Sump Pump Replacement Parts Review By Comparison

This Sump Pump Replacement Parts Review gives homeowners an opportunity to discover sump pump parts online. These days the Eco-friendly and budget friendly way is to buy replacement parts such as a floats, switches, power cords or rods and install them to repair the pump rather than discard a pump motor and housing that is built to last several more years.

The fear of installing a replacement part need not stop a homeowner from making a parts purchase. Homeowners can easily watch an online video and do the install without hiring a plumber.

To put your mind at ease, sump pumps are mechanical and all things mechanical eventually wear out and need replacement. Fortunately sump pump manufacturer's provide replacement parts to fix the most common sump pump problems.

The first part that usually needs replacement is the float switch. The two pole vertical float switch lasts longer than the other switch types except for an electronic switch. Rather than wait for your sump pump switch to fail during a heavy rainstorm, it is wise to replace it every three to five years depending upon its frequency of use. In fact, it is always smart to have an extra switch on hand because when one is needed it may be difficult to get one quickly. Float switches are easy to purchase online.

If the pump is touching the basin wall or is tangled with the discharge pipe, or is stuck in the ON or OFF position and the pit is standing full of water while the motor is running, the float switch has already failed and needs replacement.

If there is a grinding sound and the pit contains small solids, the impeller is either clogged and stuck or broken and needs replacement. Sump pumps with vortex impellers such as Zoeller, Liberty Pumps, Little Giant and Star Water Systems are least likely to get clogged. Some models such as Basement Watchdog, Superior Pump, Flotec and Little Giant have a bottom screen which becomes clogged and needs periodic cleaning. Just cleaning the screen may fix the problem. But impellers are available for homeowners to purchase online

Does your sump pump installation require an air hole in the discharge pipe so air doesn't get trapped in the pump preventing water from pumping? Wayne pumps use top suction so do not require an air hole, but a majority of the other brands use bottom suction and need an air hole. Does drilling an air hole fix the problem? If not the motor may have burned out and the pump needs replacement. This may be a good time to check other sump pump options online and find one that better suits your needs.

Is there a lot of water running backwards down the discharge pipe and returning to the pit when the pump motor turns off? The sound of water running backwards into the pit is an indication that the check valve is bad. It is very important to replace the check valve right away because it causes unnecessary wear and tear on the pump. A check valve prevents a sump pump from pumping the same water multiple times. It preserves the life of the motor. The best check valve replacement is a quiet check valve and can be easily purchased online.

Sometimes the power cord may fail, those too are available online for some pump brands.

Replacing a sump pump float switch is easy if you buy the right replacement part and follow a few simple instructions. Here are a few tips worth considering before making a switch replacement purchase.

Replacing a 2-pole vertical float switch is more difficult because there are switch wires to remove and replace; therefore, to make switch replacement easier, Zoeller and Wayne offer a replacement option that includes the entire sump pump head with a new switch already attached so there is no need to remove the old switch, just the pump head. Little Giant does not provide a pump switch head replacement option so it is necessary to remove the old switch and install a new switch.

Those sump pumps with a piggyback plug can actually be modernized by installing an electronic switch such as the HC6000 by tying the old switch cord to the discharge pipe so it is out of the way, then installing the electronic switch and plugging the pump motor cord into the electronic controller head piggyback plug.

Any sump pump that has a piggyback plug can be replaced with any switch type that also has a piggyback plug. Doing so makes the next switch replacement much easier because the switch is attached to the discharge pipe and the pump does not need to be removed from then pit for future switch replacement.

Replacing the switch for a pedestal sump pump is also easy because the switch is on top of the motor which is located above the pit.

To make switch replacement easy, a video installation of each switch type is included below.

Replacing a sump pump float switch is not that difficult if you do it on a sunny so as not to be rushed and you follow the instructions. Below you will find some simple basic steps. Check out the videos to get the specifics for sump pump switch replacement by float switch type.

1) Unplug the pump cord from the wall socket.

2) Determine if the pump must be removed from the pit. If so, detach the discharge pipe so the pump can be lifted from the pit.

3) Remove the old switch. Look for screws that need to be removed to detach the old switch. Or remove the ties that secure the old float switch to the discharge pipe.

4) Attach the new switch. Make sure all the switch wires from the new switch are attached in exactly the same manner they were for the old switch. If the switch is attached to the discharge pipe, make sure the ON height is below the height of the drain inlet pipe.

5) Return the pump to the pit. Attach the discharge pipe.

6) Plug the pump cord into the wall outlet. If there is a piggyback plug, the pump motor cord is plugged into the piggyback plug.

7) Pour enough water into the pit to cause the sump pump to run so the new switch can be tested. If the sump pump works, the installation is complete. Congratulations!

One of the easiest ways to learn how to install your own sump pump replacement parts is to watch someone else do it. Watching an installation online makes it so easy to watch as many times as you wish and to stop and start a video until you understand how to do a specific step.

That's how we learned to maintain our own sump pumps. Being able to do our own installations gives us schedule freedom and it is very budget friendly.

The replacement sump pump switch types with a video include:

How To Replace A 2-Pole Snap-Action Float Switch

How To Replace A 2-Pole Vertical Switch Only

How To Replace A Vertical Reed Float Switch

How To Replace A Tether Float Switch

The way to install a tether float switch is rhe same for many brands. This video shows the replacement for Wayne's tether float switch part no. 56835-001 for CDT, SPT, RSP, and WST models.

How To Replace A Diaphragm Switch

Little Giant is known for using the diaphragm switch. The following video shows how to maintain the diaphragm switch; however it also shows how to remove it and replace it.