Tag Archives: sump pump

Zoeller M53 Mighty-mate Submersible Sump Pump Review: Most Reliable Budget Pump?

Choosing a reliable or quiet sump pump typically isn’t something most people consider until they’re knee deep in groundwater from a flooded basement. However, if you have the chance to replace your box store sump pump with something better, we recommend making the most of it. Our favorite buy-it-for-life sump pump is the Zoeller M267; it moves water more quickly than almost any other pump on the market and it’ll do so for a good 10-20 years, but it also costs a cool $300. If you’re on a much smaller budget, below $200 we often recommend the Wayne CDU980E; however, we’re just as likely these days to recommend the Zoeller M53 Mighty-mate. It costs as little as the CDU980E but it works more like its big brother the M267. We recently reviewed it in the context of the best budget drain pump, the Zoeller 105-0001, which uses the M53. If you’ve got less than $150 to spend on a new sump pump, this is one of your two best choices. Read on to find out why.

Key Features of the Zoeller M53 Sump Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Zoeller M53 sump pump is a submersible sump pump with a 1/3 horsepower motor, a 2,580 gallon per hour maximum water flow rate, and a 3 year warranty that begins with the date of manufacture. It’s 7.8 inches tall, 10.5 inches wide, and 10.5 inches deep with a maximum pumping height (known as the max head) of 19.25 feet and a switch-on/switch-off height of 3 inches and 7-1/4 inches respectively. The aforementioned pump switch is vertical. It draws between 4.8 and 9.7 amps and runs on 115 volts. It doesn’t come with a battery backup, it weighs 21 pounds on our scale, and has a 9-foot long power cord.  Although the discharge flow rate can reach 2,580 gallons per hour at 0 feet, it drops to 2,040 gallons per hour at 10 feet, 1,140 gallons per hour at 15 feet, and is inoperative at 20 feet. The working temperature spans 40-130 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s self-priming and housed in cast iron and bronze, and the discharge size is 1-1/2″ NPT. It’s designed to be used with sump pits (sump basins) at least 15 inches in diameter.

How Does the Zoeller M53 Compare to the Wayne CDU980E and Zoeller M267 Sump Pumps?

Compared to the Wayne CDU980E, the M53 pumps far less water (a max flow rate of 2,580 GPH vs 4,600 GPH). However, unlike the CDU980E, the M53 is built with more solid construction and stronger impellers, giving it the capacity to handle (crunch through) up to 1/2″ (12mm) spherical solids.

What this means is that, while slower, the M53 is far less likely to get stuck or clogged with debris or contaminants in your sump pit; this can make a huge difference in the lifespan of your sump pump, particularly if your groundwater or sump pit is dirty or full of impurities. Unsurprisingly, we’d expect the M53 to last between 7 and 15 years while we’d expect the CDU980E to last between 4 and 8 years; this is significant if you’re hoping to avoid replacing your sump pump for a good amount of time.

However, if you’re really looking for a long lifespan and to only deal with sump pump replacement once or twice over the course of your home ownership, you’ll want to look long and hard at the M267. Compared to the M267, the M53 is a beginner’s sump pump. The M267 pumps much, much faster (a max flow rate of a staggering 7,680 gallons her hour), is capable of handling up to 2″ solids, and is likely to provide up to a 20 year lifespan. There’s no comparison; if you want the best AC sump pump on the market, it’s neither the CDU980E nor the M53.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Zoeller M53 Sump Pump

Installing the M53 was straightforward, and we’d have felt so even if we didn’t do this day in and day out. All you need to do is to connect a 1-1/2″ threaded fitting (male) to your discharge pipe (the one that leads water out of your sump pit). You’ll then place the pump in the pit, make sure it’s level and that the float isn’t touching anything, and plug the whole mess in. You’ll also want to install a check valve (we recommend a silent one like the Brady check valve) and you’ll also need to drill a relief hole 3/16″ in diameter. All of this is diagrammed in the instruction sheet.

Once installed, we found the M53 quiet. It wasn’t dead silent, but it was more than close enough; it was hard to hear it from more than a few feet away. And the long-term feedback we’ve gotten from most fellow contractors and homeowners has been overwhelmingly positive. We stand by our estimate of a 7-15 year lifespan with this pump, keeping in mind that there will always be outliers in both directions.

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Zoeller M53 Working Sooner

To keep your Zoeller M53 working for years, you’ll want to check its float switch action from time to time, especially if your sump pit doesn’t see much water very often. The reason behind this is that the switch can stick over time if it dries out and become less likely to move independently; this won’t be a good thing if it gets stuck while water levels start rising.

Despite the reliability of the M53, we always preach the wisdom of buying a DC backup pump (or a water-powered backup pump) to support it, or any sump pump based on AC. If you have a large budget, the Wayne WSM3300 is the best DC-based backup pump on the market; it’ll literally call you if it needs to self-activate during a power outage on top of its ability to run frequent self-tests. On a smaller budget, we recommend the Wayne ESP25; what’s most important is that you’ve got some kind of backup system in place to help keep your basement dry during power outages.

We also think it’s a good idea to not simply buy the regular Zoeller check valve for the M53 but to spend a bit more on a silent check valve. Even though the M53 is already a quiet sump pump, you’re still going to hear the “thunk!” that comes with traditional hammer check valves, and you can get rid of that completely with a silent check valve. We recommend the Brady check valve as a cheap, highly effective, and silent option.

Finally, don’t skip out on a separate water alarm. You don’t need the most fancy one on the market; something like the Basement Watchdog will do. The important thing is to install it in your sump pit a bit above your float switch (or backup float switch if you get a backup DC sump pump, which we recommend). As a result, your water alarm will be triggered if your M53 doesn’t start, stops working, or can’t keep up with water flow (and if the same occurs with your backup pump). If you hear your water alarm sensor, you’ll know it’s time to high-tail it to the basement.

Zoeller M53 Sump Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

In conclusion, if you’ve only got $150 to spend on a sump pump, chances are that it’ll come down to either the Wayne CDU980E or the Zoeller M53. Both are solid choices, but if you don’t need the higher flow rates of the CDU980E, we’d recommend the M53 for its greater longevity and facility with debris-filled water. Overall, however, we’d recommend spending just a bit more for a much faster and much, much longer-lasting sump pump in the Zoeller M267 if at all possible.

You can buy the Zoeller M53 here on Amazon. You can buy the Zoeller M267 here. You can buy the Wayne CDU980E here. You can 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.

Zoeller M267 Waste-Mate Sewage / Sump Pump Review: 1/2 HP, The Best AC Sump Pump Under $400?

When it comes to choosing a reliable, buy-it-for-life type sewage or sump pump, one of our primary recommendations is to choose a model primarily, if not fully, based on a cast iron housing. In fact, we prefer a full cast iron pump housing, switch case, and base if possible. Thermoplastic is cheaper to source and easier to shape, which is why you’ll see it all over budget sump pumps (e.g., the Wayne CDU980E). But if you want a sump pump that you can throw in a sump pit and forget about for the next 10 years or more, you don’t want plastic; you want iron. On top of that, there are a special class of submersible pumps that do everything sump pumps can do and more; they just aren’t marketed as sump pumps.

One of the best kept sump pump secrets involves choosing sewage, effluent, and dewatering pumps for high-end sump pump service instead of regular sump pumps. The reason behind this is simple: a sewage pump is designed to handle much rougher conditions (i.e., solid wastes) than a regular sump pump, while the reverse isn’t true. In particular, sewage pumps capable of grinding solids are pretty much guaranteed to keep your sump pump working through any debris or naturally-occurring contaminants in your groundwater. Today we’re going to take a look at one of the best sump pumps (if not the best) under $400: the Zoeller M267 Waste-Mate Sewage Pump, 1/2 Horsepower, 115V. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth the money, it absolutely is, and you can buy it here.

Key Features of the Zoeller M267 Sewage Pump (60 Second Summary)

The Zoeller M267 sewage pump is a submersible pump with a 1/2 horsepower motor, a 7,680 gallon per hour maximum water flow rate, and a 3 year warranty that begins with the date of manufacture. It’s 16 inches tall, 13.7 inches wide, and 10.8 inches deep with a maximum pumping height of 21.5 feet and a switch-on/switch-off height of 4 inches and 12 inches respectively. The aforementioned pump switch is vertical. It draws between 1.5 and 10.4 amps and runs on 115-460 volts. It doesn’t come with a battery backup, it weighs 35.8 pounds on our scale, and has a 10-foot long power cord. The working temperature spans 40-130 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s self-priming and housed in cast iron and stainless steel, and the discharge size is 2″ female or 3″ male NPT. It’s designed to be used with sump pits (sump basins) at least 15 inches in diameter.

How Does the Zoeller M267 Compare to the Wayne CDU980E Sump Pump?

Compared to the Wayne CDU980E, the Zoeller M267 is a huge step forward. The CDU980E is a good pump for its price range, but the construction on the M267 is far superior, both in terms of the materials used and in the integrity of the connections. We’d estimate the typical M267 to have a 10-20 year lifespan, while we’d expect 5-7 years from the typical CDU980E. The maximum water pumping rate is close to 2x as fast in the M267 as that in the CDU980E, and it’s capable of grinding up to 2″ solids, which puts it in a different universe compared to the CDU980E in terms of its ability to resist slowdown or stoppage from debris in the sump pit. To put it simply, the CDU980E is a good budget pump, while the M267 might be the last sump pump you buy for your house.

Our Short and Long Term Experiences Installing and Using the Zoeller M267 Sewage Pump

You shouldn’t expect much trouble installing the Zoeller M267 as a sump pump; you basically connect it to your discharge pipe, plug it in, and lower it into the pit. From that point on, you might as well forget you’ve got a sump pump, because you’re virtually never going to need to look after it. The included instructions are thorough and written in clear English; even if you have limited plumbing experience, you should be able to follow them with a little help from a more experienced friend.

In terms of noise levels, it’s not the quietest sump pump on the market, but it runs so quickly that you barely have time to hear it. We found it significantly quieter than the Liberty pumps we frequently recommend replacing with the M267.

Regarding longevity, we can only give it the highest praise. We’ve never seen anyone replace an M267 after installing it. We believe the quality of the construction of these pumps has everything to do with their longevity. The oldest Waste-Mate we’re aware of has been running in a friend’s house for 24 years. It’s still running. We know several others that have lasted past 20 years with no signs of stopping.

Above all, we were impressed by the engineering and thoughtful design that went into the creation of the M267. It’s heavy, solid, and has the feel of a sump pump that’s not going to need its warranty. We liked the copious use of cast iron and stainless steel; we absolutely loved the fact that it was capable of grinding solids as a fail-safe for taking care of anything imaginable entering your sump pit (or up to 2″ spherical solids if you use it as a sewage pump).

Troubleshooting and Installation Tips to Get Your Zoeller M267 Working Sooner

There are very few things to keep in mind with the Zoeller M267 to ensure a long life. One that comes to mind is the junction body; you want to make sure that isn’t submerged in the sump, or that will allow water to get into the pump via the inside of the cord; once that happens, it’s no longer watertight, and you’ll destroy both the motor and the switches.

Check the float switch action every now and then, especially if you don’t have much water in your sump pit very often. Over time the float switch can become dry and sticky and become harder to move on its own. If this occurs, it might not activate when there’s actually water.

Make sure you run a discharge line at least 2″ in diameter; this pump is designed to move a lot of water, and a 1.5″ line won’t cut it. Don’t be afraid to run a 3″ line if necessary; that’s also within specifications.

When you buy a check valve for the M267, we’d recommend spending a few dollars more on a silent check valve. Even though the M267 is a quiet pump for how powerful it is, if you use a traditional hammer check valve, you’re still going to hear a “thunk!” every now and then when it kicks off. Buying a silent check valve like the Brady check valve will get rid of that sound for good. Similarly, we’d also recommend a separate water alarm; something cheap like the Basement Watchdog will give you an audible warning if water levels rise above the M267’s float switch.  However, a better redundant solution for any AC sump pump than a simple water alarm is a full on backup pump.

As great as the M267 is, we always recommend buying a DC backup pump (or a water-based backup pump) to support it, or any AC-based sump pump. You’ll realize why the first time you have a power outage during a rainstorm. Before then, we suggest the Wayne WSM3300 if you’re looking for the best DC-based backup pump money can buy; it’ll test itself frequently for functionality and it’ll literally call you whenever it needs to activate during a power outage. If you’re on a smaller budget,the Wayne ESP25 is a good basic alternative. What’s important is that you have some system to keep your sump pit from overflowing if a storm takes out your electricity.

Zoeller M267 Sewage Pump Pros, Cons, and Value Comparison

Whether you’re buying the M267 as a sewage pump or as a sump pump, you won’t be disappointed. The fact that we know several owners who’ve put 20+ years of continuous service on these pumps speaks volumes. If you don’t want to find yourself either back in your sump pit (or worse, knee-deep in sewage) in a month or a year or 5 because your budget bargain box store pump stopped working, we’d strongly recommend just buying this pump and calling it a day. We’ve seen it installed in finished basements worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (property in Chicago can get pricey), and we’ve heard nothing but praise from homeowners, renters, and landlords alike. Buy it and buy peace of mind.

You can buy the Zoeller M267 sewage pump here on Amazon. You can buy the Wayne WSM3300 here on Amazon. 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.