Quality Sump Pump ?
#11
I remember a post about sump pumps a year or two ago, but can't remember what the general concensus was on who makes good quality sump pumps. The float switch on mine died and I replaced it so I'm OK (I was home, thankfully), but I want to add a second, AC pump for back up to replace the battery powered backup I had - and never trusted. Now that I have a whole house generator two AC pumps, on separate circuits, makes a lot more sense to me.

So, who makes good quality AC sump pumps? Submersible, vertical float switch or pressure switch is probably the only viable option as the sump pit is only maybe 18" diameter.

Thanks,

John
Reply
#12
Not a sump pump specifically but I had 2 Zoeller pumps in the house we sold last year and I was very happy with them. If you call them and tell them your requirements they will be very helpful in figuring out the best fit.
Reply
#13
I run a Storm Pro sump pump as my primary along with a Basement Watchdog battery back up in a 18" pit. The Storm Pro uses a permanent split capacitor motor which is very powerful, has a long life, is extremely quiet and is also very energy efficient drawing a fraction of that a similar Zoeller pump. The electronic iON digital switch has no moving parts and will not stick. It also has the same 6" range as a float switch. I combined this pump with a high quality quiet check valve to silence a noisy sump pump in my finished basement which is my home theater room. You pay a little more for this pump over a Zoeller, but the energy savings, longer switch life and equally impressive pump make up the difference quickly.
Any free advice given is worth double price paid.
Reply
#14
I have a 1/3 hp Red Lion. Got rid of that useless battery back up piece of junk. I now have my pump hooked to my generator panel. The water table at my place is only 5' below ground level. Another thing I did was place a baby monitor near the pump and the listening device on my night table. Works great.

Mel
ABC(Anything But Crapsman)club member
Reply
#15
Woodenfish: The Storm Pro looks like a great choice, especially the digital float switch feature. That's what goes most frequently on my pumps. The price for one isn't that bad, but their dual package unit is rather outrageous.

Mel: The Red Lion unit looks similar to many others. Their dual combo package, however, looks to be just what I need.

Maybe I should put a Storm Pro as the primary and package it into a combo unit with a Red Lion.

I think it's time to have a moisture sensor installed near the sump, too, that links to my central alarm system. Why I never did that escapes me.

More recommendations, strategies, etc?

John
Reply
#16
After a heavy rain my pump will run about every 15 mins for several days. You talking about the one with the batter back up. I had one, not a Red Lion, but was basically useless, not much life from the battery. Like the system I have now where the pump is wired to my generator panel. I can't remember the maker of Red Lion but a buddy of mine, who was in the pump business, said it is one of the better brands. It sure moves a lot of water in a hurry. My pit is only about 18" deep, can't dig any deeper or I would be in to the water table. Best thing I ever did was put the generator in with it's own panel.

Mel
ABC(Anything But Crapsman)club member
Reply
#17
Not sure I understood you or not, but I am going to install two AC pumps. No more battery backups. I have a whole house generator now that runs every circuit in my house during a power outage. Two AC pumps make the most sense to me now. Each pump will be on a separate electrical circuit, too, in case a circuit breaker trips for any reason. That's what happened when the float switch died this time. So, double, independent systems make the most sense to me.

Red Lion makes a nice looking double AC pump system that will fit in an 18" diameter pit. I may use their complete system, or I may use a Storm Pro for the primary pump and a Red Lion or a lower end Storm Pro as the backup, and plumb them together myself.

John
Reply
#18
Sorry, misunderstood what you were doing and agree with installing two pumps. Just talked to my buddy and Red Lion are made by Monarch pumps. I certainly would use two Red Lion, I think they are a great pump. I plan on getting a Red lion back up, will be very easy to switch over.

Mel
ABC(Anything But Crapsman)club member
Reply
#19
Watch the current draw on any of these pumps John. I'm a big fan of split capacitor motors which draw a fraction of power on start and run. Some of these sump pumps can draw 20 amps for the same lift. That might be important as you place loads on the generator.

The Storm Pro pump is sourced from a local company near me, Metropolitan Industries. They are a big player amongst local plumbing contractors and industries for high quality pumps. Sumppumpsdirect is also a respected local retailer as well as online dealer. I have confidence in buying anything from them.
Any free advice given is worth double price paid.
Reply
#20
Thanks for that caution. I will keep the amp draw in mind. The Storm Pro pumps look to be very well thought out, just expensive, and two of them becomes really expensive. My sump pump situation is not near as dire as it once was, since I remediated a drainage problem I had. I'm not sure the basement would actually take on water now even if the sump pump doesn't run for days, though I sure don't want to find out. The Red Lion pump package looks like it will meet my needs, and they only pull 4.4 amps each so spending lots more just for higher run efficiency and the electronic switch comes at a high cost. If I was going to install only one pump, then I'd pony up for the Storm Pro w/o hesitation. But with two pumps I'll have redundancy so I'm having a hard time rationalizing the need. Is my thinking off on this?

John
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.