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Pictured are water powered sump pump models we review and compare.

 
 
 

Before reviewing and comparing specific water powered sump pump models, it is important to understand how they compare to other pump types, if they are reliable, if they are right for you and your house, and their pros and cons, so that the model specification differences are easier to understand. Not all water powered sump pumps are the same. Their differences will help you do find the best water powered backup sump pump for your water pumping needs.

 
 
 

Water Powered Sump Pump Table Of Contents

How Do Water Powered Sump Pumps Compare To Other Sump Pump Types?
Why Water Powered Pumps Are Reliable Backup Pumps
Water Powered Sump Pump - Is It Right For You?
Is It Right For Your House?
Water Powered Sump Pump Pros and Cons
Review, Compare Water Powered Pump Manufacturer Features
Design
GPM and PSI
City Water Used
Wi-Fi
Where Made
Warranty
Cost
Our Recommendation
Is a backflow preventer required for a water powered sump pump?
Does A Water Powered Sump Pump Require Maintenance?
How Does A Water Powered Sump Pump Work
How To Install A Water Powered Sump Pump
Other Helpful Links
Shop The Best Water Powered Sump Pumps
 
 
 

How Do Water Powered Sump Pumps Compare To Other Sump Pump Types?

They are called water powered (water driven) because municipal water with its forceful pressure sucks the water collecting in the sump pit out the discharge pipe.
Compared to other sump pump types they are ,,,
Rated by GPH (gallons pumped per hour) not HP.
Required to use municipal (city) water to operate.
Run with no moving parts or batteries.
Not capable of moving as many GPH at 10 ft as battery back up sump pumps.
Designed to function as a primary or back up sump pump.
Pictured is the Zoeller 540-Flex Water powered sumppump that can be installed horzontally or vertically. Water Pwoered Sump PUmp offer many benefits. They have no moving parts.
 
Water powered sump pumps are like other sump pump types because
A pump is required though it is a different type
A float is required to respond to pit water levels to trigger the pump to run
Discharge piping is necessary to carry the water from the pit and away from the house.
A source of power is needed to run the pump. Primary pumps use electricity as their source of power. Battery backup sump pumps use batteries as their source of power. Water powered sump pumps use city water pressure to run their pumps.
 
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Why Water Pumps Are Reliable Backup Pumps

Water pumps are reliable backup pumps because ...
City Water is always available. Municipalities use generators to continue water available during power outages.
No batteries are required. Batteries deplete and need to be replaced every five to seven years.
No float switch is required. Float switches can get caught and fail.
Maintenance is easy since the brains of the system sit above the pit.
Consumers agree this is the best pump type for usage during hurricane season because it can run for days without issues.
Pictured is an installed water powered that can run for days with city water.
 
 
 

Water Powered Sump Pump - Is It Right For You?

A water powered sump pump is great if your situation meets the following criterion.
1) Your home uses city water not well water.
2) The city water pressure is greater than 40 PSI.
3) The city water inlet line is three-fourths (0.75) inch.
4) Your existing main sump pump performance is rated less than 1200 GPH or the actual flow rate into the sump pit is less than 1200 GPH.
5) The cost of using city water is reasonable.
6) There is room to install a second discharge pipe.
 
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Is A Water Powered Sump Pump Right For Your House?

A water powered sump pump is right for your house if you can say 'yes' to the following three questions: 1) Does the city place restrictions (limitations) on fresh water usage? 2) Is the city water pressure high enough? 3) Is the water powered sump pump GPH high enough?

Does The City Place Restrictions On Fresh Water Usage?

Cities located in an arid climate may forbid the usage of a water powered sump pump or limit the usage of fresh water. Call the city public works department to see if your city has restrictions.
 

Is The City Water Pressure High Enough?

City water pressure for a water powered sump pump is high enough if it measures 40 to 80 psi.
To measure the city water pressure at your house, do a bucket test.
Find the closest faucet or hose spigot to where the municipal water supply enters the house.
Place a one gallon bucket under the faucet. Turn the faucet wide open. Use a second hand or timer to measure how long it takes to fill the bucket.
If it takes 10 seconds, the water pressure is good for a water powered sump pump. If it takes 15 seconds or longer, the water pressure is not good for a water powered sump pump.
Before purchasing a water powered sump pump, use a pressure gauge to accurately measure the city water pressure at your house.
 

Is The Water Powered Sump Pump GPH High Enough?

The water powered sump pump GPH is high enough it if matches the GPH of your primary sump pump.
To know more accurately the GPH needed, the next time there is a heavy rainstorm, check how frequently the primary sump pump runs in one minute.
. If the sump pit is 18 inches in diameter and the sump pump cycles every 10 seconds, assume 5 to 6 gallons of water is pumped every cycle and in one minute 50 to 60 gallons are pumped from the pit. The GPH would be 3,000 to 3,600 gallons of water pumped in one hour.
Pictured is pumping performance curve for the Zoeller 540-Flex water powered sunp pump.
 

There are more detailed methods to get more accurate results for the GPH needed. Check these detailed methods to more accurately measure the GPH needed.

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Water Powered Sump Pump Pros and Cons

The Pros
 

If your answer is 'yes' to the question, Is A Water Powered Sump Pump Right For You, this is good news because a water powered sump pump offers at least 5 advantages as a backup sump pump.

1) Unlike a battery powered backup sump pump, a water powered sump pump has very few moving parts.
2) There is no battery that depletes or wears out.
3) The pump runs automatically and stops when no longer needed.
4) The pump is very reliable
5) A water powered pump lasts at least 10 years. Base Products Corporation says their pumps generally last around 25 years.
Pictured are the pros for installing a water powered sump pump .
 

The water powered sump pump design is simple. It has a few moving parts and the heart of the pump, the ejector jet which is not submersed in water, has no moving parts at all and thus will not wear down with use. There is no large control box, electrical wires and batteries to contend with. There is only a suction tube that is inserted into the pit itself to suck up the water and discharge it away from the house.

The Cons
 
A water powered sump pump comes with at least 3 disadvantages
1) The initial cost of installation is high. A new water line from the city water supply inlet in the house must be added inside the house along with a backflow preventer. This may be more that what you wish to do yourself so hiring a professional plumber would be necessary. The job will take 2 to 4 hours.
2) The need to use 1 gallon of fresh water to remove 2 gallons of pit water. Usage can become high if heavy rains persist and there is no electricity.
3) Pumping performance is low. It is not capable of performing like a one-half horse power primary pump.
 

So the deciding factor is: does the city allow installation of a water powered sump pump and will its performance meet your water pumping needs and budget.

 
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Review And Compare Water Powered Pump Manufacturer Features

Not all water powered sump pumps are the same even though they function the same. Discover their differences by reviewing and comparing the various model specifications from the most popular brands: Zoeller, Liberty Pumps, Base Pumps, BurCam, and Star Water Systems. The specifications compared are design, GPH and PSI, kit contents and warranty.
 
 
 

Design

A water powered sump pump design refers to its look and placement options. There are two basic designs: 1) Placement of the system just above the pit or 2) Attachment to the ceiling joists.

 
The Zoeller 540-0005 Flex, Base Pumps RB750, RB750-EZ, HB1000, HB1000PRO and CB15000, and Star Water Systems STWB140 water powered systems can be attached to the ceiling rafters.
Pictured are the water powered sump pump that are installed in the ceiling joist.
 
The Liberty Pump SJ10 and BurCam 747H20 and 300400ZN are placed just above the pit.
Pictured are the water powered sump pump that are installed just above the pit.
 
Attaching the system to the ceiling joists keeps the ejector system out of sight. Placing the system just above the top of the basin makes for easier access for maintenance.
 
 
 

GPM and PSI

Water powered sump pumps are not robust when it comes to pumping performance. Their pumping performing is comparable to a one-fourth and one-third horse power primary sump pump. Their GPH depends upon the water pressure PSI. The least amount of PSI required is 40 pounds. Ninety pounds is the maximum PSI for effective pumping.

Base Products Corporation Model CB1500 has the greatest pumping capacity regardless of PSI and vertical lift height. Zoeller 540-0005 Flex and Star Water Systems STWB140 and Base Product Corporation HB1000 and HB1000-PRO come in as close seconds.

Pumping Performance By PSI At A 10 Foot Vertical Height

The model offering the most pumping capacity with 40 PSI at a vertical height of 10 feet is the Base Product Corporation CB1500 which pumps 23.3 GPM. Base Product Corporation HB1000 and HB1000-PRO pump 15.8 GPM. The Zoeller 540-0005 Flex and Star Water Systems STWB140 pump 12.7 GPM. Base Product Corporation RB750 and RB750-EZ pump 11.7 GPM. Liberty Pumps SJ10 and BurCam 747H20 pump 10 GPM.

The model offering the most pumping capacity with 60 PSI at a vertical height of 10 feet is the Base Product Corporation CB1500 which pumps 25 GPM. The Zoeller 540-0005 Flex and Star Water Systems STWB140 pump 19 GPM. Base Product Corporation HB1000 and HB1000-PRO pump 16.67 GPM. Liberty Pumps SJ10 pumps 10 GPM. BurCam 300400 Contractors Buddy pump 15.8 GPM. BurCam 747H20 pumps 15.1 GPM. Base Product Corporation RB750 and RB750-EZ pump 12.5 GPM.

The model offering the most pumping capacity with 80 PSI at a vertical height of 10 feet is the Base Product Corporation CB1500 which pumps 28.3 GPM. The Zoeller 540-0005 Flex and Star Water Systems STWB140 and Base Product Corporation HB1000 and HB1000-PRO pump 20 GPM. BurCam 747H20 Guardian pumps 18.5 GPM. Base Product Corporation RB750 and RB750-EZ pump 13.3 GPM. Liberty Pumps SJ10 pump performance was not listed for 90 PSI.

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City Water

Water pumps are designed to use 1 gallon of city water for every 2 gallons of water removed from the pit. When pumping continuously it takes slightly less city water to remove 2 gallons of water.

 
 
 

Wi-Fi

Liberty Pumps SJ10 with the Wi-Fi module is the only water powered sump pump that can be purchased as Wi-Fi enabled: the model is known as SJ10A-EYE.
Pictured is the Liberty Pumps SJ10A-EYE  water powered sumppump that has a wi-fi enabled module
 

All water powered sump pumps can be made Wi-Fi enabled by purchasing a Wi-Fi enabled water alarm.

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Warranty

Base Products Corporation offers the longest warranty for its water powered sump pumps: a 5 year warranty. Zoeller, and Liberty Pumps offer a 3 year warranty. Star Water Systems and BurCam offer a 2 year warranty.

 
 
 

Where Made

Zoeller, Liberty Pumps, Base Pumps Base Products Corporation and Star Water Systems water powered sump pumps are made in the USA. BurCam pumps are made in Canada.

 
 
 

Cost

The cost of the water powered sump pump system varies by brand and the contents included in the kit also varies.

Base Products Corporation includes the ejector pump, the float system, the suction tube, a backflow preventer, shutoff valve ball type, a push-fit tee, a push-in male adapter, PVC pipe and water alarm.
Pictured is the kit that comes with the BasePump HB1000 water powered sump pump.

Burcam includes the ejector pump, the float system, the suction tube.

Liberty Pumps includes the ejector pump, the float system, the suction tube and a push-fit tee with the SJ10. If the SJ10A is purchased a water alarm included. The SJ10A-Eye includes the water alarm and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Star Water Systems includes the ejector pump, the float system, the suction tube and a push-fit tee.

Zoeller includes the ejector pump, the float system, the suction tube and a push-fit tee.

When adding a backflow preventer (approximately $40, a shut off valve (preventer (approximately $15), and water alarm (approximately $45), the total cost for the water powered sump pumps can be very similar, except the BurCam water powered sump pumps are more costly.

 
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Our Recommendation

Our recommended water powered sump pumps are the Zoeller 540-0005 Flex and the BasePump RB750 and HB1000. These pumps use the new design allowing the pump to be installed in the ceiling rafters out of the way and out of sight. They have the highest GPM pump performance consistently and are highly rated by consumers. The Base Pumps have a 5 year warranty which is very attractive. The Liberty SJ10 is very popular; however it's GPM is less.

Water powered sump pumps are great pumps because there are so maintenance free and they run automatically for as long as needed. There is no need to worry about battery depletion or replacement during a heavy rainstorm.

Whichever model you choose make sure the city water pressure is great enough and the pumping performance needed is great enough because without this a water powered sump pump will not keep up with the water flowing into the sump basin during a heavy rainstorm when the electricity is out.

 
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How Does A Water Powered Sump Pump Work?

If you know how an electric powered sump pump works, understanding how a water powered sump pump is not difficult. The real difference is their source of power used and how the water pump uses the city water as that source of power.

Unlike a primary sump pump that relies on electricity, a motor and impeller to empty the pit water, a water powered sump pump relies on water pressure, and an ejector jet to generate enough suction to pull water out of the pit through the suction tube into the discharge pipe and away from the house. The water powered pump relies on a float system to tell the ejector jet to begin allowing city water to flow through it. As the city water flows through the ejector jet head it slows the city water pressure down causing the pit water to be sucked up the suction tube, through the discharge pipe to its intended away from the pit destination. The pumping process is so simple, requires few parts and can run for days when water in the pit is high enough to cause float system to activate the ejector jet with begins the Venturi effect of drawing basin water from the basin.

See How the Water Powered Sump Pump Works.

Here's a quick video that demonstrates how a water powered sump pump works.

 
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How To Install a Water Powered Sump Pump

The installation of a water powered sump pump, regardless of model, requires six basic steps.

1) Decide the location of the ejector and install it.
2) Measure how long the suction tube should be and attach it to the bottom side of the ejector.
3) Drop the float into the pit and adjust its On Off height.
4) Install a discharge pipe to receive the suction tube water.
5) Install another water supply line from the city water inlet line to connect with the ejector.
6) Test the system for leaks or failure. Installation time will vary. For do-it-yourselfers it will probably take 6 hours. For the professional plumber it will take 2 to 4 hours.
Pictured is a water powered sump pump with reference to its 6 installation steps.
 

The following video by Base Products Corporation show you how to install the RB750 EZ water powered pump.

 
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Questions About The Water Powered Sump Pump

 
 
 

Is A Backflow Preventer Required For A Water Powered Sump Pump?

The best way to find out if a backflow preventer is required for a water powered sump pump is to check with the local public works department. Even if a backflow preventer is not necessary, installing one is the caring and responsible thing to do. It keeps dirty pit water from back flowing into fresh city water.

 
 

Does A Water Powered Sump Pump Require Maintenance?

Water powered sump pump maintenance is necessary, but easy. Periodically the screen at the end of the suction tube which extends into the basin and the ejector jet head need cleaning. If the sump pit is debris free, the suction screen will not be plugged and need cleaning.

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How Long Do Water Powered Sump Pumps Last?

A water powered sump pump lasts at least 10 years. Base Pump Corporation claims their water powered backup pumps will last 25 years or longer. This is longer than a battery backup sump will last. The longevity of a water powered sump pump is because they have few moving parts to fail. Their design is very simple. When they do need replacement, the water supply line already exists. Only the ejector jet, suction tube or backflow preventer need replacement.

To increase the effectiveness of a water powered sump pump, a backflow preventer is recommended. A backflow preventer keeps the pit water from flowing backwards into the city fresh water supply line.

Adding a high water alarm is also recommended so the home owner knows the water powered pump is running.

 
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