Tag Archives: budget

Liberty Pumps 257 1/3 HP Sump Pump Review and Zoeller M63, M57, M53, Wayne CDU980E Comparisons

When shopping for a sump pump on a budget, it’s tempting to go with whatever’s on sale at the local box store. But if you want something you’re not going to have to return or replace within a few months to a year, it’s worth spending more on some quality construction and solid design. If you’ve got an unlimited budget,the best AC sump pump on the market is the Zoeller M267 while the best water-based pump is the Basepump CB1500. But if you’ve got less to spend and still want something reliable, what are your choices?

Among AC pumps under the $200 mark, some of the best sump pumps currently sold include the Wayne CDU980E, the Zoeller M63, Zoeller M57, and Zoeller M53. Any of these pumps can easily give a decade of reliability. However, if you’re looking for even more insurance against future maintenance and billable hours from your local plumber, you’ll also want to consider the Liberty Pumps 257 Automatic Submersible Sump Pump with VMF Switch. It’s the lower-end version of the Liberty Pumps 287 and delivers many of the same features for significantly less money. It’s also one of the most reliable sump pumps you can buy that runs on AC power. Let’s take a closer look at it below. If you’re ready to buy, you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Liberty Pumps 257 Sump Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Liberty Pumps 257 sump pump is an automatic submersible sump and effluent pump. It’s powered by a 1/3rd horsepower electric motor that runs at 115V, draws 5.2 amps, and is thermally protected. Capable of pumping up to 3,000 gallons per hour (50 US gallons per minute), it is made of cast iron and is backed by a 3 year warranty from Liberty Pumps. It is 9.6 inches in diameter, 10.5 inches tall, and weighs 20 pounds.

The 257 does not include a battery backup. It can handle solids up to 1/2 inch in diameter and liquids up to 140F. The motor includes a thermal overload protection that activates at 221F. It includes a quick-disconnect 10 foot power cord that allows the cord to be replaced without breaking motor seals. It features a vertical magnetic float switch (VMF); the switch is not adjustable and turns on at 7 inches and turns off at 3-1/2 inches. It includes a 1-1/2 inch NPT discharge and can be installed in sump pits as small as 10 inches in diameter.

Peak water removal is 3,000 GPH at 0 feet, dropping to 2,220 GPH at 10 feet, 840 GPH at 20 feet, 300 GPH at 22 feet, and shut off at max head at 23 feet.

How Does the Liberty Pumps 257 Compare to the Zoeller M63, Zoeller M57, Zoeller M53, and Wayne CDU980E Sump Pumps?

The most significant difference between the Liberty Pumps 257 and similarly-priced Zoeller and Wayne pumps like the M63, M57, M53, and CDU980E is the presence of a magnetically-operated vertical float VMF switch in the 257. Instead of the typical mechanical float switch most commonly found in electric sump pumps, the Liberty 2xx series uses a magnetic reed switch that’s less failure prone than a mechanical setup since no rubber gaskets are needed to keep the switch arm sealed. This eliminates a switch failure point due to water entry or general mechanical failure. What this means is that the 257 is probably the most reliable electricity-based sump pump you can buy under $200 today.

Beside the design difference, the Liberty Pumps 257 is competitive in its water removal abilities. The Zoeller M63 and M57 top out at 2,580 GPH and have shut off heights of 20 and 19 feet respectively, which are both bested by the 257 and its 3,000 GPH max pumping speed and 23 foot max pumping height. The Wayne CDU980E is faster at 4,600 GPH and has a higher max pumping height of 26 feet, but is at least partially constructed of plastic and not fully housed in cast iron like the the 257. Upgrading to the Liberty Pumps 287, which features a max pumping speed of 4,020 GPH and a max head of 37 feet would close the speed gap and eliminate the pumping height advantage of the CDU980E while continuing to offer the significant reliability boost of the magnetic float switch.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Liberty Pumps 257 Sump Pump

Installation was rather straightforward; you simply place the pump in your sump pit, hook it up to your discharge pipe, set your float, and plug it in. You don’t need to call a plumber to get it set up unless you don’t want to get your hands a bit wet, as long as you already have some PVC pipe handy and a day to work at your own pace. Keep in mind that the pump mustn’t be allowed to run dry; despite featuring a thermal overload, the motor will still have a significantly shorter lifespan if it’s only being cooled by forced shutdowns whenever it overheats.

Once you’ve got it installed, you can rest easy; it should give you more than a decade of problem-free use as long as you ensure the float switch is in good working condition from time to time. That said, we’d never recommend trusting any property you value to only one sump pump. We’ve got recommendations for effective and cheap backup solutions below. In day to day operation you’re probably not going to hear the 257; it’s a quiet pump and an effective one. The fact that it’s capable of grinding small solids also adds to its reliability, as it’s not going to go belly up the first time a bit of gravel from a contaminated groundwater source hits the impellers.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Liberty Pumps 257 Working Sooner

Even if you’ve got a reliable AC sump pump (and under $200, it’s hard to do better than the Liberty Pumps 257), you never want your property to depend on just one sump pump; redundancy is essential. You can choose a water-based backup like the Liberty Pumps SJ10 or a DC backup like the Wayne WSM3300 (or a budget backup like the Wayne ESP25), but whatever you get, make sure you get something to protect your basement.

Regardless of what you get, make sure you set up the backup float switch above the 257’s so the 257 activates first and the backup only starts running if the 257 isn’t keeping up with the water (or isn’t starting due to a power outage). Additionally, you’ll want a water alarm; you can install this above your backup float switch so you’ll know if every recourse fails and water starts rising to dangerous levels.We recommend the Basement Watchdog. Between a main pump, a backup pump, and a water alarm, your odds of needing to deal with a flooded basement should be very low.

Liberty Pumps 257 Sump Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, while the under $200 sump pump market is full of competition, we can easily say the Liberty Pumps 257 is one of the strongest contenders in the field. It’s compact, very fast, made from cast-iron, and features a far more reliable float switch design than the vast majority on the market at any price. Our main suggestions for improvement would be to upgrade to the Liberty Pumps 287 for a much greater max head and a higher pumping rate, and to add the Liberty Pumps SJ10 for a water-based backup pump to either the 257 or the 287. With a good main pump and a reliable backup, you can enjoy a dry basement for as long as you own your home.

You can buy the Liberty Pumps 257 here on Amazon. You can buy the Liberty Pumps 287 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.

Basepump RB 750 Water Powered Backup Sump Pump Review: The Best Budget Water-Based Pump Under $200

When it comes to keeping basements dry in flood-prone areas, the first step for most homeowners or landlords is to install a sump pump. There are a number of good AC pumps on the market, such as the Zoeller M267. However, unless you live somewhere without power outages and with a pump that will never ever fail, you’re also going to need some kind of backup sump pump.

If you’re interested in a DC backup sump pump, the choice is simple: the best one out there is the Wayne WSM3300. However, if you aren’t interested in charging and maintaining a deep cycle battery or if you deal with frequent flash floods, you might want to consider a backup sump pump that isn’t dependent on any kind of electricity. A water-based sump pump relies on nothing but water pressure from your city / suburb water company. It’s an elegant, inexpensive, and almost fool-proof solution.

The other day we reviewed one of the standout budget water-based backup sump pumps, the Liberty Pumps SJ10. Today we’ll take a look at the Basepump RB 750 Water Powered Backup Sump Pump. It’s affordable, it’s effective, and it’s worth buying if you’re looking for a battery-free pump solution. You can read our full review below, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Basepump RB 750 (60 Second Summary)

The Basepump RB 750 is a water-based backup sump pump. It does not need batteries or AC power, but does require a constant source of water pressure from a municipal power supply to work. Its maximum water removal rate is 900 gallons per hour and it includes a 5 year limited warranty from Basepump. It is 11 inches long, 6 inches tall, and 4 inches wide while weighing 5 pounds.

The RB 750 features a 3/4 inch water intake connection, although it can be adapted to a 1/2 or 1 inch inlet; the discharge is 1-1/2 inches, and the inlet supply pressure can range between 40 PSI and 90 PSI, with 90 PSI as the limit. It will remove 2 gallons of sump water for every gallon of city water pumped.

Because the RB 750 is water powered, its pumping performance will vary based on inlet water pressure as well as on the pumping head. At 40 PSI and 10 feet of lift, the water removal rate is 700 GPH. This rises to 750 GPH at 60 PSI, 800 GPH at 80 PSI, and tops out at 900 GPH at 90 PSI. The max head, which is also known as the maximum pumping height or maximum lift is approximately 15 feet, depending on your city water pressure as well as the configuration of your piping (bends reduce max height while more inlet pressure increases it).

The RB 750 comes with a battery-operated water alarm that activates whenever the Basepump itself is activated.

How Does the Basepump RB 750 Compare to the Liberty Pumps SJ10 SumpJet and Wayne WSM3300?

Compared to the Liberty Pumps SJ10, the Basepump RB 750 is slightly slower (900 GPH vs 1,188 GPH) and has a much narrower range of acceptable inlet pressures (40-90 PSI vs 20-100 PSI). It also has a much lower max head (15 feet vs 39 feet). They both use the same ratio of city water to expelled sump water (1:2). On paper, as a result, the SJ10  would appear to be the better deal, and in many respects, it is. However, the Basepump wins when it comes to warranty coverage (5 years vs 3 years). Overall, both are well-designed devices and it ultimately comes down to which design you prefer.

Compared to the WSM3300, the RB 750 doesn’t require AC power or a battery, but it does require a consistent supply of city water. Unlike the WSM3300, it lacks smart self-monitoring or communicative abilities. It’s also several times slower at removing water (900 GPH vs 3,300 GPH) and has a lower max pumping height (15 feet vs 20 feet).

With all that in mind, the biggest differences between the two pumps are in their core designs: if you don’t want to depend on any kind of electricity (and statistically speaking, you’re much more likely to lose power than you are to lose water pressure), the RB 750 is the better deal. It’s also likely to last far longer; it’s not unusual for water-based pumps to last for 20 years or more, while battery-based pumps are doing well if they make it past a decade. It is worthy to note you’ll pay a bit extra for water, but most people don’t find the additional expense significant since water’s only used when the pump is running.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Basepump RB 750

Installing the RB 750 is straightforward if you have previous DIY plumbing experience; your goal is to connect your city water to the pump’s inlet, your sump pipe to the sump receiving inlet, and your ejection or discharge pipe to the pump’s outlet. The installation instructions are simple and clear, and Basepump has excellent phone support. If you don’t want to sweat copper lines and use PVC, you’ll want to consider SharkBite connectors and PEX tubing to speed things up. If you’d prefer to have most of what you need bundled with the sump pump, you’ll want to look into the sister model, the RB 750-EZ, which we review here.

When it comes to longevity, you can rest easy. Basepump describes their pumps as “extremely reliable”, and we’d be hard-pressed to argue with this claim; we’ve never seen one fail, although statistically, we’re sure it’s happened here and there from time to time. The fact that we’ve seen so many examples of units working year after year, however, speaks volumes (and moves water).

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Basepump RB 750 Working Sooner

As noted above, although it’s more than possible to install the RB 750 through soldering copper and chopping up PVC, you’ll save time (and potentially money) if you just get some SharkBite fittings and PEX tubing.You’ll need enough feet of PEX 3/4″ flexible line or copper tubing to run water from your city line to the pump (and of course, you’ll need the correct size line or tubing to match your water inlet). When removing water, you’ll also need PVC tubing or an equivalent discharge line. If you don’t want to deal with shopping for particular accessories and would simply like all you’ll need bundled together, you’ll want to buy the RB 750-EZ instead.

Depending on the regulations of your plumbing jurisdiction, you might be required to install a back flow check valve upstream (at the inlet) to prevent sump water from flowing into the city water supply. You won’t need one on the suction pipe (which brings in sump water), and you typically won’t need one on the discharge pipe (which carries away water). If you do need a check valve, we recommend the Brady check valve due to its quiet and reliable operation.

As noted above, the Basepump is a reliable device, and we’ve seen plenty in consistent operation year after year. Part of these strengths come from the inherent design of water-based sump pumps. Unlike electrical sump pumps, there are no motors to die or float switches to stick or power cords to unplug or batteries to wear out. The main vulnerability they face involve pressure changes–if your inlet water pressure drops below a critical value, they stop working until the pressure comes back. This won’t harm them. On the other hand, too much pressure will blow gaskets, break seals, and lead to lots of flooding due to leaks from both incoming city water and sump water. This is why you’ll want to make sure you test your maximum water pressure (or know it in advance) before installing this or any other water-based sump pump.

Basepump RB 750 Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

Overall, we’re pleased with the high level of functionality available in the Basepump  RB 750 for a modest price. It’s not the fastest backup sump pump on the market or even the fastest water-based sump pump out there, but it’s affordable, it’s simple to install, and it’s as reliable as the best battery-based pumps on the market. Frankly, it’s going to be more reliable since it will work as long as you have city water pressure, which is a more reliable utility in most parts of the country than our electrical network. People don’t buy water-based sump pumps for speed; they buy them because they offer maintenance free peace of mind for decades with a near guarantee of continued functionality.

You can buy the Basepump RB 750 here on Amazon. You can buy the Basepump RB 750-EZ here. You can buy the Liberty Pumps SJ10 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.