Wayne WSS30V Pre-Assembled Combination Sump Pump Review: The Best Battery Backup System Under $400

When we make house calls to replace sump pumps, one of the options we always recommend is that of a replacement sump pump with a battery backup system. It’s not strictly necessary for a home, but we’ve seen enough flooded basements with working sump pumps that stopped working during power outages to know what a difference it can make. A combination sump pump (a primary AC-powered unit a DC-powered backup unit) can save you tens of thousands of dollars in basement flood repair costs, particularly if you have a finished basement or valuables stored in an area dependent on your sump pump.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that when clients ask us whether or not we think the extra $200-odd dollars for a backup system is worth it, our answer is unequivocally yes. As a result, today we’re going to take a look at one of our favorite combination sump pump systems, the Wayne WSS30V Pre-Assembled Combination Sump Pump System. It’s essentially the pump and battery backup version of the Wayne CDU800, and at under $400, it’s the single best sump pump system on the market at that price. Our full review is below, but if you’re wondering whether it’s worth it, yes it is, we recommend it, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Wayne WSS30V Sump Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Wayne WSS30V is a pre-assembled primary and battery backup combination submersible sump pump system. The main sump pump is AC-powered and is the CDU800; the backup is DC-powered and is the ESP25. The main pump features a 1/2 horsepower motor while the backup features a 12 volt motor. The primary pump features a 4,200 gallon per hour maximum water flow rate (3,300 GPH in the backup), and a 5 year limited warranty . It’s just under 14″ tall, 14.4″ wide, and just under 14″ deep with a maximum pumping height of 22 feet and a switch-on/switch-off height of 4″ and 9″ respectively. The aforementioned pump switch is vertical.

The WSS30V draws 10 amps and is equipped with a battery backup, although the battery isn’t included; you’ll need a 12 volt deep cycle battery with either 40 amp hours or 75 amp hours. It weighs 24 pounds, and has a 9 foot-long power cord. Although the main discharge flow can reach 4,200 gallons per hour at 0 feet, it drops to 3,150 gallons per hour at 10 feet, 2,100 gallons per hour at 15 feet, and 500 gallons per hour at 20 feet. The backup discharge flow is 3,300 GPH at 0 feet, 2,300 GPH at 10 feet, 1,500 GPH at 15 feet, and is inoperative at 20 feet.

The working temperature spans 33-120 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s self-priming and housed in cast iron and stainless steel, and the sump pump outlet diameter is 1-1/2″ FPT. It’s designed to be used with sump pits (sump basins) at least 15 inches in diameter.

How Does the Wayne WSS30V Compare to the CDU800 Sump Pump?

As noted above, we reviewed the CDU800 recently, and the main difference between the WSS30V and the CDU800 is the fact that an additional 12 volt back-up pump (the ESP25) is attached to the CDU800 (with a battery you need to supply) that allows the combination sump pump system to run even if AC power is cut. You need a significantly larger sump pit diameter (15 inches vs 11 inches) to fit the sump pump. The warranty is increased from 3 years to 5 years, the power cord is lengthened from 8 feet to 9 feet, and the weight and dimensions of the combination sump pump also increase.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Wayne WSS30V Sump Pump

Overall, we had a seamless experience installing the WSS30V (keeping in mind, of course, that we do this for a living). Unlike Wayne’s typical AC pumps, the WSS30V is pre-assembled and preset to speed up the installation process; they describe it as drop-in, which is rather close to the truth. Check valves are included in the base of both pumps (the main AC and the backup DC unit), which means all you need to do is attach a battery, plug in the AC unit, and attach a main discharge pipe. The manual that comes with the unit isn’t actually written for the WSS30V, which means that a lot of what you read in it won’t apply to the WSS30V (for example, the fact that you won’t need to install the check valves and that you can simply plug and play the unit).

Once again, Wayne doesn’t disappoint with functionality or with noise management; despite having a pair of pumps connected to each other, the WSS30V is still one of the quietest sump pumps currently on the market. It makes sense when you consider that only one pump should ever be working at a time (the main pump under normal conditions and the DC pump during a loss of AC power); for most people, the sump pump will be effectively inaudible unless you’re right next to it, and even then, you’ll barely notice it’s on. The backup pump is just as quiet.

Overall, the 1/2 horsepower in the main unit is strong enough to keep most basements bone-dry and is sufficient for most tasks. We’ve seen this design going strong after 4 years, and we expect most buyers to get at least a decade out of this pump system without significant problems in the main or backup pumps (besides replacing the battery, which will need to be done every few years for optimal performance).

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Wayne WSS30V Working Sooner

Keep in mind that in order to have an effective backup system, you need to attach a 12 volt deep cycle battery to the sump pumps; otherwise, you’ll basically just have the CDU800, which, of course, only works as long as you have AC power. We recommend (and Wayne instructs) you stick with either a 40 or 75 amp battery; if you try to use a larger battery, you might not get it to fit in the battery box. You need a 27-frame sized battery.

Remember that the battery pump still needs support when handling the unit; if you only pick up the unit by the AC pump’s handle, you could break the flexible pipe fitting that connects it to the DC pump, leaving you with a broken connection at best and a damaged pump and battery at worst that you’ll need to replace.

If you have no plumbing experience, you might need an hour or two to install the system; the primary issue most people seem to have is fitting the unit into sump pits with 90 degree elbows. Your particular installation setup will of course depend on how your sump basin and piping is setup. Keep in mind that you’ll need at least a sump basin at least 15 inches wide to get the combination pump in.

Something else to keep in mind is that no battery terminals are connected to the unit; if you’ve got a marine or car battery you’d like to use, you’ll need a battery terminal set.

Wayne WSS30V Sump Pump’s Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, we’d be hard pressed to recommend another sump pump to any family without a battery backup. The peace of mind you can buy for only a couple hundred extra dollars is well worth the tens of thousands you can save the first time you lose power during a period of heavy rain. The WSS30V works well, is dead simple to install, comes with a nice long warranty, and is effective at keeping basements bone dry. We can’t think of a better sump pump system for under $400.

You can buy the Wayne WSS30V combination sump pump here on Amazon. You can buy a 75Ah backup pump battery here. You can buy a battery terminal set 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.

Wayne CDU800 Submersible Sump Pump Review: The Best Pump Under $150

We recently reviewed the Wayne CDU980E, which we’re convinced is the best sump pump under $200 currently on the market. However, if you don’t need 3/4 horsepower or are on a smaller budget, you might want to consider its slightly downscaled sibling, the Wayne CDU800. It goes by a lot of names, but you’re likely to see it referred to as the Wayne CDU800 1/2 HP Submersible Cast Iron and Steel Sump Pump With Integrated Vertical Float Switch. Whatever it’s called, it’s one of the best budget sump pumps out there, and we’ve yet to find a better sump pump consistently under the $150 price point. If you’re ready to buy it and just need a final confirmation that it’s a good deal, we’ll save you some time: it’s a good deal, and you can buy it here. For more details, keep reading.

Key Features of the Wayne CDU800 Sump Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Wayne CDU800 sump pump is a submersible sump pump with a 1/2 horsepower motor, a 4,200 gallon per hour maximum water flow rate, and a 3 year limited warranty. It’s 14″ tall, 10″ wide, and 10″ deep with a maximum pumping height of 22 feet and a switch-on/switch-off height of 4″ and 9″ respectively. The aforementioned pump switch is vertical. It draws 10 amps, doesn’t come with a battery backup, weighs 18.5 pounds, and has an 8 foot-long power cord. Although the discharge flow can reach 4,200 gallons per hour at 0 feet, it drops to 3,150 gallons per hour at 10 feet, 2,100 gallons per hour at 15 feet, and 500 gallons per hour at 20 feet. The working temperature spans 40-120 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s self-priming and housed in cast iron and stainless steel, and the sump pump outlet diameter is 1-1/2″ NPT. It’s designed to be used with sump pits (sump basins) at least 11-inches in diameter.

How Does the Wayne CDU800 Compare to the CDU980E Sump Pump?

Comparing the CDU800 and the CDU980E gives you the impression that Wayne first designed the CDU980E and then progressively removed features from all of its lower-priced siblings. Compared to the CDU980E, the horsepower is cut from 3/4 HP to 1/2 HP (2/4 HP), the max discharge flows are reduced at every step (e.g., from an absolute max of 4,600 GPH to 4,200 GPH), and the maximum pumping height drops from 26 to 22 feet. The high end working temperature also drops by 20 degrees from 140F to 120F. Essentially, the CDU800 is a less powerful machine. The warranty is the biggest difference in our books, however; the 5-year warranty on the CD980E is unfortunately chopped to 3-years in the CDU800, which makes us steadfastly recommend the CDU980E to anyone whose top priority is maximizing maintenance- and worry-free ownership. We’d estimate a 4-8 year lifespan for the 980E and a 3-7 year lifespan for the 800.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Wayne CDU800 Sump Pump

Installation only took us a few minutes (keeping in mind the fact that we do this for a living). At 1/2 horsepower, we find it’s a good match for homes in average draining conditions in our area (the Midwest), and a good upgrade to houses struggling with 1/3rd or (perish the thought) 1/4 horsepower sump pumps.

One of the most frequent questions we get from clients involves noise levels. It’s understandable, as having a noisy sump pump is both annoying (try watching a movie in the basement or even on the ground floor when you hear what sounds like a muffled bowling ball dropping every few minutes) and unnerving (see above reference to the muffled bowling ball). Fortunately, the CDU800 is a quiet machine; most of our clients let us know that it’s either completely unnoticeable or far quieter than any other sump pump they’ve ever had. We’d personally rank it as ever-so-slightly quieter than the CDU980E, which makes sense when you keep in mind the fact that it runs less water per minute. It’ll make your Flotec sound like a circus cannon, and it’ll put any pedestal pump to shame (submersible pumps are almost always inherently quieter).

Other than that, it’s hard to think about what else to say about the CDU800. It’s a reliable machine, and it’s a rather plug-and-play design. We’ve had a number of landlords personally thank us for choosing this model for their installations, as they’d been facing numerous tenant complaints due to the gunshot-like kicks of their existing sump pumps. We’re always happy to bring people’s plumbing needs into the 21st century; sump pumps have come a long way.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Wayne CDU800 Working Sooner

When installing the CDU800, you should be fine if you’ve installed a sump pump before or have access to someone who has; you basically drop it into the sump pump (not literally) and connect the power as well as a main discharge pipe. The check valve is already installed at the pump base. Keep in mind that the manual isn’t the most detailed, but it’s at least written in English and accurate enough. Just know that it’s generic enough to apply to pretty much every sump pump Wayne makes.

This might seem like a bit of obvious advice, but be prepared to cut and glue some PVC piping, depending on your particular existing sump pump configuration. Similarly, because the power cord is only 8 feet long, if you have a basement with only one outlet (which, naturally, will be located on the opposite end of the house from the sump pit), be prepared to need an extension cord. Remember that the CDU800 draws 10 amps.

Wayne CDU800 Sump Pump’s Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, while the CDU800 isn’t the best sump pump out there, or even the best on the market for less than $200 (that award easily goes to the CDU980E), it’s the best sump pump we’ve consistently found for under $150. The 3-year warranty is decent, its flow rates and horsepower are strong enough for small-to-medium-sized basements, and it’s essentially a scaled down version of one of our most frequently-turned to sump pumps. If you’re looking for an upgrade, we recommend the CDU980E. However, if volume is a priority and you don’t need a fantastic flow rate, it’s hard to go wrong with the CDU800.

You can buy the Wayne CDU800 sump pump here on Amazon. You can buy the Wayne CDU980E sump pump 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.

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