SumpPumps.PumpsSelection

Four Basic Types Of Float Switches And Replacement Switches

Check Valves Prevent Water Hammer And Lengthen Pump Life.

Water Alarms Warn Of High Water And Pump Failure.

Other Accessories Include Flexible Hoses, Batteries And More.

The Primary Sump Pump is a must for every basement with a sump basin. It offers the most pumping performance capability, housing material variety, float switch options and warranty support. Although they all basically have the same features, there is a vast difference in testing and material durability. Therefore it is important to review the features before buying.

Bronze is the strongest most durable and heat dissipating pump housing material, but very expensive; therefore a good second is cast iron, third is stainless steel, aluminum and zinc fourth and last is thermoplastic.

As for float switches, mechanical switches fail more quickly than electro mechanical switches. Two pole vertical switches and cage switches do not get caught like tether floats do. Double float switches provide additional protection when one switch fails.

Horse power determines the rate at which water is removed from the basin during a heavy rain storm. The most common horse power variations include one-fourth, one third, one half, three-fourths and one horse power. Too much horse power causes the pump to recycle too frequently and leads to premature motor burn out. Not enough horse power leads ti basin overflow because the pump cannot keep up with the water.

A Battery Backup sump pump becomes a necessity because primary sump pump float switches or the electricity will fail sometime. Failure most frequently happens during a heavy rainstorm and without a backup pump the basin will overflow and cause flooding. A battery backup sump pump is a great way to provide protection if the primary sump pump fails.

Three key factors must be considered when choosing the right battery backup sump pump: its pumping capability, its size and placement options and the length of time it can run.

Battery backup sump pumps do not have the same pumping capability as primary sump pumps; therefore it is crucial to know how much water actually needs to be pumped from the sump basin during a heavy rainstorm so the closest matched gallons pumped per hour can be achieved with a battery backup pump.

Primary sump pump size becomes an issue when trying to install a battery backup sump pump. Most backup pumps must be installed on the basins floor for stable pumping; however there are a few that can be effectively installed in the discharge line above the primary pump.

The length of time a primary pump will be inoperable is hard to predict. Therefore it is crucial to consider those backup systems that all double battery hookup to extend the run time.

Water Powered sump pumps offer features the battery backup pumps cannot. However water powered sump pumps have four limitations: the water source that can be used, the volume of water that can be pumped per hour; and the water pressure required.

Just like all other sump pump types, water powered sump pump brands and models have feature differences. They do have one thing in common however, the source of water that can be used for the pump to work. Water powered sump pumps only operate when city, also known as municipal, water is used. Private well water cannot be used because when electric power fails, well pumps and booster pumps also fail unless the house uses a whole house generator installed to natural gas for dependability.

The pumping capability of water powered pumps is limited. The pump head can only operate so fast as water flows through the head, sucks up basin water and sends it to its intended location. Currently no water powered pump can perform as well as a primary one-half horse power pump.

Pumping capacity is also limited by the city’s water pressure. The water pressure must fall between a predefined range for the pump to be effective. So it is extremely important to know ones existing water pressure and water volume coming into the basin during a heavy rainstorm.

Combination sump pumps are a great way to go for homeowners who want to install their own sump pump. There is only one connection to make: the pre-assembled combo to the existing discharge pipe. Combination pumps come pre-aligned with a primary and battery backup sump pump and necessary elbows. If one of the pumps fails it can be easily replaced individually.

The key to purchasing the right combo pump involves three things: knowing the size of the basin’s height and width, knowing the pumping performance needed and identifying the size of the existing discharge piping.

Combo pumps will not work for everyone because of basin size required; Be sure to measure the diameter and depth of your pit and check the manufacturers specifications for installation.

One of the biggest challenges with combo pumps is that the battery backup pumping performance is usually less than the primary pump. Fortunately some manufacturers provide a combo where both the primary and battery backup have very similar pumping capability. This is the best scenario because pumps usually fail during heavy rainstorms.

The most common discharge piping size is one and one-half inches. Combo pumps are pre-assembled for this size. Using a down-sizing coupler is not recommended.

Zoeller M53 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Engineered Thermoplastic Base, 2-Pole Vertical Float Switch, 2040 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, Power Cord 8 foot, 3 Yr. Warranty

Zoeller M57 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing & Base, 2-Pole Vertical Float Switch, 2040 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, 9 Foot Power Cord, 3 Yr. Warranty

Zoeller M63 Premium 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Impeller, Base, 2-Pole Vertical Electro Mechanical Float Switch Longer Life With Double Boot For Protection, 2040 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, 10 Foot Power Cord, 5 Yr. Warranty

Zoeller Aquanot Spin 508-0005 Battery Backup Sump Pump, Aluminum Housing, Vertical Float Switch, 2,100 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Integrated Check Valve, Efficient Charger, 2 Switches For Redundancy Option, 10 foot Power Cord, 3 Yr. Warranty

Wayne CDU800 1/2 HP Steel Cast Housing, Cast Iron Base, 2-Pole Vertical Float Switch, 3,150 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Top Suction, 8 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Wayne CDU980E 3/4 HP Stainless Steel Housing, Cast Iron Base, 2-Pole Vertical Float Switch, 3500 GPH @ 10 ft., Top Suction, 8 Foot Power Cord, 5 Yr. Warranty

Wayne CDU1000 1 HP Stainless Steel Housing, Cast Iron Base, 2-Pole Vertical Float Switch, 5100 GPH @ 10 ft., Top Suction, Power Cord 8 foot, 5 Yr. Warranty

Wayne ESP25n Battery Backup Sump Pump Upgraded Steel Housing, Cast Iron Base, Reed Float Switch, 1500 GPH @ 10 ft., 8 Foot Power Cord, 2 Yr. Warranty

Superior 92250 1/4 HP Thermoplastic Housing & Base, Tether Float Switch, 1,200 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Bottom Suction, 10 foot Power Cord. 1 Yr. Warranty

Superior Pump 92572 1/2 HP Thermoplastic Housing, Vertical Float Switch, 2520 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, 10 Foot Power Cord, 3 Yr. Warranty

Superior Pump 92541 1/2 HP Cast Iron Housing & Base, Vertical Float Switch, 2400 GPH @ 10 ft., Bottom Suction, Power Cord 10 foot, 3 Yr. Warranty

Superior Pump 92551 Pedestal 1/2 HP, Cast Iron Base, Stainless Steel Column, Bottom Suction Tube, 27 GPH @ 10 ft., 10 Power Cord, 5 Yr. Warranty

Liberty Pumps 237 1/3 HP Aluminum Housing & Thermoplastic Base, Magnetic Vertical Float Switch, 1,800 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex impeller, 10 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Liberty Pumps 287 1/2 HP Cast Iron One Piece Body, Magnetic Vertical Float Switch, 3180 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, 10 Foot Power Cord, 3 Yr. Warranty

Liberty Pump Crawl Space CSP-257 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing & Base, Magnetic Vertical Float Switch, 1800 GPH @ 10 ft., Vortex Impeller, Power Cord 10 foot, 3 Yr. Warranty

Liberty Pumps SJ10 Water Powered Sump Pump, Removes 2 Gallons Water Per 1 Gallon City Water Used, Suction Tube, 3/4″ NPT Water Inlet Connection Accepts 20PSI Up To 100PSI inlet Supply Pressure, 1020 GPH @ 60 PSO, 3 Yr. Warranty

Basement Watchdog Sump Pump 3/4 HP Cast Aluminum Housing & Cast Iron Base, Caged Dual Micro Reed Float Switch, 3,630 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Bottom Suction, 10 foot Power Cord. 5 Yr. Warranty

Basement Watchdog BWSS100 1 HP Stainless Steel Housing, Cast Iron Base, Caged Dual Micro Reed Float Switch, 4,400 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., Bottom Suction, 10 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Basement Watchdog Emergency BWE Battery Backup Sump Pump, Thermoplastic Housing & Base, Dual Micro-Reed Switches, 1000 GPH @ 10 ft., Power Cord 10 foot, 2 Yr. Warranty

Basement Watchdog Special BWSP Battery Backup Sump Pump, Thermoplastic Housing & Base, Dual Micro-Reed Switches, 1,850 GPH @ 10 ft., Power Cord 10 foot, 2 Yr. Warranty

Little Giant 506125 Sump Pump 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Integral Diaphragm Switch, 1,740 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., 25 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Little Giant 506158 Sump Pump 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Integral Diaphragm Switch, 1,740 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., 10 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Little Giant 506160 Sump Pump 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Integral Diaphragm Switch, 1,740 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., 10 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty

Little Giant WRSC-6 506160 Sump Pump With Tank 1/3 HP Cast Iron Housing, Integral Diaphragm Switch, 1,740 gallons GPH @ 10 ft., 10 foot Power Cord. 3 Yr. Warranty