OT: Sump Pump For Basement.

[paindonthurt]

I'm looking for a sump pump for a basement.

Needs to be automatic so I can set it and forget it.
Need it to last at minimum 1 year but preferably longer.
Easy hook up preferred but I can do some electrical wiring.
Low maintenance.
Hooks up to a hose pipe as i don't want to run hard piping.

I don't mind spending a little money if its worth it.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Zoellers are good pumps. I think Lowe’s carries them.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

I did commercial concrete and foundation remediation for about 4 years in Dallas. In that time I did several sump pump projects, but one was the cat daddy. We had a 4 story apartment building in Las Colinas that sank about 4" because they built down into the water table in a drought year.

When we got in water was creeping up through the tile and by the time we punched through the concrete it was everywhere. The basement was about 6' under ground level and I put 42 piers under the stem walls and lifted one side about 2" to level.

We had a lot of water to move because the stem wall was acting as a dam almost and after lifting the water was really coming in. After running some calcs with a trash pump I figured out we ended up needing 3 sump pumps placed in corners that could each move up to 2000 gph.

Ended up going with a brand called Wayne with battery backup and WiFi notification if they go down to alert building maintenance. It was recommended by my pier supplier out of Missouri that has decades of basement/sump pump experience. I talked to one of the guys that worked on it a few months ago and he said all 3 pumps are still going strong after 4 years. They run 24/7 for 4-5 months out of the year and and then wind down until they don't run at all in the summer.

Really fun project to design, but a ***** to work in all that wet clay. Anywho. I did more research into sump pumps than most. Learned all about inches of water column, head (that's what she said,) friction loss in pipes etc. The brands that everyone recommended were Wayne, Zoeller, and Basement Watchdog. For all the other projects we just picked up whatever was available locally which was usually Zoeller or Wayne depending on the flow needed.

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[paindonthurt]

I’ll see if I can find a Wayne!

If it makes it 2 years I’ll be happier than dawg61 in the left lane.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Here you go pain. If you can wait for shipping, hard to beat the selection.

https://www.sumppumpsdirect.com/

 

[dawgman42]

So you're the one that did the McDonald's drywall in Las Colinas?

 

[paindonthurt]

This is the only Wayne I see with a battery backup.

https://www.sumppumpsdirect.com/Wayne-ESP25-Sump-Pump/p1171.html

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

No way, Jose did it.

That wall you see that looks like *** is actually concrete. If you are familiar with Las Colinas and the soil in that area can you imagine the engineering geniuses that signed off on building a basement in that garbage? The building sunk 4" in less than 2 years. Had a 20,000 SF commercial building in that was more like 11" in a similar time frame.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

ETA. That pump is a battery backup to a primary electric pump. If you want backup for when the power goes out its actually 2 pumps (a primary electric pump and a backup battery powered pump.) Since it sounds like you need a new primary pump anyway, go with what's called a combination pump.

Look under the combination pump section if you want battery backup. That's what I used (Mine were beasts because A it was big project and B money was no object.) The combo units have a primary electric pump and battery back up pump. 2 pumps. The basement watchdog systems are supposed to be very good if you want to go that route. Honestly all 3 (Wayne, Zoeller, and BW) are going to last you a long time. I had a Zoeller in my aerobic septic system that was 12 years old and ran like a pearl.

https://www.sumppumpsdirect.com/Basement-Watchdog-CITE-33-Sump-Pump/p109356.html

Without knowing your flow requirements, I would assume 1/3 HP is plenty. Simple system. Add a deep cycle battery and you can probably get in under $500 with battery backup. If you have a generator, you could also just go with and electric and an alarm. Plenty of ways to skin that cat.

We went complicated because building maintenance was not on sight and needed to be alerted and it could take hours for them to get out there. If you travel a lot (like to Eastern Europe) the battery backup is very comforting.

 

[dawgman42]

I worked in Las Colinas for 11 years (most recently in 2017). Felt weird "feeling" a 3.3 magnitude earthquake there once upon a time. Knowing how bad the clay "soil" is there, it might have improved our situation in a building with similar issues.

BTW, I started to picture you very clearly as
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[PooPopsBaldHead]

17n' a that's me brother. Just need to work on my flow a little more.

 

[paindonthurt]

Now that I think abt out. I don’t need a back up. My electricity is never going to be off long enough for it to matter.

Even if it’s off a week, shouldn’t matter. Haven’t had a pump there for years. Just want one now to get it dry and keep it somewhat dry.