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Wayne RPP50 Sewage Pump Review: A Budget Sewage Pump For Under $150?

There are many things in life that are worth trying to get as cheaply as possible, but a sewage pump is not one of them. What might seem like a good deal at your local box store can turn into a messy, smelly, and expensive disaster if you’re unlucky. We like to play it safe when it comes to machines that carry human waste, and when it comes to sewage pumps, our main recommendation under $400 is the Zoeller M267. It’s one of the fastest sewage pumps on the market as well as one of the most reliable. But what do you do if $400 is simply out of budget and you don’t want to get burned (or flushed) by a budget box store sewage pump?

This is where a pump like the Wayne RPP50 Cast Iron Sewage Pump comes in. Clocking in at well under $200, it’s one of the cheapest sewage pumps on the market that isn’t a ticking fecal time bomb. But is it worth the money, or is it too good to be true? In our books, it’s worth considering if you’re on a tight budget, but it’s far from the best out there if you can spend more. Our full review is below, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Wayne RPP50 Sewage Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Wayne RPP50 is an automatic submersible sewage pump (which can also be used as a sump pump). It features a 1/2 horsepower electric motor, a 5,700 gallon per hour maximum water flow rate, and a one year warranty. It is 14 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide, and 6 inches deep while weighing 26 pounds on our scale.

The RPP50 does not include a battery backup. The motor runs on 120V and draws 15 amps through a 9 foot power cord. The working temperature ranges from a minimum of 33F to a maximum of 133F. The pump is self-priming and housed in cast iron. It makes use of a tether float. It uses a 2 inch NPT discharge and can handle solids up to 2 inches in diameter. While it can pump up to 5,700 GPH at zero feet, this rate drops to 3,240 GPH at 10 feet, 900 GPH at 15 feet, and max height and shut-off occur at 18 feet. The RPP50 requires a minimum sump diameter of 18 inches.

How Does the Wayne RPP50 Compare to the Zoeller M267 Sump Pump?

While the RPP50 is a good basic sewage pump, a comparison to the M267 reveals how much it leaves on the table. The M267 is faster at pumping water (7,680 GPH vs 5,700 GPH), has a greater max head (21.5 feet vs 18 feet), and is significantly more reliable; we’ve come across a number of M267s that have been going for two decades or more, while we’ve had a much harder time coming across RPP50s that have survived 10 years of service. The M267’s 3 year warranty is also significantly stronger and more reassuring than the one year warranty that comes with the RPP50. And on top of all of this, the M267 will also fit into smaller sump basins with a minimal diameter requirement of 15 inches vs 18 inches.

That said, if you’re planning on using it as a sump pump instead of as a sewage pump, it’s one of the fastest ones you’re going to be able to pick up on the market for a very cheap price. It’ll also have the advantage of being able to grind through much more debris than virtually any pump designed as a sump pump from the ground up since it’s technically designed to work as a sewage and effluent pump. This is one of the primary reasons a number of business owners, plumbers, and homeowners install pumps like the Zoeller M267 in place of typical sump pumps; they’re almost guaranteed to never top working due to becoming clogged or having internal motor components break down due to being designed for much more contaminated water removal.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Wayne RPP50 Sewage Pump

Installing the RPP50 is rather straightforward for a sewage pump, although you’ll either need significant plumbing or DIY experience or the help of a plumber to get in and out of the installation site. If you want to use it as a sump pump, of course, installation will be much simpler. Suffice it to say that you’ll want to spare at least a full day (preferably a weekend) if planning a typical sewage pump installation. Installing it as a sump pump, on the other hand, will be doable within a few hours. We’ve seen under-home installations, basement sink/shower/toilet to sewer line installations, and as septic tank installations where the pump has been used to send water out to drain fields, and it has performed admirably in a variety of situations.

Once installed, you should be able to get at least 5 years out of it, although if you’re lucky you might get up to a decade from it. However, there have also been a number of premature failures we’ve seen due to issues such as bad floats or seized impellers or bad internal circuitry. Unfortunately, the quality control for the RPP50 does not seem to be as strong as that in Wayne’s sump pump division, and you’ll want to hold on to your proof of purchase (or simply buy it via Amazon so your return information is permanently preserved in your account) just in case something goes wrong early.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Wayne RPP50 Working Sooner

If you plan to install it as a DIY sewage pump project, first of all, good luck to you. Secondly, keep in mind you’ll need a 2 inch-sized threaded adapter so you can connect the RPP50 to the 2 inch PVC pipe you need. You’d also do well to buy additional tubing and coupling adapters in case you break or strip something during the process; you won’t want to need to stop in the middle of the job. And of course, you’re also going to need lots of PVC cement.

Once you’ve got the float switch set up, make sure its entire range of motion is free from obstruction; the last thing you want is to have it get stuck open or shut once you’ve got everything covered up several hours later. More broadly, before you start caulking and bolting your entire installation, make sure both the pump and float switch are working properly. It might seem like a pain to start and stop your water and check for leaks and proper flow through whatever sinks, showers, or toilets you’re running through the pump, but if you don’t do this now, you might have an ugly surprise later on.

You’re going to need a check valve. We recommend the Campbell silent 2 inch check valve. If you buy it, make sure you measure its positioning a few times and fit it while dry. Since you’re using rubber and metal couplings and PVC cement, you’ll have a very small margin of error, and won’t be able to adjust anything you’ve done after 10 seconds without breaking it to pieces and having to start again (which will require another check valve, so you’ll probably want to buy a backup just in case).

It’s a good idea to have a good wet / dry vacuum close at hand, even if you’re only planning on doing something like switching out a check valve. More broadly, you’re going to spill some water and perhaps worse things during such an installation, even if you’ve done it dozens of times before, and the easier you make clean up, the less time you spend distracted from the actual work you need to be doing. Our wet / dry vac of choice is the Craftsman XSP; it offers enough reach to deal with most messes we make.

Wayne RPP50  Sewage Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, we’re not going to tell you the Wayne RPP50 is the best sewage pump out there, because it’s not. The Zoeller M267 costs significantly more and delivers much more when it comes to speed, versatility, and most importantly, reliability. However, if you simply don’t have $300 to spend and are in desperate need of a sewage pump, for under $150 the Wayne RPP50 is hard to beat. It’ll certainly provide better performance than anything you’ll get out of a box store, and if that’s the bar you’re looking to clear, this will pass it with flying colors. Just don’t expect it to last as long as some of the best pumps on the market; realistic expectations are key. Personally, we’d recommend saving the extra $150 for the M267 and up to 20 years of additional maintenance-free peace of mind.

You can buy the Wayne RPP50 here on Amazon. You can buy the Zoeller M267 here. You can buy a good wet / dry vacuum here. You can buy a silent 2 inch 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.

Wayne WWB WaterBug Submersible Utility Pump Review

If you’re dealing with basement flooding, you’ll want a good sump pump (something like the Zoeller M267) along with a backup pump (e.g., a DC model like the Wayne WSM3300) for power outages. However, even if you’ve got a good sump pump system, there are still many places either in, on, or around your home where water can accumulate. Left untouched, you’ll find yourself dealing with property damage, hordes of mosquitoes and other vermin, or simply a lot of water you need to spend your free time getting rid of. Fortunately, you can reduce the risks of rotting, flooding, insect breeding, or other issues with a well-designed and strategically placed utility pump.

Keeping water out of window wells, off rooftops and boat covers, away from  crawlspaces, hot tubs, and laundry tubs doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. We recently looked at the Wayne EEAUP250 and found it did a good job in around-the-house water removal. Today we’ll take a look at the Wayne WWB WaterBug Submersible Pump. It’s a solid little pump that clears water and does so for very little money and for a very long time. Our full thoughts are below, but if you wonder whether it’s worth buying, we think so, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Wayne WaterBug Utility Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Wayne WWB WaterBug is a manual utility pump, otherwise known as an electric water removal pump. Designed for water removal from window wells and other flood-prone areas, it includes a 1/6 HP motor with a max flow rate of 1,257 gallons per hour, a figure that drops to 1,125 GPH at 5 feet, 985 GPH at 10 feet, 820 GPH at 15 feet, and shuts off at 30 feet. It can remove water down to as few as 1/16 inches above a given surface.

The WaterBug is submersible and includes a pair of brass 3/4 inch garden hose-sized discharge nozzles (a top discharge and a side discharge). As a manual pump, it does require starting and stopping by the user; it does not include auto on/off functionality. Featuring a 1 year warranty, the WaterBug is 4″ long, 6″ tall, and 8″ wide.

How Does the Wayne WaterBug Compare to the Wayne EEAUP250 and Zoeller 42-0007 N42 Utility Pumps?

Compared to the Wayne EEAUP250 and Zoeller N42, there are several unique elements in the WaterBug’s design that make it worth considering. Like the Zoeller, it’s a manual pump, and must be turned on and off each time to operate. The EEAUP250 is an automatic pump. Like the Zoeller, it also features a 1/6 HP motor instead of the 1/4 HP motor in the EEAUP250. Its top water removal speed is 1,257 gallons per hour, which is faster than the 900 GPH of the Zoeller but less than half as fast as the 3,000 GPH of the EEAUP250. What then, are the advantages of the WaterBug?

First of all, it has by far and away the largest max head at 30 feet, which is 11 feet beyond the 19 feet of the Zoeller and twice as high as the EEAUP250 at 15 feet. This essentially means that the WaterBug can be installed in much deeper water environments (e.g., short wells or deep sump pump pits) while continuing to remove water. Additionally, it’s capable of removing water to a much lower level than most other pumps out there, with a minimal water level of 1/16 inch compared to 2/16 inch in the Zoeller and 6/16 inch in the EEAUP250. If your priorities involve removing water to nearly dry levels and potentially from great depths, the WaterBug is hard to beat. It’s also the only of the three pumps to include a pair of nozzles in vertical and horizontal positions to make it easier to route your draining garden hose away from the water source.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Wayne WaterBug Utility Pump

Installation is about as easy as it gets in plumbing; you simply plug it in, connect it to a garden hose via the vertical or horizontal nozzle, turn it on, and drop it in your water zone.

Despite the paltry 1 year warranty offered by Wayne, you should be able to get up to five times as long from the WaterBug as long as you’re careful to always be by it while it’s running or bite the bullet and connect it to an automatic float switch (see below). The majority of premature deaths related to this pump have to do with people leaving them running and walking away, which is a death sentence for any water-cooled motor in a sump pump without a float switch.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Wayne WaterBug Working Sooner

While the WaterBug works well out of the box, we’re not fans of the need to turn it on and off whenever we want it to start or stop. Fortunately, it’s possible 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 WaterBug multiple times a day.

As a result, you’re much less likely to experience flooding or shorten the life of your pump’s motor since you’re less likely to forget to turn it on (or off). There are lots of models to choose from, but very few are officially approved for outdoor use. The HydroCheck HC6100 is one we’ve reviewed and found capable of controlling the WaterBug with a minimum of fuss. When connected, you can set it to turn on once water reaches as low as 8/16 inch and to turn off once water drops to 2/16 inch. It costs about as much as the WaterBug, but if you want the features of the WaterBug with the convenience of automatic on/off capabilities, this is the float switch to get.

If you don’t want to spend money on an automatic float switch, keep in mind that you’re going to need to babysit the WaterBug whenever you want to use it. If you don’t, you’ll burn out the motor because it won’t turn off once it drains water due to a lack of a float switch. The motor is designed to be water-cooled, which means it will overheat and self-destruct if you run it without water–unless, of course, you connect it to an automatic float switch.

Wayne WaterBug Utility Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

For its performance, the Wayne WaterBug is one of the best bargains in utility pumps currently on the market. It pumps water reasonably quickly and to a good heights while removing it down to one of the lowest levels you’re going to find in anything short of an industrial-grade utility pump. We’re also particularly keen of the double nozzle setup, allowing for greater flexibility when installing it around the yard. We strongly recommend pairing 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 Wayne WaterBug here on Amazon. 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 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.