Knowing the gallons per minute pumped by a water powered sump pump is crucial because this is your line of defense to keep your sump basin from overflowing when the electricity or your main electric pump fail.
Calculating gallons pumped per hour looks much different for a water powered sump pump. There is no horse power to increase its pumping performance. Instead it is the pressure existing in the water supply entering your house. The greater the water pressure the greater the pumping capability.
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- Run endlessly as long as there is city water. At elast 60 PSI works best.
- Made of Few parts and require little maintenance.
- Run automatically when primary pump stops or cannot keep up.
Water Power Disadvantages
- Limited GPM capability: equivalent to 1/4 to 1/3 HP electric pump at most.
- Well water does not work. It does not have consistent water pressure and a well pump can stop running.
- Uses 1 gallon of clean municipal water to pump out 2 gallons or so of sump basin ground water.
- Installation means adding a water lead from your house input line. Professional installation is best.
Factors Affecting Gallons Pumped Per Minute
- Two factors affect gallons pumped per minute (GPM): 1) Municipal water pressure inside the house 2) The vertical height water is sucked up from the pit.
- Water pressure, measured by pounds per square inch, PSI, not pump motor horse power determines GPM and GPH.
- The greater the water pressure the greater the GPM.
- A minimum and maximum PSI is required. 40 PSI is the minimum and 80 PSI is the maximum PSI for best pumping performance.
- The vertical height the water is sucked from the pit impacts the GPM. The higher the vertical height, the lower the GPM.
Water Powered Pump Models GPM Compared By PSI (Pounds of Pressure Per Square Inch)
- Liberty Pumps Model SJ10 works with 20 PSI; however it only pumps 5.89 gallons per minute at a vertical height of 8 feet.
- At 40 PSI and a vertical height of 10 feet, Base Pump Model CB1000 pumps the most at 23.3 gallon followed by Base Pump Model HB1000 with GPM of 15 gallons; Zoeller Model 540 Flex follows with GPM of 12.7 gallons; and Liberty Pumps Model SJ10 GPM pumps the least amount at 10.9 gallons per minute.
- At 60 PSI and a vertical height of 10 feet, Base Pump Model CB1000 pumps the most GPM at 25 gallon followed by Zoeller Model 540 Flex follows with GPM at 19 gallons. Base Pump Model HB1000 and Liberty Pumps Model SJ10 GPM is 16 gallons; Base Pump Model RB750 pumps the least amount at GPM of 12.5 gallons.
- At 80 PSI and a vertical height of 10 feet, Base Pump Model CB1000 pumps the most at 28.3 gallon followed by Zoeller Model 540 Flex and Base Pump Model HB1000 GPM at 20 gallons; Base Pump Model RB750 pumps the least amount at GPM of 13.3 gallons. Liberty Pumps Model SJ10 GPM does not show GPM on manufacturers pump performance chart.
- A float monitors the water level in the sump basin. When the water reaches the height of the float, the pump begins to run.
- A discharge pipe transports the water pumped from the sump pit to its intended destination.
- When the water is below the float, the pump stops running.
Differences
- The float causes a valve to open and pressurized municipal water rushes thru causing a suction like force sucking the water from then pit. No impeller is present to swirl the water.
- An ejector pump uses the pressurized water to suck up the lower pressured pit water thru a suction tube connected to the discharge pipe. No horse powered motor exists.
- Pressurized city water is the source or power. There is no electricity or battery needed; thus pumping can continue endlessly.
Watch A Water Powered Sump Pump Work
How To Measure Your House Water Pressure (PSI)
Step 1: Turn off everything using house water at the moment,
Step 2: Buy a pressure gauge. It costs less than $20. Hook it us to a house outside faucet.
Step 3: Hook up the pressure gauge to a house outside faucet.
Step 4: Open the faucet all the way. Read the pressure.
Step 5: Compare your water pressure reading to the water power pumps pump performance chart provided by the manufacturer. Whether the PSI and vertical height intersect is your water powered pumps GPM.
Here's a quick way to determine how much GPM a water powered sump pump needs to meet your water pumping needs.
1. Measure the diameter of your existing sump basin. One inch of water height in an 18 inch diameter pit equals one gallon of water. One inch of water height in a 24 inch diameter pit equals two gallons of water.
2. Identify your electric main sump pump float switch type. In general a vertical float switch pump removes 4-5 gallons of water per pump cycle in an 18 inch pit. A tether float switch pump removes 9 gallons of water per pump cycle in an 18 inch pit.
3. During the next heavy rainstorm, count how many times your pump cycles ON and OFF in one minute.
4. Multiple the number of cycles times 4 or 5 for a vertical float switch or 9 times for a tether float switch to get the number of gallons of water that would be pumped.
5. Multiply the answer resulting in step 4 by 60 to determine approximate GPH for one hour.
6. Use a specific models pump performance chart published by the manufacturer to identify if a water powered sump pump can keep up with the volume of water entering the pit. If it can great! If it cannot, a battery backup sump pump is the best choice for your backup water pumping needs.
Common Questions
Do water-powered sump pumps waste water?
Yes and No. It is true that water powered sump pump use clean city water to remove pit ground water; however, water seeps through the ground and recycles. It is just rechecled. It does not add to the burden of a city's sewer system or add contaminants to the ecosystem.
What is the flow rate of a water-powered sump pump?
The flow rate is dependent on the house water pressure and vertical height it must be sucked to be mbved away from the house. I(t's maximum flow rate is equivalent to a 1/4 to 1/3 HP electric sump pump.
How efficient is a water-powered sump pump?
The pump uses 1 gallon of city water to remove 2 gallons of pit water. If a water powered pump ran five hours and removed 20 gallons per hour that would be 100 gallons of water removed and 50 gallons of municipal water to do it. A corresponding question would be: how efficient is an electric powered pump. It uses Amps per running cycle. Likewise a battery backup sump pump runs 5 or 6 hours continuously before depleting a battery. It seems the better question to ask is: what power source is best to meet your water pumping needs and protect the lower level from a flood. That is really efficiency because flood clean up takes time and money and results in property loss.
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