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Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Utility Pump Review: A Budget Backyard Drainer

When you’re dealing with a flooded basement or a high water table, you’re going to want a heavy duty sump pump to keep you high and dry, along with a  backup pump for water outages. A great example of a main sump pump is the Zoeller M267 while the Wayne ESP25 is a great DC backup system.

However, even if you’re set on a main and backup system, you’re still going to want a well-designed submersible utility pump in your tool kit. Trust us; we’ve seen it all. Water has a way of getting in, under, through, and around a hard-earned property. If you don’t take care of it fast, you can find yourself in a whole mess of trouble with property damage, clouds of mosquitoes that make going outside an exercise in punishment, toxic mold, and simply all kinds of other critters that will help themselves to a reliable source of water. Fortunately, you can cut your odds of rotting, floods, breeding insects, asthma-triggering mold, or other physical and medical issues by simply adding a strategically-placed utility pump to your kit. It’s also good for flushing tankless water heaters.

We can’t do much about inflation, but we’re happy to let you know that keeping water from your window wells and roof tops, boat covers and crawl-spaces, and sucking it out of your swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, and laundry tubs can be done without signing away your first born. We’ve looked at a few different submersible pumps over the years, including the Wayne EEAUP250 and the Wayne WWB WaterBug. Today we’re going to take a look at the Superior Pump 91250 1/4 HP Thermoplastic Submersible Utility Pump. It’s got a beast of a name but we’re happy to report that it’s a solid and affordable pump that can clear a decent amount of water with very little fuss. We give our full thoughts below, but if you just want to know if it’s worth buying and where to get it, your answers are yes, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Utility Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Superior Pump 91250 is a manual submersible utility pump, or an electric water removal pump. You can use it to do a lot of things, including drain pools or dry out flooded areas indoors or out. It’s fed by a 1/4 HP motor that can  pump up to 1,800 gallons of water per hour at zero feet. When immersed at 10 feet, the max flow rate drops to 1,200 gallons and drops again to 540 GPH at 20 feet. The maximum pumping height is 25 feet. It can remove water down to 1/8th of an inch in depth.

The 91250 is fully submersible and includes a couple of discharge hookup options; you have a standard 1-1/4 inch NPT discharge as well as a 3/4 inch garden hose adapter. Neither a garden hose nor a discharge hose are included, and there is only one discharge, and it comes out the top. You’re dealing with a manual pump, so you’re going to need to start and stop it on your own; there is no automatic on/off functionality. It’s also important to note that it is water cooled; if you use it to clear a pool and the pool runs dry, it’s going to temporarily overheat and need some rest to cool down. This is pretty standard among budget pumps, so don’t worry about that. The pump includes a suction screen at the base and will sit nicely over a standard 6-inch drain. It weighs just under 7 pounds, is 12 inches tall and 7 inches in diameter at the base, and comes with a 1 year warranty.

How Does the Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Compare to the Wayne WWB WaterBug, Wayne EEAUP250, and Zoeller 42-0007 N42 Utility Pumps?

Things we like about the Superior Pump 91250 compared to its competitors include the 1/4 HP motor, much as that in the EEAUP250 and a step above the 1/6 HP motors found in the Zoeller and in the WaterBug. It’s much faster than both the WaterBug, which tops out at 1,257 GPH, and the Zoeller, which is only half as fast at 900 GPH, but it is still beaten by far by the EEAUP250 which clocks in at 3,000 GPH. It’s also worth noting that while the Zoeller and WaterBug are manual pumps like the Superior Pump, the EEAUP250 is an automatic pump.

The max head is the second-best in the bunch, topping out at 25 feet. The only pump to exceed it here is the WaterBug, which can pump up to 30 feet in height. The Zoeller tops out at 19 feet and the EEAUP250 is the worst of the bunch at 15 feet. The relatively high max head figure means that you can install the Superior Pump in deeper water environments, such as in short wells or in deep sump pump pits; you’ll definitely be able to reach the bottom of any home or recreational swimming pool, and you’ll still be able to pump water. The minimum clearance depth at 1/8th of an inch is mid-range compared to its neighbors; the Zoeller is also 2/16th of an inch and the EEAUP250 falls behind at 6/16th of an inch but the WaterBug pulls ever so slightly ahead at 1/16th of an inch. A more noticeable difference where the WaterBug pulls ahead is in its inclusion of both vertical and horizontal discharge nozzles; this makes it significantly easier to route your draining hose away from the water source.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Utility Pump

Installation of the Superior Pump 91250 is pretty standard as far as manual submersible pumps goes and frankly speaking, about as easy as it gets in plumping: plug it in with the 10 foot power cord, connect it to a garden hose or other drain hose through the only available discharge outlet (the vertical one), and drop it (well, place it gently) into your flood zone.

We’re not a fan of 1 year warranties even at this price point; we feel companies who design tools for use in water need at least 2 years of warranty service standard. However, you’re likely to get up to 5 years of regular use from the Superior Pump as long as you remember to treat it the way you need to treat all manual submersible pumps: either you stay by it when it’s running and turn it off the moment it’s done with water or you spend a few extra bucks to connect it to an automatic float switch (we share recommendations below). When you lose a pump like this early, it’s almost always because you turned it on and walked away, which isn’t good for the motor. That said, this pump typically just turns itself off when it overheats, but you don’t want to make a habit of forcing the pump to self shutdown to protect itself.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Working Sooner

We don’t expect any issues out of the box with the Superior Pump, but the main issue, as we’ve noted above, that you’re likely to face when using it is its penchant to shut off when it overheats. This isn’t a bug; it’s a feature, and it’s a good one, because it’s designed to protect it from damage. If you want to get rid of the risk of premature heat damage while also eliminating the need to babysit your utility pump, you’ll want to buy and attach a utility or sump pump controller, which is an automatic float switch that can turn the pump on and off at predetermined water heights. They’re also known as piggy back switches or dual float switches. When properly installed, they quickly pay for themselves with the time you save no longer needing to turn on and off (or plug in and unplug) the 91250 multiple times a day. Here’s a good example of one you can use with the Superior.

Superior Pump 91250 Submersible Utility Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

Overall, we’re fans of the Superior Pump 91250. It’s cheap, it’s fast, it pumps deep and drains low. If you want to do much better in all of the above areas you’re going to need an industrial-grade utility pump. We wish it had a double nozzle setup to give us greater flexibility when installing it around the yard. Our main recommendation for an accessory would be to pair it with a utility or sump pump controller (an automatic float switch) to turn it into an automatic pump if you don’t want to need to be present whenever it’s running.

You can buy the Superior Pump 91250 here on Amazon. You can buy the Wayne WaterBug here. You can buy the Wayne EEAUP250 here. You can buy the Zoeller 42-007 here. You can buy a universal check valve kit here and a discharge hose kit with clamps here. You can buy a quality automatic float switch 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 through our links  for whatever you need to make your house a home. Despite being self-employed, we promise not to spend it all on health insurance.

Saniflo 023 Sanicompact Toilet and Built-In Macerator Review and Saniaccess 2 Comparison

If you’re remodeling your basement and want to add a half bathroom to it or renovate an existing one, you’re going to have your work cut out for you. Because a basement-level bathroom won’t be able to gravity-drain into your sewer line or soil stack, you’re either going to need to buy and install a sewage pump (which might be an ejector pump or a grinder pump, depending on your needs) or you’re going to need a macerating pump and toilet. A standalone sewage pump will be far more powerful and allow you to handle a greater amount of solids and wastewater than a macerating toilet, but you’re also going to spend much more money buying and installing it. And if you’re already spending several thousand dollars on a half or full bathroom, you’re probably not looking to spend more additional money than necessary.

A macerator pump, however, can be installed for much less in many cases, as you frequently won’t need to tear up concrete flooring the way you would with a sewage pump. This means a faster installation for you or your plumber and less money spent on the project. While you can buy a separate macerator pump and connect it to just about any toilet, we typically recommend buying it with a toilet kit to get rid of compatibility issues. We recently reviewed the Saniflo Saniaccess 2 Upflush Macerator Pump and Toilet as well as the Liberty Pumps Ascent II Macerating Toilet Kit, and preferred the Saniflo due to its greater reliability. Today we’ll review another Saniflo, the Saniflo 023 Sanicompact 48 One piece Toilet with Built-in Macerator. It’s basically a compact, tankless macerating toilet that works well in small spaces and for people with physical limitations or a desire to minimize water consumption. Our full review is below, and you can buy it here. Canadians can buy it here

Key Features of the Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet (60 Second Summary)

The Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet is, at its core, a toilet with a built-in miniature sewage grinder pump. Made for use in both residential environments requiring half bathrooms, it’s most frequently used to install toilets and sinks in below-grade settings like basements where gravity drains to sewer lines aren’t available. The system can pump sewage up to 9 feet vertically or up to 120 feet to a soil stack with a required gravity fall of 1/4 foot per horizontal foot. Saniflo explicitly notes it’s capable of handling wastewater effluent from both a toilet and a sink (i.e., a half bath). The system weighs 67 pounds and the macerator features a .3 horsepower, 110-115V, 60Hz 7.2 amp motor. The toilet is 18-1/2″ tall, 21-1/2″ long, and the toilet lid is 14-1/2″ wide.

The china toilet bowl has a macerator pump built into it and as a result doesn’t require a gravity flow tank; the flush and pump cycle occurs after pushing a button on the toilet bowl, and water is sent through the bowl while the macerator and pump handle waste and paper. There is a 10-15 second cycle for the motor before the bowl is refilled with fresh water. A dual flush feature is present via a dual push button to choose between 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) and 1 gpf. The macerator blades turn at 3,600 RPM and the discharge elbow behind the system can be rotated a full 360 degrees for installation compatibility. It includes a non-return valve to prevent backflow. The toilet does not require venting (connection to a vent stack) as it is a forced main; it’s important to note you might still need to vent additional fixtures if connected to the toilet.

Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet and Saniaccess 2, Liberty Pumps Ascent II Comparison

Compared to the Saniaccess 2 and Ascent II, the primary advantages of the Sanicompact are twofold: First, it’s far more compact, allowing for a cleaner installation in smaller spaces. Second, it doesn’t require venting, although any additional fixtures you install and connect to it (e.g., a shower, bath tub, or sink) might require venting.

Compared to the Ascent II, it’s doesn’t pump to as much head or as far horizontally, but it has much stronger reviews from clients and is likely to be the more reliable toilet over the long term, which means significantly less cost over time and significantly more peace of mind. Compared to the Saniaccess 2, it also has less head and less horizontal pumping power, but it has the advantage of being a lighter unit and one easier to use for individuals with physical limitations, as there isn’t a tank to avoid behind the toilet and the push button flush system is easier to manipulate than a typical flusher. It’s also more water efficient due to the dual flush option.

Our Long and Short Term Experiences Installing and Using the Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet

Installing the Sanicompact isn’t different from the installation of any other macerating toilet, and it’s definitely simpler than the work needed to install a sewage pump. The amount of time it takes will depend on your plumbing experience and pre-existing plumbing environment. If you have previous experience installing toilets and macerator pumps or sewage pumps, there won’t be any surprises. Otherwise, you might want to order the toilet and call in a professional, especially if you’re in a hurry to get it installed.

The basic installation steps are a bit simpler than those of most macerating toilets since the macerator is already connected and since there isn’t a venting requirement: connect the toilet to your water supply and connect the pump to your discharge line, plugging in the toilet with a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) circuit once you’ve bolted everything down.

The toilet itself can be installed in a range of areas, making it a convenient little toilet for individuals and families who’d like to put one in a loft or attic, a garage, an upper floor, the ground floor, or of course, a basement. When installing it, you might want to consider adding some insulation to the area (e.g., in the walls) since the macerator can a bit noisier than a normal toilet flush. However, most clients don’t seem to be bothered by the flush, so  this is primarily up to user preferences. A number of clients find it quieter than a normal toilet.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet Working Sooner

When the toilet arrives, once you’ve unpacked it and made sure that all components are present, double check the screws and hex clamps for tightness, as if they’re loose, which can occur from the overseas shipping (many units ship from France), the toilet can end up leaking whenever the pump starts (which is whenever you flush). Additionally, you’ll have an easier time with the toilet seat if you line it up the toilet seat pins ahead of time.

While not necessary for the installation, we’d highly suggest adding a ball valve to your 1″ water supply line as close to the toilet as you can; this will let you shut off water to the toilet without needing to shut it off to your home if you need to pull out the toilet or service it.

Beyond these tips, the biggest advantage of a good macerating toilet over a sewage pump is the fact that you probably won’t need to rip out a lot of concrete to get it installed. The unit has very few moving parts and isn’t likely to need maintenance throughout its lifetime. Perhaps the most significant thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to lean back on the toilet lid; because there’s no tank behind it, there’s nothing to support it, and it can break if you put too much pressure on it.

Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a compact macerating toilet, the Saniflo Sanicompact is one of the best on the market for under $1,000. It’s quiet, fast, efficient, and reliable while remaining relatively easy to install. It’s not going to be as cheap as a regular toilet, but if you need to add a toilet to your basement or are planning a half bath addition, you’re going to save a lot of money by installing a macerating toilet over a dedicated sewage pump. While a full sewage pump will give you much more power and the ability to handle an entire home or buliding’s worth of sewage,  if you can meet your needs with a macerating toilet instead, it’s worth considering. And between the Saniaccess 2 and the Sanicompact, we’d suggest the Sanicompact if you’re working with limited space and the Saniaccess 2 if you need a bit more pumping power.

You can buy the Saniflo Sanicompact Macerating Toilet here on Amazon. You can buy the Saniflo Saniaccess 2 Macerator Pump and Toilet here.

Canadians can buy the Saniflo Sanicompact 48 here on Amazon.

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.