Sump Pump Reco's

[brnhornt]

Hey gang,

Last night I head into the basement shop area and smell a little funk.  Look over and I see a wet ring around my sump basin.  Thankfully it wasn't a lot of water...but the basin was 90% full and the pump wasn't running.  I jiggled the discharge pipe (and thus the pump) and it came to life and cleared the basin in 10 seconds.  It was only a week ago that I was in the basement and heard it click on, pump, and then off by itself so this is a new development.

Anything that I can/should do to this existing one?  Or, follow my heart and say any kind of failure like this and just replace the darn thing?

If the later, what's the most recommended pump out there?

Thanks for any input!
Kevin

[Ohio Mike]

......what's the most recommended pump out there?

I installed this pump 6 years ago based on Woodnet recommendations

Zoeller M53 Mighty-mate Submersible Sump Pump, 1/3 Hp

It's been great, and when you call tech support you get a real human who knows the product.


Mike

[TDKPE]

Zoeller submersibles seem to always bubble to the top.  They're not cheap, but when you buy cheap, you get, well, cheap.  And a flooded basement ain't cheap.  

[jteneyck]

After way too much research comparing pumps, especially the amp draw vs. output, I bought two Liberty pumps for my sump pit.  That was about 4 years ago and they have been perfect so far.  

If you have a sump pit that absolutely needs a sump pump to keep the basement dry, having only one pump is a recipe for disaster, sooner or later.  That was my situation before I remediated the outside drainage and why I installed two pumps, on separate electrical ciruits.  I have a whole house generator, too, so I'm good even if the power goes out.  My advise is to take this incident as a wake up call and think through what you need to do to stay dry 24/7/365.  

John

[crokett™]

Our previous house has two Zoeller products. The first is a system designed for washing machines (basically a pump in a sealed 5 gallon bucket). that pump is still in place, so it is pushing 15 years old and still works. the other is a Zoeller quik John, that one is about 10 years old and still works. If I ever need a pump again, I'll get Zoeller.

[fredhargis]

Zoeller, there are others but they seem to be the most highly recommended.

[R Clark]

I have two pumps in the basement. One is a grinder pump, the other is in a ground water sump pit. Original equipment at the house were Zoeller pumps. House was built 16 years ago.

The grinder pump float switch failed on a late Friday afternoon last year. No supply houses were open, and I needed that pump in operation. Since I was stuck, I ended up buying an off brand from a box store. It's still in service, so all has been Ok.

The Zoeller pump in the other sump pit still going strong.

If I can get a Zoeller when I need it, then that's the way I'll go.

[jteneyck]

Zoeller makes a good pump but they draw a lot of amps for the gpm they move.  That may or not be important for your particular needs, but if it is, there are more efficient pumps out there of equal durability.    

John

[brnhornt]

Valid points...thank you.  Makes me think I might be better served with something like this:
http://www.consumersplumbing.com/site/co...d_id=11504

Pricey, yes, but worth the sound sleep.

[TDKPE]

Personally, if I needed a backup pump that's not dependent on the grid, I'd use a water powered sump pump.  With city water, it can run indefinitely and requires no electricity.

But it requires municipal water, which is a non-starter for some.  

https://www.waterdamagedefense.com/colle...sump-pumps