A Sump pump is an important component of any waterproofing system. Choosing the right pump then is equally as important, and there are a lot of them out there. You can’t really put every pump in the same category when it comes to performance and reliability. I hope this helps in making the right choice. The first thing that you need to determine is what size of pump is needed. In order to do this, you will need to figure out how high you need to pump the water. The higher you need to go, the more the pump needs to be stronger. Another factor is how much. If you need to evacuate a lot of water in a short time, the pump would again need to be stronger.
The type of switching mechanism is crucial to you maintaining reliability in your pump. I am not a big fan of the free-floating mercury switches that are on a flexible arm. These travel upwards as the water level rises in the sump pump basin. At an extended point, the trigger the pump to start a cycle. The problem that I have seen with these is that there is so much free travel of the switch that the switch often gets caught on something inside the basin. If this happens on the way up, then the pump will not kick on. If it happens on the way down, it won’t turn off and your pump will run until it burns up. I prefer a vertical traveling float that is guided by a rod to a mechanical switch. In my opinion, these are very reliable. How loud is it? The sound that your pump makes when activated is another factor to consider. I have replaced many sump pumps where the customer has called with concerns that the pump wasn’t working. As it turns out, the homeowners were used to hearing the loud noise that their old pump made every time it turned on. They didn’t realize that a sump pump could be extremely quiet and they never heard it turn on. They just assumed it wasn’t working. Your pump doesn’t have to sound like a train to be working. I would be happy to help you determine these factors when replacing or installing a new sump pump. Call me at 816-800-1574 Brad Bowers Certified Waterproofing Specialist