battery is desperately low on water and likely the root cause of the alarm. Shame on me I been thinking I should check the battery but the light(alarm) never went off indicating water level is low and this unit has a separate water level probe. Hence my reason for 4 and not 5 star rating. -The pump is easy to hook up. I ran a separate line out the back wall since it is rare that this pump runs. Additionally, mounted this pump on a shelf just above the primary pump to keep it out of the water.

I bought this unit in the beginning of July, 2010. The installation was very easy to follow and went without a hitch due to very good documentation. On July 22, 2010 the system got a good workout due to heavy rains in the Milwaukee, WI. area (7" of rain). The electric power got knocked out for 4 hrs. The Big Dog system handled the sump system without a problem. I would recommend this system to anyone.

DItto other Excellent reviews. The only thing I'm adding is the fact that the electronics on the Big Dog model (as well as the inexpensive BWE ) are fully compatible with an Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery according to Tech Support. Why is that important? Because, AGM batteries don't produce hydrogen gas when they charge--so pilot lights and other ignition sources in the basement pose no problems! They won't leak or spill even if they're broken, they survive most freezes, and warranties are twice as long as a lead -acid design. (I am NOT an advertiser--just a very happy camper)

Excellent system, it monitors the battery and cycles the pump all on its own. Battery is expected to last seven years. Last backup system I owned did not monitor the battery, how do you know when to replace it! Well worth the money for peace of mind.

I've had this unit for over 10 years and it has worked flawlessly. The first battery lasted at least 7 years. The unit has good alarming and monitoring capabilities. It's done it's job on numerous occassions. It's not cheap, but has certainly paid for itself over the years! I'd buy it again and have recommended it to many people.

This product has saved my basements on several occasions. The system has a powerful pump, charger, several monitoring features and easy to follow step by step instructions on how to install and troubleshoot the system. The company also has outstanding customer service. I used two 7.5 hour Watchdog batteries (in parallel) for each system which provides days pumping capacity. You would need a parallel jumper cable which I bought from the manufacturer. One piece of advice…although the system monitors the battery fluid levels, which works very well, I like to check mine when I turn the clocks back or just before going on vacation. Overall great product!!!

I bought the Watch Dog battery back up system last summer after installing drain tile in my constantly wet basement. My sump pump now runs 24/7/365. We had so many power outages last summer that I flooded the basement several times. I purchased the Watch Dog system and have been dry for the first time since moving here 9 years ago. It has saved me from bailing water from the pump well to renting a generator numerous times. Last week the main pump failed and it was 3 days before someone could come and replace it. The Watch Dog took over, running on A/C electrical from the house and when the company came to replace the main pump he told me with the amount of water we have it's a good thing I bought that system. Awesome Product!!

In an earlier review someone mentioned having to replace the battery every 2 years. I have the same issue. I have replaced the battery 3 times in the past 5 years. I am very careful to prepare and maintain the battery yet it still loses the ability to charge in too short of a period of time. It should last longer than 1.5 -2 years. It works well otherwise.

I installed the pump myself (no experience). You just need to be willing to cut and glue PVC. It took 2 hours to install. The operation of the pump is very straight forward and easy to understand. The controlling unit has good displays. One month after installing, a big storm knocked out our power. The unit kicked in and took over for the 4 hours we were without power. Water was coming into the sump fast, but it had no problems keeping up. You may be happy with the cheaper versions, I don't really know all of the differences. I do know that I have peace of mind with this thing installed. I would have rated it as 'excellent' but at $560 including battery and acid, it seems like a good value (not an excellent value).

I had this product installed by a licensed plumber. It took him less than an hour. It was a fast, easy installation. I had to go to a competitor to purchase the battery for this product as Home Depot did not sell it in their store. However, that was only a minor inconvenience. I would recommend this product to anyone who needs a battery back-up sump pump system.

This is the best backup system you can buy. I paid about $600 for complete system and installation, and is the best money I ever spent. It has saved my basement time and time again from the unrelaible power company, and bad main pumps. My system is almost 5 years old, same battery with no issues; it even tells you when you need to add distilled water. This unit is completly relaible. When storms roll in and power goes out, my wife and I sit back and just watch the storm pass by without a worry. If you are unsure about buying a unit and you have a finished basement think about this. A estimate for restoration company to come out and reapir damge to your capreting, walls etc can cost $6,000 to $10,000! How do I know? Because several of my friends and familiy didn't take my advice on the WatchDog and paid thousands out of pocket. Additioanly most insurance companies cover very little, natl avg only $5,000 (unless you ask for more coverage and pay a higher premium) after you pay your deductible. My $600 INVESTMENT PROTECTION (WatchDog) has easily paid me back 10 times over. Go get it now before the next storm washes away your rainy day savings.

I've had problems with two batteries purchased for the unit and a misdiagnosis of the problem by their service department. The first battery went bad after 2 years (it's supposed to last 5-7 years). My guess is that it wouldn't recharge, because it started blowing 25 amp fuses on the controller unit and setting off alarms lights on the unit. I called Watchdog service; they thought the problem was the controller. So I packaged it up and sent it in. They sent it back quickly, but said they only needed to "recalibrate" it. So I hooked it and again had warning lights and a blown fuse. So I went back and bought another battery (good money after bad?). It works and I'm not getting warnings or blown fuses on the controller. The only problem is the battery is only charging to 6 hours (should be 7.5). Will it go early like the last one? Watchdog was helpful and quick, just misdiagnosed the problem. The experience, however, was a hassle: mulitple alarms going off, trip to the store to get fuses, shipping, waiting, rehooking up the unit, going back to the store for a battery, setting up the unit again. One more note. I have been very good about making sure the battery fluid levels are OK. I check almost every month and never had a problem. I was also careful on the new battery to keep the levels where they should be. I don't think sloppiness was a problem here.

I would recommend looking at another system. My first battery lasted less than two years. I just purchased a replacement battery and it only shows a "6 hour" charge after being fully charged. I know what you may be thinking: I didn't service them properly. No, I filled them with battery acid exactly as you're supposed to (I'm pretty fussy about doing it right). The terminals are spotless. On the first battery, I regularly checked the fluid levels and never let them go low (the unit has a fluid level alarm also, but that never needed to go off). Very disappointing in a battery that costs $100 + $16 for acid and is supposed to last 5-7 years. I'm hoping that my controller is truly OK. I was first alerted to the problem when the 25 amp fuse blew and the alarm went off. I checked the battery and unit, replaced the fuse and reset it and several hours later the fuse blew again and all sorts of warning lights went on. I called Glentronics - they were very helpful and said it was probably the controller, not the battery, and suggested I send the unit in. I did so - they were very fast in turning it around. However, they sent it back with only a receipt showing they had recalibrated something and that it was OK and instructing me to hook it up again. So I did so and got all sorts of alarm lights again. I suspected the battery, so I went to the Depot and got a new battery. It hooked up OK and I don't have any warning lights, but after 24 hours, shows a less than full charge (6 hours). So to recap: after a lot of time turning off alarms, reading the instructions and resetting the unit, a trip to the store to get fuses, disconnecting the unit and shipping it off, rehooking it up, another trip to the store for another battery, rehooking the unit up again, etc. I have a unit that seems to be working, but likely has battery troubles. Very frustrating. I would recommend looking elsewhere.

EVERYONE READING THIS.... make sure you UNDERSTAND THAT THIS DOES NOT COME WITH A BATTERY OR ACID. I wish Glentronics would simply package the battery with this. Its sort of dumb.... you need a battery since the system will not work w/o it. Yet they sell it seperate. I ended up using a marine battery from my boat until I got time again to go to home depot to pickup the Glentronics / Watchdog battery. (Another $100). This is a great system. I have put it in unfortunately after the fact. Will the lesser models work.... yeah I imagine they would but when I saw the water pouring in over the sump pump cover after the power went out, it was scary to see how much water was coming in. Within 2 - 5 minutes, our basement (approx 2000+/- sq ft) was covered in about 2" of water. Soooo that being the case, I opted for the most GPH pump. I was thinking about putting in a generator but decided on this for the interim. This unit also gives you more information feedback than the other 2 lesser models. It also tells you how much more battery life is left.