Customer Reviews

Superior Pump 91257 1/4 HP Cast Iron Submersible Utility Pump with 25-Feet Cord

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I'm writing this review because I could not find any other reviews on this or a similar product that spoke to the particular issue I was dealing with. Hopefully this helps someone else!

I bought this to drain about 6 inches of water from my retail store bought above ground pool. The drain plug in the pool unfortunately was up too high to completely empty it. I had to drain to remove algae and debris that had built up along the bottom that chemicals and the pools filter would not remove. This is not a permanent above ground pool mind you, it is one of the larger (5000 gallons) retail chain store pools.
At any rate, I needed to get all of the disgusting brown sludge water out of the bottom but I had a few concerns:
- Would this type of pump harm the pool? (i.e. suck up the bottom plastic liner)
A: No, not at all. I placed it directly on the plastic pool bottom.

- Would it be powerful enough to push the water up over the pool wall? (about 4ft)
A: Yes, very much so!

All you will most likely need to add to this product is a standard garden hose to drain the water and possibly an extension cord.
I hooked this up and about an hour and a half later many hundreds of gallons of disgusting water was gone. The water was coming out of the hose faster than it does my home faucet. Additionally, I got this shipped overnight (using Amazon Prime) for half of what a similar model would have cost at a DIY home store.

I couldn't find it anywhere but I think this is also made in the US which was another plus for me. If you need to drain your pond or pool quickly I think you will be really happy with this product.

I use this in a rain barrel with a Portable Tankless Water Heater and it provides enough pressure for showers. I like the long cord that comes with it and the cast iron housing makes it pretty heavy duty. I recommend this to anyone

Superior Pump 91257 1/4 HP Cast Iron Submersible Utility Pump with 25-Feet Cord

Pros:

- Motor case and pump housing are cast iron, which absorbs sound, is sufficiently heavy to not be knocked over, and should last for a very long time. The least expensive pump housings are plastic, followed by cast iron, with the most expensive pumps having stainless steel or bronze housings.

- Quiet; it just hums...

- As long as it's under water, the pump can run non-stop; i.e., it has a continuous duty motor.

- 25' 3-wire electric cord; instructions say to plug it into a GFCI receptacle.

- Comes with a garden hose adapter.

- Even reducing the discharge from 1-1/2" to garden hose size, this thing pumps water about as fast as does our [city-water-pressure] hose.

- Excellent value for a pump with these features.

- If pump gets clogged with gunk, it can be back-flushed with a garden hose feeding through the adapter.

- A parts list is included; everything but the motor is replaceable.

Cons:

- The instruction manual warns to NOT let the pump run dry for long, as it relies on water for cooling. (This is common with submersible utility pumps due to their sealed motors.)

Other:

- The discharge is 1-1/2" NPT (National Pipe Thread), NOT the 1-1/4" in the Amazon description. Amazon's table of Superior Pumps correctly states 1-1/2".

- Pumping stops when the water depth is ½", not the 1/8" in the Amazon description. Water must be at least 1" deep to start, for the pump to self-prime.

- The lifting handle on this pump is now the same as the full-grip handle on the 1/3 HP model 91337; see Customer Images

- I installed a solid brass garden hose adapter on my pump (see Customer Images).

- There is no switch, float or otherwise. The pump runs when it's plugged in to an electrified receptacle.

- This product is made in China.

Summary:

This is an outstanding utility pump.

my basement floods. Its not livable space but concrete floor and flagstone walls with gas water heater and washer and dryer on floor. The basement floods up to my calves when it rains really hard and Im a 5'3 female. The last Spring 2011 flood did it, I knew I had to educate myself about pumps and get one fast. The Fire Dept is awesome and helps with pumping but experience has taught me be prepared and do for your self. So log onto Amazon for its amazing selections and awesome pricing and read reviews. Superior has great user reviews. I knew I needed a longer than average cord didnt want extension cords under water so I paid only 20 more for the 25 foot cord. Factor area needed to be pumped and order the extra length cord you will not regret it. The iron body gives pump weight which prevents tipping. This weekend Hurricane Irene. HOrrible rain and winds left me scared to enter basement and when I did the flooding was just starting to come thru basement walls. Immediately hooked up long typical green garden hose and plugged the pump in. Already had washer and dryer up off floor but hot water heater is low to ground. My superior pump worked at pumping out the flooding water as it was coming in. By the next morning the basement floor was dry. Amazing. Without the pump and Amazons great great price which enabled me to buy it I would still be under water. Washer dryer hooked up and hot water heater relit by plumber. Without the pump the gas water heater would have been a total loss. I called Superior Pumps to ask some questions and their customer service is amazing. No waiting and no recorded message just immediate help and patience in answering questions. They know their products for those who need additional help. I did use a typical narrow long long garden hose that is narrow and hung it up at least a half foot over my head out the basement window and the pump still pumped that incoming water not standing water out like a champ. The vertical height did not hurt the pumps ability to blast out that water even with water flooding in at the same time.