If you’re in the market for a sewer pump, it can be tempting to buy the cheapest model you find. But we’ve learned the hard way that paying less often means paying often (while spending hours knee-deep in sewage). We’ve reached the point where we’d rather pay more and buy peace of mind. When it comes to sewage pumps, that means buying sewage grinder pumps over sewage ejector pumps for most residential and all commercial-grade sewage jobs.

Will your house, rental, or small business collapse in a sea of sewage if you don’t buy a grinder pump? No. There are many reliable sewage ejector pumps on the market (e.g., the Zoeller M267 or Liberty Pumps LE51A) that can process 2 inch solids. However, if you need a pump that can shred tough solids like feminine hygiene products, rags, wipes, towels, and napkins, you’ll want to trust your home or business to something stronger than an ejector pump. The first time you don’t need to handle an expensive and unforeseen plumbing emergency, you’ll be glad you invested in a sewage grinder pump. None of the things above should be flushed, but there are people who flush them anyway, and a grinder pump will keep your plumbing system going when they do.

We recently looked at one of the best grinders under $1,000, the Liberty Pumps PRG101A. Today we’re going to look at several manual grinders in the same PRG series: the Liberty Pumps PRG101m, the Liberty Pumps PRG101m-2, the Liberty Pumps PRG102m, and the Liberty Pumps PRG102m-2. With the addition of a simple sewage pump controller, they’ll support a home or small business for decades. Our full review is below, and you can buy them here:  PRG101m, PRG101m-2, PRG102m, and PRG102m-2.

Key Features of the Liberty Pumps PRG101m, PRG101m-2, PRG102m, and PRG102m-2 Sewage Grinder Pumps (60 Second Summary)

The Liberty Pumps PRG101m, PRG101m-2, PRG102m, and PRG102m-2 are manual submersible residential sewage grinder pumps that can also be installed in the majority of applications requiring a standard sewage ejector pump. The differences between them are as follows: the “m” models include a 10-foot quick disconnect power cord while the “m-2” models upgrade the power cord to 25 feet. The “101” models run on 115 volts single phase and draw 12 amps at full load with a locked rotor amp draw of 47.5. The “102” models run on 230 volts single phase,  draw 6 amps at full load, and the locked rotor amp draw is 23.7. Aside from that, all four models are identical. For brevity, they will be referred to as the “manual PRG” for the rest of this review.

The manual PRG features a 1 hp electric motor, a max pumping rate of 2,760 gallons per hour, a 50 foot maximum head, and a 3 year warranty. It is 17-5/8 inches tall, 11 inches wide, 7-1/8 inches deep, and weighs 57 pounds. It has a class 30 cast iron body, a class 25 cast iron impeller, and a 440 stainless steel cutter and cutter plate. The motor is oil-filled, thermally protected, and has thermal overload protection at 221F. The maximum liquid temperature is 140F. No float switch is included, and the discharge is 2 inch NPT.

The pumping rate drops from 2,760 GPH at zero feet to 2,610 GPH at 10 feet, 2,220 GPH at 20 feet, 1,680 GPH at 30 feet, 960 GPH at 40 feet, and shut off occurs at the max head of 50 feet.

How Do the Liberty Pumps PRG101m / PRG102m Compare to the Liberty Pumps PRG101A?

The primary difference between the manual PRG and the PRG101A is the lack of a float switch in the manual PRGs. As a result, a sump float switch will need to be purchased separately and connected; we recommend the HC5000 Sewage Pump Controller for the “101” pumps. Other differences involve power usage; while the “101” manual and identical models are the same, the “102” models use 230 volts single phase,  draw 6 amps at full load, and the locked rotor amp draw is 23.7 instead of 115, 12, and 47.5 respectively. Additionally, the “m-2” models, like the “A-2”, feature a 25-foot power cord instead of a 10-foot power cord.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Liberty Pumps PRG101m / PRG102m Grinder Pumps

Installing the manual PRG isn’t that different from any other sewage pump installation; we’d simply recommend taking your time and making sure you have all necessary tools on hand (including extra accessories) before beginning the job so you don’t get stuck for hours or days due to breaking an essential part. Similarly, it’s a good idea to have a good wet / dry vacuum if you’re performing a DIY installation. The only significant difference between installing a manual sewage pump and an automatic one is that you’re going to have to by and install a separate sump pump controller instead of setting a built-in float switch. If the thought of managing two devices instead of one gives you a headache, you’d probably be better off going with one of the automatic PRG grinders like the PRG101A; it’ll give you one less thing to buy and will also give you more control over sump pump functionality than a separate controller.

Once installed, you can expect a high degree of reliability; the happiest clients we’ve seen tend to be either residential or commercial owners who bought it to replace failing sewage pumps or who took the preemptive approach and installed it before disaster struck. You should be able to expect 15 to 25 years of solid functionality, although you’d do well to check on the pump far more frequently in order to make sure whatever controller you’ve installed is working well.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Liberty Pumps PRG101m / PRG102m Working Sooner

The single most important thing to keep in mind with a manual PRG installation is that you’re going to need a sewage pump controller, or sewer float switch. These are manual pumps; they aren’t going to turn themselves on or off without one. If you want an automatic float switch built in, you want the PRG1010A. However, if you’re buying a manual PRG like the PRG101m/-2 or PRG102m/-2, you’ll need something like the HC5000 Sewage Pump Controller. It’s a cheap and compact computer that connects to your sewage pump, automatically determines how large your pit is, and turns your pump on and off for you. It’s extremely reliable (rated to 350,000 cycles), extremely affordable at under $1,000, and only takes minutes to install; you don’t even need to open your sump pit to install it. We’ve seen it installed in hundreds of manual sump pumps over the years and recommend it heartily for any manual pump or automatic pump with a failed mechanical switch. It’s important to note, however, that the HC5000 only works with 115-120V pumps, so it won’t work with either of the “102” pumps, but only with the “101” pumps.

Liberty Pumps PRG101m / PRG102m Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a manual sewage grinder pump, these four are the best you’re going to find under $1,000. They’re powerful, efficient, and extremely reliable. You’ll just need to connect them to a sewage float switch like the HC5000 (“101m/-2” models only)  in order to have automatic functionality. If you don’t want to buy an additional component but want everything else in the PRG series, you’ll want the PRG101A or PRG101A-2 (which includes a 25-foot cord instead of a 10 footer), as both feature automatic float switches. You can’t go wrong with anything in this series; these are grinder pumps you can trust with your home or business for decades to come.

You can buy the Liberty Pumps PRG101m, the Liberty Pumps PRG101m-2, the Liberty Pumps PRG102m, and the Liberty Pumps PRG102m-2. You can buy the HC5000 Sewage Pump Controller here. For automatic pump switching, you can buy the Liberty Pumps PRG101A here or the PRG101A-2 here. You can buy the Liberty Pumps LE51A here. You can buy a good wet / dry vacuum here and 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.

When it comes to sewage pumps, we’ve learned from experience that you can either pay less and pay often (while cleaning up mess after mess along the way) or pay more and buy lasting peace of mind. We’ve spent enough time knee deep in sewage to prefer the latter option to the former, which is why we typically use and recommend sewage grinder pumps for residential and commercial-grade sewage applications.

Do you absolutely need a sewage grinder pump for your home, rental, or small business? No. There are a number of quality sewage ejector pumps (e.g., the Liberty Pumps LE51A or the Zoeller M267) that will handle 2 inch solids while delivering years of reliability. But if you need pumps capable of shredding difficult solids like feminine hygiene products, towels, baby wipes, and rags and don’t want to put your home or business at risk of an expensive and ill-timed plumbing emergency, you don’t want to leave your toilets at the mercy of a normal sewage ejector pump. You need a sewage grinder pump. If you’re reading this, you already know such things shouldn’t be flushed down drains, but a good grinder pump will help you prepare for people who flush these things anyway.

Today we’re going to look at the Liberty Pumps PRG101A ProVore PRG Series Automatic Residential Grinder Pump. Like the other members of the PRG series (e.g., the PRG102A or the PRG101m or PRG102m), it’s one of the best grinders on the market below $1,000, and we’d trust our home and business on it. Our full review is below, but if you’re ready to buy it, you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Liberty Pumps PRG101A Sewage Grinder Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Liberty Pumps PRG101A is an automatic submersible residential sewage grinder pump that can also be used in most applications that call for a standard sewage ejector pump. It includes a 1 hp electric motor, a 2,760 gallon per hour maximum flow rate, a max head of 50 feet, and a 3 year warranty. The PRG101A is 11 inches wide, 17-5/8 inches tall, and 7-1/8 inches deep. It weighs 58 pounds.

The PRG101A is housed in class 30 cast iron and  includes a class 25 cast iron impeller and a 440 stainless steel cutter and cutter plate. Its motor is oil-filled, thermally protected, runs on 115 volts single phase at 60 Hz AC and draws 12 amps at full load; locked rotor amp draw is 47.5 and thermal overload occurs at 221F. The default configuration includes a 10-foot quick-disconnect power cord; an identical model, the PRG101A-2, can be purchased with a 25-foot power word. The maximum liquid temperature is 140F. It includes an automatic mechanical wide angle float switch and a piggyback plug. The discharge is 2 inch NPT.

While the max pumping rate is 2,760 GPH at zero feet, this rate drops to 2,610 GPH at 10 feet, 2,220 GPH at 20 feet, 1,680 GPH at 30 feet, 960 GPH at 40 feet, and max head and shut-off occurs at 50 feet.

How Does the Liberty Pumps PRG101A Compare to the Liberty Pumps LE51A and Zoeller M267 Sewer Ejector Pumps?

Liberty Pumps specifically states the PRG101A can be used to replace 2 inch discharge systems where both LE50- and LE40-series solids-handling pumps are present, although they add the disclaimer of consulting with their factory regarding specific application and head needs. Practically speaking, the PRG101A will be able to do anything the LE50- or LE40-series pumps can do; despite having a much slower maximum flow rate (e.g., 46 gallons per minute vs 160 gallons per minute), it can pump water much farther and to much greater heights (e.g., 50 feet vs 24 feet), and backs up the additional power with a grinder for processing a range of difficult solids likely to jam sewer ejector (solids-handling) pumps like the LE51A- and LE41A-type pumps.

Similarly, the PRG101A will be able to process everything the Zoeller M267 can while exceeding it dramatically by being able to shred a range of materials that would stop an M267, including entire towels, sanitary wipes and napkins, diapers, rags, and similar trash inappropriately flushed instead of thrown into the garbage.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Liberty Pumps PRG101A  Grinder Pump

We’re not going to tell you installing a grinder pump is easy; in fact, it’s quite a bit tougher than installing a sump pump. It’s not because of anything related to the pump; it all has to do with where you install it (beneath your house or commercial building), in addition to the fact that you’re working with sewage instead of simply with water. We’d recommend buying a good wet / dry vacuum to help with the inevitable messes if you’re going to install this on your own, and you’ll of course want to have a good amount of experience or someone who does at your side. It’s a fair estimate that you’re going to need at least a full day (a weekend will be better) if performing a standard sewage pump installation. If you’re using it as a replacement sump pump, of course, it’ll only take a few hours.

We rarely come across dissatisfied owners of the PRG101A. The most satisfied residential and commercial owners are those who have either dealt with failing sewage pumps or who were preemptive and installed it to head off future disasters. It’s important to note that, as is the case with all sewage grinder pumps, it’s designed for high pressure and low volume. It’s not going to be nearly as fast as even a mid-range sewage ejector pump; what it will do is pump much higher and much farther at greater pressure. For example, a typical installation of pushing sewage uphill by 30 feet and horizontally by 200 feet won’t give this pump any trouble, while many sewage ejector pumps would give out long before that in both height and distance.

Once your installation is complete, you can expect somewhere between 15 and 25 years of trouble-free functioning in most cases, although we’ve heard of sporadic cases of failure here and there. When such cases have occurred, they’ve always been well within the warranty period, which is a relief. Overall, such issues should be few and far between.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Liberty Pumps PRG101A Working Sooner

If you’re installing the PRG101A on your own as a DIY sewage pump project, bless you for your patience. Remember to buy as many accessories ahead of time as possible. Similarly, take your time and measure twice in order to cut once. You’re going to need PVC pipe, threaded adapters, additional tubing and coupling adapters, and PVC pipe. It’s better to have these things close at hand in case you break or strip a part while you’re working; you’re not going to want to stop when you’re knee deep in a project like this. Similarly, remember to buy enough PVC cement and that it sets very, very quickly.

Once you set up the float switch, make sure it has no obstructions throughout its range of motion; the last thing you want to deal with is a stuck switch (open or closed; both are bad) once you’ve cemented and shut everything several hours later. In general, you’ll also want to make sure both the pump and your float switch are fully functional before you caulk and bolt everything down. You might not want to take the time to start and stop your water and look for leaks and proper water flow throughout the house or building (this includes all sinks, showers, and toilets), but if you don’t do so in the middle of the job, there’s a chance you’ll regret it the moment you think you’re done.

As noted above, don’t forget both a wet-dry vacuum (we like the Craftsman XSP) and  a good 2 inch  check valve. You’ll also want to measure your check valve’s positioning and make sure you do your fitting while it’s dry and before cementing anything. It sounds obvious, but four hours into a job, nothing will be obvious.

Liberty Pumps PRG101A Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, there’s no question that you’re going to need to spend more money on a sewer grinder pump like the PRG101A than you would on a sewer ejector pump like the LE51A or M267. On the face of it, such an investment might seem hard to justify, especially if you only focus on the top speeds of sewage clearance. But you don’t buy a sewer grinder pump for speed; you buy it because it’s not going to stop working the first (or second, or third) time someone flushes a hygiene product or cleaning accessory down the toilet. You buy a pump like the PRG101A because you’ve got a business to run and don’t have time to call or play plumber multiple times a year, or because you’re a busy landlord and don’t want to spend what’s left on your free time dealing with clogged toilets, or simply because you’re a homeowner who doesn’t ever want to deal with replacing a sewage pump ever again. If these kinds of scenarios describe you, a grinder pump will pay for itself very quickly, in money and time saved and in peace of mind gained.

You can buy the Liberty Pumps PRG101A here on Amazon. You can buy it with a 25-foot power cord as the PRG101A-2 here. You can buy the Liberty Pumps LE51A here. You can buy the Liberty Pumps LE41A here. 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.