Need suggestion for a small, superior sump pump

Mad Dog_2

Mad Dog_2

Little Giants are not lasting more than a year.  This is regular groundwater.  This basement has major groundwater problems but when these pumps work the 6 - 8" Round, 10" pits keep the basement dry.  Anybody have a more durable brand?  The key is it can't be very wide and needs a built in float switch.  Thanks Guys Mad Dog 

tim smith

will a Zoeller M53 or 57 fit. They have always been pretty well regarded. Just looked, too big. The model 73 is max width 8.125 if that will make it.
Tim

tim smith

Matt, you and this thing are probably the most reliable they could get. Might need a chair for part of the time. Don't where shoes and that will be the auto switch, feet wet, pump!
Tim

ChrisJ

I have one of those pumps in a custom sink in the shop that's been handling sink water for 3 years now and we have another handling ground water.  I've used them in other applications for customers as well 

The only time I've had issues with that model pump is when someone installed them with a check valve without drilling an air bleed valve.


The pressure switch can also get plugged in the tiny hole that lets water into the switch.

I've also found one with the vent to the switch packed with mud.

Intplm.

"Zoeller" pumps. Petty good. Worth a look.

MikeAmann

There are models with a vertical float switch. The float rises along a rod.
Harbor Freight has them. Mine is working well.
https://www.harborfreight.com/plumbing/pumps/sump-pumps.html

hot_rod

Liberty still builds big motor cast iron sump pumps, a NY company

ChrisJ

Here's the holes I'm talking about on Little Giant's pressure activated switch.

The small one on the plug end is the vent.
Inside the actual switch housing is just a diaphragm that pushes against a switch.

dko

I would use something like https://www.hydrocheckproducts.com/product-page/hc6000-hi-low-sump-controller-dual-float

so you now have many more choices of manual pumps to choose from since you don't have the account for float dimensions.

ChrisJ

dko said:

I would use something like https://www.hydrocheckproducts.com/product-page/hc6000-hi-low-sump-controller-dual-float

so you now have many more choices of manual pumps to choose from since you don't have the account for float dimensions.

Sears was selling something like that in the late 1970s-early 80s.

I never heard anything about it really so I assumed it was something that didn't really work great. Do you have experience with them and real world use?

MikeAmann

ChrisJ said:

dko said:

I would use something like https://www.hydrocheckproducts.com/product-page/hc6000-hi-low-sump-controller-dual-float

so you now have many more choices of manual pumps to choose from since you don't have the account for float dimensions.

Sears was selling something like that in the late 1970s-early 80s.

I never heard anything about it really so I assumed it was something that didn't really work great. Do you have experience with them and real world use?

I have one of these. Simer brand. It still works. Very interesting circuit inside - uses neon bulbs.
Here is a newer version: https://pumpbiz.com/hc6000-electronic-float-switch-watcher-hc6000

mattmia2

perhaps the small pit is making it short cycle itself to death.

leonz

Hello Matt,

If you have a 4-5 gallon round pail all you need to do is drill 1/4" holes in it 2 inches apart all the way around and down to the base to protect the pump and place the pump on a brick and your pump will last much, much longer and not be plugged with silt.

We used the New York state made liberty pumps for years to dry out the rear 12 acres of my fathers old property.

PC7060

mattmia2 said:

perhaps the small pit is making it short cycle itself to death.

Agree, can the pits be deepened?  Assume increasing diameter is out of the question. 

Mad Dog_2

Don't want to punch through the slab because it was a special engineered design and there are very active springs underneath.  I did find a skinny pump only
 7 1/2"s wide.. Pro Series ?  The water is not gushing in...its a slow overnight infiltration, so I don't think its short cycling.  Mad Dog 🐕 

mattmia2

I've never had to babysit a sump pump but a zoeller pump came sitting in the basement with my house and it looks to be of superior construction.

PC7060

Mad Dog_2 said:

Don't want to punch through the slab because it was a special engineered design and there are very active springs underneath.  I did find a skinny pump only
 7 1/2"s wide.. Pro Series ?  The water is not gushing in...it’s a slow overnight infiltration, so I don't think it’s short cycling.  Mad Dog 🐕 

Wonder why the engineer didn’t just run lines into a single large tank (think cistern) with an access port. Seems much more robust design especially with two pumps.  Pesky short sited designers.  

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

I've never had to babysit a sump pump but a zoeller pump came sitting in the basement with my house and it looks to be of superior construction.

I'm not sure if Zoeller is better than little giant or not.  Id call them both good pumps though the one Mad Dog is using is called a utility pump not a sump pump.  It's only 1/6 hp and it's cast aluminum.   It's far from a cheap pump considering it's size 


Little Giant has plenty of expensive pumps that are very well made, no less than Zoeller in my opinion

Mad Dog_2

I like Little Giant, but Zoeller is the Gold Standard around here.  Mad dog 🐕 

SlamDunk

Zoeller. Hands down. I just replaced a ten year old one at home and bought a new float switch for the one that failed. Keep it as a back up.

I installed one at work, in 2009,that pumps soapy hot water out of a pit. Still running.

ChrisJ

SlamDunk said:

Zoeller. Hands down. I just replaced a ten year old one at home and bought a new float switch for the one that failed. Keep it as a back up. I installed one at work, in 2009,that pumps soapy hot water out of a pit. Still running.

The house I grew up in had a 1964 Sears Homart pump in one of the two pits still running fine in 2006.

10 years doesn't seem very impressive.

That used two weights on a cable and the switch drove a relay.

I think it was rated 50 gpm @ 20'

SlamDunk

ChrisJ said:

SlamDunk said:

Zoeller. Hands down. I just replaced a ten year old one at home and bought a new float switch for the one that failed. Keep it as a back up.

I installed one at work, in 2009,that pumps soapy hot water out of a pit. Still running.

The house I grew up in had a 1964 Sears Homart pump in one of the two pits still running fine in 2006.

10 years doesn't seem very impressive.

Where can I get one?

mattmia2

but the 1964 sears was a pedestal pump, right?

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

but the 1964 sears was a pedestal pump, right?

Same as $540 today for a half horse.

It was also the quietest pump I've ever seen.... Or heard I guess.

Their Flex -O-pipe was black polyethylene. Ours still had the original setup.

mattmia2

interesting that the catalog numbers are different than the model numbers

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

interesting that the catalog numbers are different than the model numbers

Where are you seeing model numbers on that?

SlamDunk

The one that came with this house was a pedestal pump but it wasnt quiet. It was all galvanized pipe and ran to the sewer. It had sealed glass floats that screwed in like light bulbs. They're yard ornaments now.

mattmia2

ChrisJ said:

Where are you seeing model numbers on that?

I'm not, that was what my comment was about. The model number would b 3 digits and a period followed by more numbers. The first 3 numbers would tell us who made it if we had the model number.