Asked by: Raghu Waxin
home and garden home appliances

What horsepower sump pump do I need?

Last Updated: 3rd May, 2020

22
For most average-sized homes in areas with average water tables, a 1/3 HP sump pump should be sufficient. Typically, 1/3 HP pumps can handle 7' – 10' vertical lifts from the sump pit if they have one 90-degree elbow and a horizontal pipe run between 3 feet and 25 feet.

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Hereof, how do I know what size sump pump I need?

How to calculate the sump pump capacity you need

  1. A sump pit receives 20" of water in 1 minute, or approximately 20 gallons.
  2. Multiply: 20 gallons x 60 minutes x 1.5 = 1800 Gallons per Hour (GPH) capacity needed.

can you fully submerge a sump pump? It becomes activated by the float that is mounted on the side of the pedestal. The pedestal's motor isn't sealed and therefore can't be completely submerged. It can short out the motor, as well as create a shock risk in standing water. Sump pumps were designed to be submerged in water.

Hereof, how high can a sump pump lift water?

Then, you have to measure the needed lift – how high has the pump deliver the water from the bottom of the sump pit. A pump can remove much more water at a 5-ft "head pressure" (lift) than if has to pump 10 feet high.

What type of sump pump is better?

Submersible – A submersible type sump pump is installed in a sump pit and is designed to function underwater. Submersible pumps are usually more expensive, but have a longer lifespan than pedestal sump pumps. A submersible sump pump is also quieter and is hidden inside the sump basin, providing a cleaner appearance.

Related Question Answers

Ostap Bookholdt

Professional

How long do sump pumps last on average?

about 10 years

Luke Reichenbaum

Professional

How far from house should sump pump discharge?

Look Outside!
It is important to keep the discharge point of your sump pump as far from your foundation as possible. The minimum distance should be 10 feet. Most discharge pipes have a flexible hose tightly attached to the pipe coming from the basement.

Radka Chikishev

Professional

Do I need a 1/3 or 1/2 HP sump pump?

If you live in an average-sized home with an above-average water table, you will most likely need a 1/2 HP sump pump. These pumps will generally pump about 35%-40% more than their 1/3 HP counterparts, and can also handle higher vertical lifts for water being pumped through your discharge pipe.

Pancho Acafroo

Explainer

Where do you drill holes in a sump pump basin?

Some contractors drill holes in the bottom of the sump basin and around the sides to allow excess water to enter and prevent the basin from floating up. If you choose to drill holes in the basin, make sure the holes are smaller than the "solids handling rating" of the pump (generally 1/4 in. to 1/2 in.

Mengmeng Cellier

Explainer

Can a sump pump be too powerful?

Another top-quality sump pump system is made by Glentronics and produced as their Pro Series pumps. However, the opposite is true as well in that, if the pump is too powerful, the motor will short cycle and never achieve equilibrium thus burning out just as quick.

Celena Pluas

Explainer

What is the best sump pump to buy?

The 10 Best Sump Pumps
  1. WAYNE CDU980E Sump Pump – Best Overall.
  2. Superior 91250 Sump Pump – Best Value.
  3. Wayne WSS30VN Sump Pump – Best Battery Back-Up.
  4. Liberty 1/3 HP Submersible Sump Pump.
  5. WaterAce Pedestal Sump Pump.
  6. Zoeller M53 Submersible Sump Pump.
  7. WAYNE WaterBUG Sump-Pump.
  8. DEKO Submersible Sump Pump.

Chahrazed Pitsch

Pundit

How many amps does a 3/4 HP sump pump draw?

3/4 are rated around 12 amps.

Chadwick Otradnov

Pundit

Should there be water in my sump pump pit?

2 Answers. The water should not be that high in the sump. It should be down to around the 2-3" level inside. First, find the float switch which should turn your pump on when the water gets deep enough (it should be a ball floating in the water somewhere, maybe under the drain pipes).

Patrina Geanta

Pundit

How often should my sump pump run during rain?

A water table that is high can damage the slab even if the basement remains dry, so you may just need the sump pump to run every 8 minutes during your wet season, but if the above is true you are at least safe in a power outage. At least until somebody does something that alters the drainage.

Cataisa Pachay

Pundit

Can a sump pump pump water uphill?

Well it's easier to pump uphill than it is to pull uphill. That being said it stands to reason that a sump pump's sole purpose in life is to raise water from where it's collected and lift it off to the second floor or higher to at lease street level.

Demelsa Liciaga

Pundit

Does a sump pit need to be vented?

ANSWER: Having a properly sealed sump pit in your newer home is important for a couple of reasons. In fact, if you have a properly sealed sump, there should be no need to vent any gasses to the exterior of the home, as they should remain in the pit, and may even partially vent to the outside once the pump comes on.

Arminda Hilder

Teacher

What is the cost to replace a sump pump?

Sump Pump Cost
Sump pump installation costs $1,011 on average with most homeowners spending between $490 and $1,170. If a sump pump and pipework are already in place, you can expect to pay about $490 for replacement, or $280 if you do the project yourself.

Chengjun Prasata

Teacher

Why do I have 2 sump pumps?

You could set both sump pumps at the bottom of your sump pit basin, but that would mean that both pumps would run at the same time. The 2nd pump will only have to work in the scenario that your primary pump fails or can't keep up with the water that enters your sump pit basin.

Rubel Guidet

Teacher

When should sump pump turn on?

Fill a five-gallon bucket with water and pour it slowly around the sump pump. The pump should kick on once the water level reaches a predetermined level below the basement floor.

Wasima Lazarraga

Reviewer

How high can a pump push water?

In other words, there is enough pressure from the air around us to push water up a tube by 10.3 meters, as long as there isn't any air pushing down within the tube itself (aka vacuum.) However, there is almost no limit to the height you can pump water using positive pressure.

Stanimira Tamborero

Reviewer

Should I unplug my sump pump in the winter?

The reason that you should never unplug your sump pump is that water can drain into the sump pit at any time, even in the dead of winter. Even if the ground is snow covered and is frozen a metre of so below the surface, it may not be near the footing or bottom part of the foundation.

Olexiy Garciarena

Reviewer

How long should sump pump run after rain?

It is normal for a sump pump to run frequently in the spring as the snow melts, or after a heavy rain. However running "non stop for 4 days straight" is an extreme case.

Janean Bhattacharya

Supporter

Should a sump pump sit on gravel?

Most sump pumps use this basic design. They sit on a bed of gravel or rocks at the bottom of sump pump pit. Some water will always sit in this pit, but when the water level gets to a designed threshold, your sump pump springs into action, and pumps the water out away from your house, keeping your basement dry!

Fawzia Keunecke

Supporter

Do walkout basements need sump pumps?

Walkout basement, and a floordrain in basement (gravity fed sewer leading to septic). However, there is no sump pump.

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