Best Sump Pump Reviews: Zoeller vs. Wayne vs. Simer

Introduction

A sump pump is an electronic device that is used in the basement of homes to help pump water from the basement to the exterior of the home in the event of moderate flooding. Basement flooding can occur for a number of reasons such as the basement being located below the water table level or below sewage lines, or places that are likely to flood in general. These pumps can sometimes pump the water directly outside or to the house’s drainage pipe system. The sump pump is generally used in conjunction with a sump pit, a small hole dug into the floor of the basement to allow water to collect into it.

If the area you live in is prone to flooding or the foundations of your house are below the water table level, then you’ll likely suffer from water regularly accumulating in your sump pit. A good pump will simply suck the water away from where it is being accumulated and deposit it elsewhere, ideally without you having to monitor it often.

Types of Sump Pumps

There are two types of sump pumps: submersible and pedestal. The Pedestal style sits over the pit and the Submersible style sits inside the pit. A submersible pump will be out of sight and quieter, however, it will likely not last as long as it comes into direct contact with water. It will typically last between 5 and 15 years. On the other hand, a pedestal pump remains out of the water and thus lasts longer – at around 25 to 30 years – and is easier to get to, however, it will remain in sight.

How to Choose the Best Sump Pump

What type of sump pump you choose should depend largely on how often you’ll be needing it and for what type of water issues. If you live in an area where flooding or heavy storms are pretty frequent, for instance, then you might want to consider a sump pump that can be run on a generator in the event of a power outage. Here are some other factors to consider:

• Sump pump cleaning and maintenance: How often you have to clean the sump pump should also be a consideration. If your basement is extremely prone to flooding then you’ll want to clean your sump pump at least once a year. If it’s not a common occurrence you can probably go about three to five years without cleaning the system. The Pedestal pump is the easiest to clean as it sits above the floor and it’s easy to get to while the Submersible pump sits down in the sump pit and is generally encased to protect short-circuiting when the pit fills with water, making it more difficult to get to and clean.
• Where the sump pump will be used: The most suitable sump pump for you will depend on your individual situation. If the area that is accumulating water is a usable living area, then a submersible will likely be best for you as it can remain out of sight and is quieter. It will also be safer around children. If these considerations aren’t an issue then you may be better off with a pedestal pump as it will be easier to get to and likely to last longer, as mentioned previously.
• The type of basement you have: If you have a finished basement that is used for entertaining or as an extra bedroom then you probably don’t want a sump pump sitting in the room. They’re not considered to be a highly decorative item and they do take up space, albeit not a great deal of space. If your basement is mostly used for storage purposes then you may as well use the pedestal style as it’s easier to clean and won’t present any aesthetic issues.
• What sump pump features you want: Another factor you’ll want to consider when looking for the best sump pump for you, is what features it has. Ideally, you want the pump to automatically come on as soon as the water starts to accumulate, and on the same note, know when to turn off automatically so as to avoid running dry. This way the pump can run automated with little interference from you. However, if the pump won’t be in use on a regular enough basis to warrant having this feature, then you may prefer to have a manual pump.

You don’t have to lose valuable items in your home or spend thousands of dollars on prevention and cleanup due to basement flooding. A simple somewhat preventative measure such as a sump pump will save you both the dollars and the headaches.

Best Sump Pumps in the Market

How to Install a Sump Pump Basin

Sump pumps can be professionally installed by plumbers and other contractors. If you are brave enough and confident in your skills, here are some important guidelines.

1. Choose Sump Pump Location: Familiarize yourself with the layout of utility and water pipes under the foundation of your house when choosing the location in the basement for placement of the basement sump pump. Obtain a diagram if possible. Pump installation will require digging under the foundation and it isn’t wise to risk hitting any access or connectors.
2. Mark Location: Once the location has been picked, place the basin turned upside down on the spot. Draw an outline of the basin with a permanent marker on the concrete floor using it as a guide. Make the outline about six to ten inches bigger all around than the actual basin. Chipping often occurs when digging into the floor of the foundation and can cause the opening to be larger than intended. It is strongly recommended that digging take place no closer to basement walls than 10 inches.
3. Hole Drilling: Jackhammer along the outline you drew around the pump basin. Go slowly to ensure accuracy. Once the outline has been cut, begin using the jackhammer in the middle using a smaller sized bit. You only want to break the concrete up enough to remove it. Don’t try to hammer too deeply. Remove the loose concrete.
4. Basin Placement: Use a shovel to dig the dirt out of the cleared space to make a whole in which the basin can be placed once it is sufficiently deep. There should be a space of 1 to 1.5 inches between the basin top and the dirt floor. The hole should not be deep enough for the pump basin to be flush with the ground because concrete will be used to make the basement floor and the pump basin flush.
5. Gravel Filling: Use gravel to fill the space between the basin walls and the hole until the loose gravel meets the top of the dirt hole. This should cause the basin to stand upright in the hole. If not, gently rotate the basin to allow the gravel to shift into place.
6. Smoothing: Use a trowel or wooden float to smooth the dirt around the pump basin. While doing this, remove any chunks or debris remaining from the use of the jackhammer. Rocks or debris will cause the cement to dry improperly. There should be a space of 1 to 1.5 inches remaining between the basin top and the dirt floor.
7. Cement Application: Once the dirt is smoothed and the cement has been properly mixed, use a trowel to apply the cement. In evenly spreading the cement, the pump basin should become level with the cement floor. The cement floor should be allowed to completely dry before resuming the installation of the plumbing and pump.

An Introduction to Sump Pump Pits

When purchasing a new sump pump, the homeowner can find them at various prices starting at less than a couple of hundred dollars. Even the cheapest of sump pumps generally serve well for five years. The more bothersome and usually more expensive aspect of installing a new sump pump is the creation of the pit in which the pump is installed. The only good thing about having to make a pit for your sump pump is that it only needs to be done once.

Fortunate homeowners who have recently purchased a house built within the last twenty years will probably already have a basement equipped with an installed sump pump. For those who have to tackle the problem from scratch, there are some options. If you are comfortable and experienced with important home improvement projects, you may consider creating the pit and installing the pump yourself. Someone without experience or knowledge of creating a pump pit may not want to take this opportunity to be adventurous. It is effortless for a novice to cause irreparable harm to the house foundation with a seemingly small mistake. The process of creating the pump pit involves removing loads of broken concrete and displaced dirt, installing drain tiles, and applying gravel. Not only is work hard, but it also requires a surprising amount of precision.

Contracting an experienced professional in this field to build the pit is the most convenient and expedient choice, although costly. Building the pit for the sump pump installation can cost around five thousand dollars or more. This can be especially taxing for a person who just recently purchased the home unless concessions were made to either have the seller cover the cost, or it was offset by a lowered down payment.

If basement flooding appears to occur exclusively in a particular area of the basement, the installation of an isolated sump pump pit surrounded by gravel may alleviate the problem. The materials needed to complete this task include pipes, fittings, a sump pump, cement, and gravel. The materials will cost around two hundred dollars, significantly cheaper than what would be required to redo the complete basement. A professional contractor can be paid to perform the job and it will probably cost less than $500.

Installing the isolated pit is much less risky than tackling the entire basement floor especially for the inexperienced novice. The entire endeavor, regardless of the type of pit installed, is a very serious project and if the homeowner is not confident in their skills or knowledge, it is a project best handled by a professional. The cost of labor is only within a few hundred dollars more than the materials and that investment can save thousands of dollars in potential damage.

Submersible Sump Pumps – When You Should Use Them

The saying is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and the same principle can be applied to the threat of basement flooding. Houses situated at the base of hills and on flat terrain are commonly susceptible to basement flooding. On flat terrain, melted snow and rain has nowhere to flow except into the soil which causes ground saturation. This increases the pressure exerted on the structure’s foundation resulting in cracks through which water enters and causes the basement to flood.

The most effective protection against flooding in the basement is the installation of a submersible type sump pump. Because most water enters the basement at the lowest point, submersible pumps can start working on water removal before the basement floor even becomes wet. Submersible pumps are placed below the level of the basement floor and can therefore detect water seepage at the earliest possible opportunity.

There are basically two styles of basement sump pumps available for purchase:

• Pedestal Style Sump Pump: This type stands above the waterline with the motor elevated because it is not designed for exposure to water. The pump is activated by the floater which signals the power to be turned on once the water attains a certain level. The pump removes water from the basement once powered on. Although less expensive than the submersible type, the pedestal pumps are considered to be noisy in comparison.
• Submersible Style Sump Pump: This kind of pump is placed below the floor level and operates underwater in the event of water accumulation. The activation function is essentially the same as the pedestal with a floater sensor. This type is the most popular and widely used because of its quiet operation and safety features. The motor is more securely sealed and protected by a cover for the pump which keeps out debris and dirt.

Pump Maintenance

Sump pumps, like any other home appliance, require routine maintenance. The necessity of a properly operating pump is such that many people opt to pay for professional service to maintain or repair the submersible style sump pump. Failure to regularly examine and check the operation of the pump can result in disaster should heavy rains catch the homeowner off guard. The worst time to repair a sump pump is at the moment it is needed. These submersible style sump pumps usually come with instruction manuals suggesting ways to care for the pump and keep the security of your basement at peak level.

Because it is such an important piece of equipment, most people hire professional contractors to ensure the proper function of the submersible style pump. The majority find the peace of mind a professional’s attention provides worth the additional cost. However, not all pump maintenance requires a professional level of expertise or even much mechanical inclination. Annual cleanings are easy for the layman to perform and the pump should be visibly examined, especially when harsh weather is forecasted, to be sure there is no debris or blockages that may hinder performance. The pump should be manually turned on to test it periodically.

Choosing to invest in the installation of a submersible style sump pump can prove a smart decision in the face of costly water damage basements that can sustain without one.

Using a Pedestal Sump Pump – Pros and Cons

A basement sump pump is made to pump water from the basement in which water has accumulated. The pedestal style sump pump design places it above the basement water line. When water accumulates to a certain level, the sensor within the pump automatically turns the power on and the pump starts to remove water from the outside of the structure. Sump pumps are necessary to prevent flooding and water damage to both the contents and structure of the basement. There are two basic kinds of pumps: submersible and pedestal. They serve the same function but have different designs.

While it prevents flooding, the basement sump pump protects the home and occupants from the health hazards that can result from collected moisture breeding bacteria and mold. Additionally, by preventing water from accumulating and sitting, the pedestal style sump pump helps to protect the structural integrity of the foundation by making it possible to avoid cracks which can be caused by the water. Sitting water can also damage important belongings that are stored in the basement as well as appliances such as washers, dryers, furnaces, and hot water heaters.

A drawback of the pedestal style pump is that it makes more noise than the pump designed for submersion which makes it the least popular between the two types. However, if the noise of the pedestal style is not a deterrent, the homeowner will benefit from the comparatively lower price than that of the submersible pump. Many people find a more cost-effective model to be a better investment because of its frequent use and are therefore motivated to purchase it more often.

An additional benefit that the pedestal style pump has over the submersible pump is its ease of maintenance. Standing above the established water line makes it easier to affect maintenance and repairs to the pedestal style pump. The submersible pump is less accessible and consumes more time and energy to fix when in need of repair and to maintain. Routine maintenance is required to ensure proper operation of either style of the pump so this may be a major consideration when making the purchase decision.

The cost and ease of maintenance and repair of the pedestal pump can be a major consideration when shopping through available sump pump models. Regardless of the type preferred, the sump pump installation in the home is essential for the safety of the people residing in the structure and the security of the home.

Water Powered Sump Pump – A Buyer’s Guide

The basement of the house now serves many purposes. No longer solely designated as the storage catch-all, many people have turned the basement into a place of entertainment, relaxation, and family enjoyment. To enhance the usefulness of these basement-rooms, families install home theater equipment, various electronics, and cherished toys and hobby equipment. One downfall of utilizing the basement in these ways is that the majority of homeowners’ insurance coverage does not include flooding as a part of the policy. This means that if that comfy basement floods, all of those expensive and cherished belongings are lost or damaged with no insurance to replace them. The possibility of losing much more than old strollers and bicycles has made many people decide to install sump pumps powered by water as a backup to their existing sump pump.

Sump pumps powered by water remove the water from the basement by forcing publicly supplied water through an ejector to decrease the pressure of the water flow coming in which causes it to be drawn from the pit and outside. It is an effective process serving a useful purpose.

There are many reasons for the basement's main sump pump failure. Unfortunately, the problem may not be exposed until the pump is needed to clear a flooded basement. One reason for the pump to fail is that severe weather while causing flood conditions, can cause a power outage that renders most sump pumps inoperable. Other electrical interruptions such as tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses can cut the power supply to the pump. Sump pumps also can be blocked by rocks, debris, or dirt. The main pump could also be knocked out by overwhelming amounts of water collecting in the pump pit. These issues may not even be discovered until the pump and the basement are covered by ankle-deep water.

These are the types of incidents in which a backup pump powered by water would save the basement and its contents. A sump pump powered by water has no need for batteries or electricity. It doesn’t even have any moving parts that can jam. As long as the water is still being supplied by the municipality, a water-powered pump will still remove excess water from the basement.

The most significant drawback to the pump powered by water is the additional cost in water consumption when it has to run for a long period of time. This aspect of its operation can make it be less cost-efficient. However, it must be weighed against the fact that it will only be activated in the event of the main sump pump failure. In which case, the damage the water-powered pump prevents probably will outweigh the additional water consumption charges.

Installation of a sump pump powered by water can be accomplished with a minimum of plumbing knowledge and few tools. As with most critical household projects, proper installation is best ensured by the hiring of a professional contractor experienced in the process. Unless the homeowner is experienced in the field of plumbing, it is recommended that a professional contractor or plumber install and have a test run of the water-powered pump.

With the recent instances of unusually severe weather conditions all over the world, it is a logical decision to ensure the safety of the home and belongings with a backup pump powered by water. It can be viewed as additional insurance against loss and damage. In addition to providing security against the loss of property caused by flooding, the pump powered by water helps protect the occupants of the home from the hazards of mildew and mold growing in the basement in the wake of a flood.