Answer
Thank you for visiting Sump Pumps Direct. You bring up a very good and important point, Mark! Most primary (1/4HP - 1/2HP) and battery backup pumps discharge to a 1-1/2" discharge pipe and will be installed separately but due to the discharge system already in place, be piped or "Y'd" together. In MOST cases, the total pumping capacity by both pumps at the same time will be handled by that 1-1/2" discharge pipe and will not cause any extra stress or back-pressure on those pumps. That being said, for optimum performance of both pumps, they should be connected to separate discharge pipes. Again, that is not always possible. In cases of extreme high water tables and frequent possible flooding where high capacity pumps are required, you should definitely run a separate discharge pipe for each pump you have installed.
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