In our last post, we covered which pumps make the best well pumps. We are going to continue this series and give some insight on which water pump works best as a sump pump.
Sump pumps are usually used for one purpose: pumping water out of your basement. For sump pump use, there are three basic kinds of pumps: self-priming centrifugal pumps, submersible pumps, and vertical sump pumps.
A self-priming pump is a centrifugal pump in a casing which contains enough water to prime the pump. It looks like a grossly oversized snail trying to climb out of an aquarium. They are very efficient and have very few movable parts. Their main strength is that they are simple, inexpensive to run, and have very low maintenance. The disadvantage is that if a basement floods faster than the pump can work, the water reaches the motor, and the pump no longer works.
A submersible pump is a pump with a sealed motor which is close-coupled to the pump. This allows the pump to be totally submerged, which allows it to push water up and out of the basement. Submersible pumps are also very efficient, but the disadvantage is that if the seal breaks, the pump is already submerged, and water gets into the motor. Luckily, this doesn’t happen a lot, and almost never until the pump gets old.
A vertical sump pump is made only for sump pump usage. It is sometimes called a pedestal sump pump. The motor is mounted above the pump, on top of a long, vertical shaft. The impeller is in the bottom of the pump, and pumps water through a volute casing, and up a discharge pipe. The vertical pump is quite safe, but you will hear the noise because it is above water. Vertical sump pumps often have a lower initial investment than other sump pumps, but they are the noisiest.
So, which one is right for you? A lot depends on whether you have more horizontal or vertical space. All are efficient, but the submersible pump makes the least noise. This is probably going to come down to personal preference for most.
Pump Solutions Australasia has experienced professionals who will be happy to help you find the right pump for your home. For more information, please check out our website.