Tag Archives: utility pump

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.

Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Automatic Pitless Sump Pump Review and LSR2.4S-60 Comparison

Whether you’re looking for a dewatering pump to defend personal and commercial property (e.g., preventing or mitigating basement flooding after hurricanes and flash floods) or simply to drain pools, rooftops, or similar areas, you’re going to want a good utility pump, and preferably an automatic one. So what options are out there?

If you’re primarily interested in moving water instead of in removing it completely, a drain pump like the Tsurumi LB-480A-62 will get the job done quickly, automatically, and reliably. If you want water drained down to the last millimeter, you’ll want a strong low-level residue pump like the Tsurumi LSC1.45-61. However, it’s a manual pump, which requires a utility controller or constant monitoring. If you’re happy to drain water down to 1/4 inch (e.g., 6 mm) and want automatic, worry-free operation, you’ll be happy with the Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Automatic Pitless Sump Pump. It’s the automatic version of the LSR2.4S-60 we recently reviewed and loved. The LSRA2 does just as good of a job without needing to be supervised. Our full review is below, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Submersible Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 is an automatic low-level submersible dewatering pump; Tsurumi describes it as a pitless sump pump, which defines most drain pumps. Designed to be used indoors and outdoors, the LSRA2 is an electric utility pump designed to clear water from areas where sump pumps would be impossible or time- and cost-ineffective to install. It uses a 2/3 horsepower, 115 volt, 6.1 amp single phase motor capable of pumping water at up to 3,780 gallons per hour (63 gallons per minute) at 5 feet. The LSRA2’s pumping rate scales down to 3,000 gallons per hour at 15 feet with max head and shut-off at 40 feet. The minimum water removal level is 1/4 inch, or 6 mm above a flat surface, and the pump requires a minimum of 1/5 inch of water for continuous operation.

The pump is 11-15/16 inches tall, 8-1/4 inches in diameter, weighs 26 pounds, and has a power cord 32 feet long. It comes with a 2 year warranty from the purchase date and uses a 2 inch vertical (top) discharge outlet that requires a standard 2 inch hose (e.g., a PVC discharge hose); you won’t be able to directly connect it to a garden hose without an adapter. The pump includes thermal and amperage protection for the motor and a semi-vortex impeller to increase the usable life of the pump.

How Does the Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Submersible Compare to Other Drainage Pumps?

Compared to the LSR2.4S-60, the advantage of the LSRA2 instead is its inclusion of an automatic float switch that lets it turn itself on and off automatically. Since you won’t need to plug or unplug it in or connect it to a utility pump controller, you can simply turn it on and let it get to work. The minimum water draining level appears to be slightly lower at 1/4 inch vs 2/5 inch, but practically speaking, they’ll both drain water to the same level (very low) and at the same maximum speeds and to the same maximum head.

Compared to the Tsurumi LSC, the main advantage of the LSRA2 is the fact that it’s an automatic pump; you won’t need to constantly watch it the way you would with the LSC. However, the LSC, as a low-level residue pump, will drain water down to 1 mm instead of down to 6-10 mm.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Submersible Pump

The LSRA2 will pump water in a range of situations and down to very low levels. you can use it as a water pump in both fresh and salt water environments (e.g., 15,000 gallon koi ponds or swimming pools). You can use it with streams or waterfalls, and you can also use it in rental situations or to defend property against flooding. A number of people simply buy them when moving to the gulf coast (e.g., Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana) to help keep things dry during hurricane and flood seasons. If you live in a flood zone, you’ll already want to have a good sump pump (e.g., the Zoeller M267 for an AC pump or the Basepumps CB1500 for a water-based pump). A quality dewatering pump will also pay for itself again and again if water does get past your sump pumps or if you’ve got standing water outside your house and don’t want disease-carrying mosquitoes breeding around your family and property.

Reliability appears to be high; we’d expect the average user to get several years out of a given pump. Compared to the manual LSR2, we’d expect reliability to be the same or slightly higher due to the automatic float switch negating the potential for the pump running dry if left unattended.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Submersible Working Sooner

The only issues we’ve ever come across with the LSRA2 have included the potential for the lower intake holes to become clogged with debris (e.g., sand, leaves, mud, or gravel). You’ll want to either use clean water, filter the water going into the pump, or simply check the holes and clean them out on a somewhat regular basis (e.g., monthly). You won’t damage the pump with dirty water, but if the intakes get clogged, that will slow the pump down and reduce its efficiency until they’re cleared.

Remember that if you want to use the LSRA2 with a generator, you’ll preferably want a generator with at least 3 times the amperage-delivering ability. A typical 2,700 or higher watt generator should be able to power it without trouble. We’d recommend the Champion 75537i 3100 watt generator so you can keep the pump (or any other utility or AC-powered sump pump) going when you have a power outage. Finally, remember that you’re also going to need a 2 inch discharge hose to drain water from the pump.

Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 Submersible Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, the LSRA2 resolves the main issue we had with the LSR2: needing to either manually supervise it or connect it to an automatic pump switch. As the LSRA2 is automatic, you don’t have to do anything more than plug it in, place it in water, and walk away. There are cheaper pitless sump pumps (or drainage pumps) on the market, but there are few from companies as reliable as Tsurumi. In the end, we’d rather spend twice as more on a pump that takes four times as long to break down than spend half as much on a pump that breaks twice as often. Remember that you won’t be able to completely drain water the way you would if you had a Tsurumi LSC (down to a millimeter or less), so if having every last drop gone is a priority, you’ll want the LSC instead. However, if you’re happy removing water down to a quarter of an inch and want it done automatically, you’ll be happy using the LSRA2 for many years.

You can buy the Tsurumi LSRA2.4S-60 here on Amazon. You can buy the Tsurumi LSR2.4S-60 on Amazon or here from Tsurumi. You can buy the Tsurumi LSC here. You can buy the Tsurumi LB-480A-62 here. You can buy a 2 inch PVC discharge hose here. You can buy a 3100 watt inverter generator here or a 3000 watt large-capacity generator 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.