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Liberty Pumps 287 1/2 HP 280-Series Sump Pump Review: Fast, Reliable, Compact, and a VFM Switch for $200

When it comes to sump pumps, we’ve reviewed enough to agree with the maxim that you generally get what you pay for. For example, a Zoeller M267 isn’t cheap, but it’ll give you faster water removal and longer service than virtually any other AC pump on the market. However, there’s a bit more to think about if you’re on a tighter budget. What’s going to power your sump pump? How reliable does it need to be? And of course, how much can you spend?

If you’re looking for a reliable sump pump, the first decision you’ll need to make will be whether to go with an AC-powered or water-powered pump. If you want a water-powered pump due to living in an area with frequent power outages, the best on the market is the Basepump CB1500.  If you want a an AC-powered pump, there’s nothing faster or more reliable than the Zoeller M267. However, if you’re on a smaller budget, such as around the $200 mark, you’ll probably be looking more at pumps along the line of the Zoeller M63, Zoeller M57, or Wayne CDU1000. Today we’ll take a look at another $200-class backup sump pump that potentially offers decades of value: the Liberty Pumps 287 Automatic Submersible Sump Pump with VMF Switch. It’s not the fastest AC-powered pump in its price range, but it’s probably going to be the most reliable, which counts for something. We think it’s a great deal; read on for details, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Liberty Pumps 287 Sump Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Liberty Pumps 287 sump pump is an automatic submersible sump and effluent pump. It’s driven by a 1/2 horsepower thermally protected electric motor and can pump up to 4,020 gallons per hour; it comes with a 3 year warranty. It is 10 inches in diameter and 14 inches tall; it is housed in cast iron and weighs 19.5 pounds on our scale.

No battery backup is included with the Liberty Pumps 287. It is capable of handling up to 3/4″ solids and can handle liquids at up to 140F. The thermal overload temperature of the motor is 221F. The motor runs on 115 volts and 8 amps at full load. It includes a quick-connect 10 foot power cord. The float switch is a vertical magnetic float (VMF); it is non-adjustable and turns on at 9-1/2 inches and shuts off at 4 inches. The discharge is a 1-1/2 inch NPT and the sump pump is rated for installations in sump pits down to 10 inches in diameter.

Water removal peaks at 4,020 GPH at 0 feet, dropping to 3,360 GPH at 10 feet, 2,520 GPH at 20 feet, 1,350 GPH at 30 feet, and with shut-off and max-head occurring at 37 feet.

How Does the Liberty Pumps 287 Compare to the Zoeller M98, Zoeller M63, and Wayne CDU1000 Sump Pumps?

Perhaps the most unique element of the Liberty Pumps 287 is the magnetically-operated vertical float VMF switch. Unlike the typical mechanical float switch found in Zoeller and Wayne designs (e.g., a switch set into motion by a float, rod, and arm assembly), the Liberty 2xx series typically makes use of a magnetic/reed switch set into motion through a motor rod and float assembly. In plain English, this means the magnetic/reed design is less prone to failure than the mechanical design since the reed switch in the switch housing doesn’t need a rubber gasket installed to keep the switch arm sealed. Getting rid of the need for the rubber seal means the switch can’t fail due to water intrusion or this particular kind of mechanical failure. To put it more simply, there’s a good chance you’ll get at least as much life–if not more–out of this Liberty Pump as you would from any Zoeller or Wayne sump pump.

Aside from the difference in float switch design, the Liberty Pumps 287 is simply faster than most pumps on the market while offering a greater maximum pumping height than almost any other sump pump available. The Zoeller M57 tops out at 2,580 GPH and shuts off at 19 feet. The Zoeller M63 increases the shut-off height to 20 feet but is no faster than the M57. The Zoeller M98 tops out at 4,320 GPH and shuts off at 23 feet, but has reliability issues. The Wayne CDU1000  tops out at 5,400 GPH but shuts off at 22 feet. Even the mighty Zoeller M267, which can pump up to 7,680 gallons per hour, shuts off at 21 feet. If you need to move water a great distance vertically, the only pumps we’ve found under $500 capable of moving water higher are the Tsurumi LSC, which shuts off at 40 feet, and the Liberty Pumps 297, which shuts off at 48 feet. However, unlike the Liberty Pumps 287 or 297, the Tsurumi isn’t automatic.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Liberty Pumps 287 Sump Pump

Installation is straightforward; you essentially drop the pump in the pit, connect it to the discharge pipe, set the float, and plug it in. The main thing to remember is that you don’t want to let the pump run dry; even though a thermal overload is included to protect the motor, it’s not something you want to test any more than necessary.

Once installed, you can expect more than a decade of trouble-free use from the 287 as long as you remember to check the float switch from time to time. That said, it’s always a good idea to have a backup pump set up whenever you’re depending on a sump pump to protect something you value (e.g., a dry basement). In day to day operation, it’s a very quiet sump pump and a rather attractive one. We’re also happy to note it’s capable of grinding solids in the pit, making it a good choice for locations with contaminants in groundwater.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Liberty Pumps 287 Working Sooner

No matter how reliable an AC sump pump may be (and the Liberty Pumps 287 is one of the best), we’d never recommend having just one sump pump installed in a home; redundancy is key. It doesn’t matter whether you choose a water-based backup pump like the Liberty Pumps SJ10 or a DC backup like the Wayne WSM3300 (or a budget backup like the Wayne ESP25), you’ll want something to help you if you suffer a power outage during a flood or thunderstorm.

Of course, whatever you get, make sure you install the float switch on the backup above that of the 287 so the 287 activates first while the backup only activates if the 287 doesn’t (or can’t keep up with the water rise). And as with any main sump pump, we also recommend installing a water alarm alongside it. This should be installed above your backup float switch (if you have one) in order to alert you if every water-draining recourse is failing to keep up with rising waters. We recommend the Basement Watchdog. If you’ve got a main pump, a backup pump, and a water alarm, you should have very low odds of ever needing to deal with a basement that floods when it rains.

Liberty Pumps 287 Sump Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, the Liberty Pumps 287 is quite possibly the best combination of speed, reliability, and portability you’re going to find in an AC-powered sump pump at the $200 mark. If you’re looking for a compact, cast-iron sump pump with an incredible max height that pumps at a good speed while offering superior reliability without costing as much as a mortgage payment, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything better than the Liberty Pumps 287. It’s not the fastest pump on the market, but with the advantages it offers, it certainly doesn’t need to be, and it’s more than fast enough to meet most homeowners’ and landlords’ needs.

You can buy the Liberty Pumps 287 here on Amazon. You can buy the Zoeller M267 here. You can buy the Liberty Pumps SJ10 here. You can buy the Wayne WSM3300 here or buy the Wayne ESP25 here. You can buy a water alarm here. You can buy a silent check valve here.

If you find our work at PumpThatSump helpful, you can put our relentless reviewing of every pump and fixture on the market to the test by shopping via our links above for whatever you need to make your house a home. Despite being self-employed, we promise not to spend it all on health insurance.

Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet Water Powered Backup Sump Review: Battery-Free Basement Protection

Whether you’re a homeowner or a landlord, if your home has a basement in an area with flooding, it needs a sump pump. There are a number of good AC models available, such as the Zoeller M267. But you don’t just need a sump pump, unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where the power never goes out and your sump pump never stops working. For the rest of us, a backup sump pump is just as important as the main pump itself.

Many people choose a DC backup sump pump, and there are a number of models that work well, such as the Wayne WSM3300. However, if you don’t want to deal with maintaining a deep cycle battery or if you have a high water table or frequent flooding, you might be better served with a backup sump pump that doesn’t need electricity at all. A water-based sump pump gets rid of battery drama; as long as you have water pressure from your local municipality, you’ll be able to keep your basement dry–in theory, at least.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at one of the best budget water-based sump pumps on the market, the Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet Water Powered Back-Up Pump. It’s a solid and popular pump among families and investors interested in basement flood prevention. Our full review is below, but if you’re wondering whether we think it’s worth it, we do, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet (60 Second Summary)

The Liberty Pumps SJ10 is a water-powered backup sump pump. The pump does not require electricity or batteries, but runs through water pressure from a municipal water supply. It requires a constant, uninterrupted water source to work. Its maximum water flow rate is 1,188 gallons per hour (19.8 gallons per minute) and it comes with a 3 year warranty from Liberty Pumps. It is 21.6 inches tall, 5.1 inches wide, and 14.5 inches deep, and weighs 6 pounds.

The SJ10 features a 1-1/2″ discharge and includes a 3/4″ NPT water inlet connection to receive water from a municipal water system. It can accept an inlet supply pressure between 20 PSI and 100 PSI, and will remove 2 gallons of sump water per gallon received. The full technical specifications are here.

Because it is a water-powered sump pump, its pumping performance will increase and decrease with the water pressure at the inlet as well as with the pumping head. Sump pump water removal at 20 PSI tops out at 11 GPM (660 GPH) with a max head of 13 feet. At 40 PSI, the max pressure is 16 GPM (960 GPH) with a max head of 25 feet. At 60 PSI, the max pressure is 19.8 GPM (1,188 GPH) with a max head of 39 feet.

How Does the Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet Compare to the Wayne WSM3300 and ESP25?

Compared to the Wayne WSM3300, the biggest differences between it and the SJ10 SumpJet involve functionality. The WSM3300 requires a deep cycle battery to work as well as an AC supply to charge the battery from time to time while the SJ10 never requires batteries or an AC connection. On the other hand, the SJ10 does require a connection to a working municipal water supply, while the WSM3300 does not. The WSM3300 is also a smart sump pump and includes a range of self-monitoring and communicative abilities. The SJ10 does not, although there is an enhanced version available with smart features–the SJ10A-Eye.

Beyond the power supplies and communicative differences, there are also differences in pumping efficiency to be aware of. The WSM3300 can move water much more quickly than the SJ10 (3,300 GPH vs 1,188 GPH), but the max pumping height of the SJ10 can be up to 2x as large depending on main water pressure (39 feet vs 20 feet).

Compared to the ESP25, the battery-vs-municipal water power source is the biggest difference, as the ESP25 doesn’t include smart features. The pumping speed differences are the same.

In general, the biggest difference to keep in mind between a water-based pump and a battery-based pump is that a water-based pump offers the security of not relying on the electricity to come back within a few days the way a battery-based pump does. To put it simply, if you lose power for more than around 3-4 days, your battery-based pump will be as dead as your AC-based pump unless you have a charged deep cycle battery ready to swap into the pump, because the main deep cycle battery keeping the pump going will only run for a few days of intermittent use before dying. This isn’t an issue with a water-based pump; as long as you have city water pressure, you’ll be able to keep your basement dry. This alone makes it worth considering over a battery-based pump if you live somewhere with frequent power outages or if you leave your home unoccupied (due to work travel or vacations) for days or weeks at a time.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet

Installing the SJ10 was a snap; it comes fully assembled and the manual is rather easy to follow. Instead of using PVC and copper water lines, you might want to consider SharkBite push-to-connect fittings as well as PEX tubing, since they make the job faster. If you’re okay soldering, though, you’ll save a lot of money by soldering copper fittings; it depends on whether you want to save money or time. The basic procedure is to connect the horizontal inlet to your municipal water supply (which powers the pump), the vertical inlet to your sump basin inlet tubing (which brings in the water that fills your sump basin), and the horizontal outlet to your sump ejection line (which carries water out of your basement and home).

When properly installed, you should be able to get a decade out of one of these pumps without much trouble; they have fewer moving parts than battery-based pumps (no external float switches to worry about), which makes them more likely to stand up to the long haul.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet Working Sooner

As noted above, while you can install the SJ10 with copper, PVC, and some soldering, you’ll have a much easier time if you spend some money on some SharkBite fittings and PEX tubing. You’ll need enough feet of PEX 3/4″ flexible line or copper tubing to bring water from your main line to the pump, keeping in mind that if you have a smaller size line (e.g., 1/2″), you’ll need a smaller PEX or copper tubing. Similarly, you’ll need a way to remove water, which is where you’ll either need 1-1/2″ PVC tubing or an equivalent discharge or garden hose.

The manual recommends a 3/4″ water line so enough water pressure will keep the pump going, but you’ll be fine with 1/2″ lines as long as you’ve got enough pressure. You want to make sure that you don’t have more than 100 PSI coming from your main water line or you can burst gaskets in the pump and create huge flooding issues. On the other end, you’ll want at least 20 PSI or there won’t be enough to drive the pump.You don’t need a check valve since one is already included, but if you’re interested in switching it out, we can recommend the Brady check valve, as it works well and is quiet.

Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

It’s hard to find any negatives about the SJ10 for its price. If you need a backup sump pump–and if you don’t have one, you need one–and don’t want to use a battery-powered backup system, this is one of the best budget water-based backup sump pumps currently on the market.

No, it doesn’t have smart features, although there is an upgraded equivalent you can buy to get such features (the SJ10A-Eye), but it will do a good job keeping your basement from flooding if your AC sump pump loses power, can’t keep up with rain or water levels, or simply stops working, and it will continue to work without ever needing any form of electricity. As long as you have water pressure, you’ll have a sump pump to make sure your basement stays dry. We recommend it heartily.

You can buy the Liberty Pumps SJ10 here on Amazon. You can buy the Liberty Pumps SJ10A-Eye here. You can buy the Wayne WSM3300 here on Amazon. You can buy PEX tubing here and SharkBite connectors here. You can buy a silent check valve here.

If you find our work at PumpThatSump helpful, you can support our relentless reviewing of every sump pump on the market by shopping via our Amazon link for whatever you need to make your house a home. Despite being self-employed, we promise not to spend it all on health insurance.