Reviews

Best Water Powered Sump Pumps in 2022

January 9, 2022

Water powered sump pumps are awesome. It’s hard to believe that it’s possible to protect your basement from water damage with water. Yet, it does just that.

These pumps are great if you have light to moderate amount of water coming into your basement. They need less maintenance and can be so much more reliable than battery backup systems. When electricity goes out for days, you won’t have to worry since water supply is almost always available even during disasters.

In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about them. I’ll also show you the best water powered sump pumps available today. I’ve handpicked them based on their reliability, performance, and cost so you can rest assured that you have a dependable system. So, let’s get on with it.

Liberty SJ10	Basepump HB1000-Pro	Basepump RB750-EZ

Best Overall Pick	Best for Average Flooding	Best for Light Flooding
Clears out water efficiently	Powerful pumping capacity	Highly reliable for light volume
Great price point	Equipped with alarm	Equipped with alarm
Editor Rating: 4.7★	Editor Rating: 4.8★	Editor Rating: 4.6★
Check Availability on Amazon	Check Availability on Amazon	Check Availability on Amazon

What is a water powered backup sump pump?

The water driven sump pump uses city or municipal water pressure to evacuate water from a sump pit. It’s a backup pump that does not use any electricity but can move up to around 1200 gallons per hour on average. The pump can run for as long as you need during power outages or malfunctions since you don’t have to charge anything.

Also, while the battery powered backup sump pumps will need maintenance and replacement of the battery every couple of years, there’s no need to do so with this type of sump pumps. It’s not legal to use it as a primary sump pump but it’s a solid choice for a backup sump pump system.

Does a water powered sump pump really work?

It all depends on your water pressure. A simple test you can do is to fill up a 5-gallon bucket with water from a spigot outside of your home. If it fills up in less than 30 seconds, you probably have enough water pressure. To make a more accurate reading, you can use a pressure gauge or you can contact your plumber.

The best water powered sump pumps

1. Liberty SJ10

Best overall water powered sump pump

Liberty pumps has been one of the most trusted brand by plumbers and homeowners alike. Luckily, they also have a great product when it comes to water powered sump pumps — the Liberty SJ10, or more commonly known as the ‘SumpJet’. It’s probably the most well known water powered sump pump out there and for good reason.

The SumpJet has one of the best track record overall, keeping thousands of homes dry with its reliable operation for years. It has just the right capacity for most homes, moving up to 966 gph of water at 10 feet with the average residential water pressure. It’s affordable and very efficient when it comes to using water, keeping not just your home but also your budget safe.

The only problem I have with it is the design of the float switch. The rod that’s attached to the switch interferes when you try to close the sump pit cover so you won’t be able to seal the pit properly. This could be unsafe for pets and kids. But if that won’t be a problem, then you have yourself the best water powered sump pump there is.

2. Zoeller 540-005 FLEX

An awesome alternative

From Zoeller comes a water-powered pump that’s not only stronger than the SumpJet but also better designed. It doesn’t have the design flaw of the float switch which means a safer and dryer basement. It can pump more faster at 1200gph which is a pretty significant bump and could definitely make a difference. It also has great efficiency, pumping 2 parts of sump water with 1 part of city water. And on top of that, it’s also nicely priced.

The only caveat would be that it’s a relatively new product and therefore not as proven over the long run. But considering that it’s a Zoeller product, I’m willing to put my money on it.

3. Basepump HB1000-Pro

Best for average flooding

The Basepump HB1000 Pro water powered sump pump is a serious upgrade you should consider if you have more water coming into your basement. It can move from 900 to 1,400 gph, one of the highest pumping rates for residential applications. It’s the highest capacity water powered sump pump there is that’s well received by its users.

The catch with it is that compared to the first two, it’s quite expensive. And due to the higher capacity, it can get quite loud without installing a water hammer arrester. Its design, reliability, and performance however is top notch and the cons are drowned out every time you wake up in the morning at peace with your flood-free basement.

4. Basepump RB 750

Best for light flooding

If you have a smaller basement or a lighter amount of water coming into it, then the Basepump RB 750 would be a better choice for you. It’s packed with all the important features of the HB-1000 Pro like the water alarm and the but will pump less gallons of water per hour. For a water pressure of 40 to 90 psi it will move around 700 to 900 gph which should be perfect for a lot of homes.

The water alarm that comes with it is powered by a 9V battery and is capable of an 85 dB audible alarm. This model requires your faucet outside to be able to fill up a 5 gallon bucket with water in 40 seconds or less to make sure it works.

If you only have a small amount of flooding but wan’t the maximum protection that comes with Basepump water powered backup sump pumps, the Basepump RB 750 is worth checking out.

How does a water powered sump pump work?

When the main electric pump fails, the water level in the sump pit will go up and reach the float switch of the water driven pump. The switch triggers a valve at the water pump to open allowing the city water to enter an eductor. This eductor gradually constricts the city water turning it into a jet. The high speed of the jet creates a low pressure area around it which causes the water in the sump to be sucked up and discharged out of the house.

Because of the nature of how it works, all water powered sump pumps are required to have a backflow preventer to keep the sump water from flowing back and mixing with clean potable water. This affects the discharge output of the pump and also needs to be considered for every installation.

Why use it instead of a battery backup pump?

The main advantage of a water powered sump pump is its reliability. In most areas, water supply is almost always available compared to electricity, specially in times of disaster when power lines might get damaged and stay that way for days or weeks. It can also run indefinitely. Unlike battery powered pumps, you won’t have to rely on a battery that runs out of juice after a few hours. They’re also less prone to malfunctions since they’re not as complicated. Lastly, you won’t have batteries you’ll need to replace after a few years.