Hi Jeff. Having a backup plan is critical, whether that be with a battery or a generator if you have a larger system. We
sell a product we call AquaBackup just for this purpose that you can check out here -
http://theaquaponicsource.com/product-category/build-your-system/backup-and-safety/. I also recommend always having a second, backup pump available. Those things seem to always go out in the middle of the night or on a weekend!