• Primary Submersible Sump Pump
  • Switch Type
  • Motor Housing
  • Pumping Capacity
  • Impeller Design
• Battery Backup Sump Pump
  • Switch
  • Alarm
  • Pumping Capacity
  • Battery
• Water Powered Sump Pump
  • City Water Pressure
  • Amount of City Water
  • Pressure Check Valve
  • Pumping Capacity
• Pedestal Sump Pump
  • Pumping Capacity

• Buying a good sump pump is cheaper than ....
• How to know which sump pump type is best for you

 

The primary sump pump, also known as the main pump or basement sump pump, is expected to work continuously and dependably when large volumes of water enter the sump pit. Therefore it is important to select a good pump that is adequate for your water pumping needs during heavy rainstorms.

The most important features of a main sump pump are the switch, housing, pumping capability and impeller design.

 

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The sump pump switch triggers the pump to run the pump motor. The three basic types of switches: the mechanical float switch, the diaphragm switch and the electronic switch. The mechanical float switch may be tethered or vertical.

• The sump pump tether float switch requires a larger sump pit because the tether swings up and out in the pit with a strong possibility of getting hung up in the sump.
• The sump pump vertical float switch is perferred because it just moves up and down vertically with much less opportunity to get stuck or hung up in the pit.
• The sump pump diaphragm switch has a diaphragm with a membrance that concaves and convexes but has no moving float. The is a good alternative switch type; however it takes more pit room than the vertical float and has a membrane that becomes brittle after several years of use.
• The newest type is the sump pump electronic switch. The electronic switch has no moving parts, takes less room than a tether, vertical or diaphragm and is not affected by water chemicals.

Sump Pump Housing

Pumping Performance

• The size of the pump motor (amount of horse power - HP), motor efficiency  and head lift determine how much water a submersible sump pump can pump during heavy rainstroms. The frequency at which the pump runs is also impacted by the size of the sump pit, the 'on' and 'off' setting of the switch, and the size of the discharge pipe.
• Manufacturers provide graphs showing how much water can be pumped at what height per minute and per hour. Checking the graphs is important because some 1/2 horse power pumps can pumps as much as other manufacturers 3/4 horse power pumps. Also manufacaturers such as Zoeller have included elbows and hortizontal PVC piping as well as the vertical height when calculating height lift; therefore their graph of gallons pumped per minute will be less than manufacturers who do not include hortizontal and elbow water resistence.

Impeller Design

 

 

 

 

The battery backup sump pump is expected to work continuously and dependably when the primary sump pump is not able to run due to lack of electrical power or pump malfunction. Because the backup pump is expected to run during emergnecy situations, it is extremely important to select a good pump that is adequate for your water pumping needs during heavy rainstorms.

 

The switch triggers the pump to run the pump motor. The type of float switch used with backup pumps is three styles of the vertical float switch - the float, the reed, and the dual.

• The vertical float switch triggers the motor to run when the water raises the float and shuts off when the float lowers as the water receeds.
• The reed switch has a magnet embedded inside the float. As the float rises or falls with the water level id the reed switch is activated by the magnet in the float.
• The dual float switch has two float switches found encased in the vertical switch case. As the lowest float is rasied by an increased water level, the switch triggers the pump to run. If the bottom float switch fails, the upper float is raised by the increased water level and it triggers the top switch to run the pump. This type of design provides additional protection in case one of the float switches fails.

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The alarm not only lets the homeowner know when the backup pump is running, but also indicates when the battery strength is low. All battery backup sump pump manufacturers include such an alarm. Some alarm decibels are louder than others. Some models allow the alarm to be silenced when the pump is activated and running.

 

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Pumping capability for a battery backup pump is less than for a primary pump. Most homeowners fail to buy a battery sump pump capable of handling almost the same amouont of water their primary pump does. This negligence is because homeowners assume any backup pump should do the job. Secondly, a battery backup sump pump is not capable of pumping the same amount of water as a primary pump. It is extremely important to know the volume of water entering the pit during a heavy rainstorm so the appropriate backup sump pump system is installed. Because battery backup pump capability is low, many homeowners install an inverter power unit which allows them to run a primary sump pump.

 

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Battery types and size for a battery backup pump vary. The manufacturers installation manual will provide such information. A maintenance free battery is easiest to use since no maintenance is required and the battery is already charnges and ready for use when purchased; therefore, it is important to check the shelf life of the battery when it is purchased. At least one manufacturer allows the homeowner to decide when the shelf life should begin because the homeowner adds the acid. However this type of battery also requires several hours of charging before it can be used. The group size of a battery will determine how many continous pumping hours the battery can provide when fully charged. A 75 Amp hour battery will pump longer than a 40 Amp hour. The control box dimensions will determine what size and style of battery will fit.

 

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The water powered sump pump can be used as a primary or backup sump pump. This pump has no moving parts and does not require a battery or electricity to run. It uses city water and its pressure to run the pump and keep it running.

 

The most important features of a water sump pump are degree of city water pressure, amount of city water used during operation, presence of check valve and pumping capacity.

 

City water runs the water powered sump pump. The city water pressure determines if you can install a water powered pump and how much water it will removed from the pit per minute. If you use city water rather than a well and you can fill a 5 gallon bucket at your outside hose spigot not using a hose in less than 30 seconds you have enough city water pressure to run a high capacity water powered pump properly.

 

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The amount of city water used to run the water powered sump pump varies by pump manufacturer. Some pumps require 1 gallon of city water per two gallons of water removed from the pit. Other pumps require 1 gallon of city water for each gallon of pit water removed. The cost of running the water powered pump is cheaper in a majority of cities since water is cheaper than electricity. Checking your water bill will tell you how much you pay for water usage.

 

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The presence of a check valve is extremely important to prevent the back flow of water. Some water pumps have only one check valve while others have two. Having a dual check valve provided backup protection in case one fails.

 

The pumping capacity of a water powered pump varies by model. The smallest pumps can remove up to 500 gallons per hour whereas the largest strongest pumps can remove up to 2,000 gallons per hour at a 10 foot vertical lift.

 

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