5-ASP 1/6 HP, 1200 GPH - Submersible Utility Pump w/ Piggyback Diaphragm Switch & 10 ft. Power Cord

Purchased this pump to drain an old kitchen sink I put in my basement for washing my hands and small things when I work down there. There is no floor drain to the sewer so the sink drains to a 5 gallon plastic bucked and pump keeps the bucket from overfilling onto the floor. I used a short washing machine hose on supplied adapter, then ran a PVC pipe with check valve up the wall and into the main house drain at ceiling level. I love finally having a sink in my basement. The integral switch and compact size makes it perfect for my need. I chose the Little Giant as it appears to be better constructed than some of the bargain utility pumps out there. I hope the little bit higher price and quality pays off in the long run.

We use 2 of these as sump pumps in our basement and crawl space. They certainly have sufficient pressure and volume. They have important advantages over e.g. pedestal pumps: they pump out the sump to a lower level, they will fit in a very small sump, and they don't protrude above it. However, in our experience, they don't last forever. Over a period of 15 years, we've had about 8 of them. Some have lasted several years, others just a few; one failed after ~6 months and was replaced under warranty. Also, the levels at which the pump turns on and off are neither adjustable nor consistent. The pump is controlled by a microswitch activated by water pressure on a diaphragm, and thus is very dependent on the spring in the switch, which seems to be quite variable. Typically, it turns on when the water level is near the top of the pump and off when it reaches an inch or two from the bottom, but we've had switches that required 3-4" of water above the top of the pump, another that did not turn on even at 6" over the top (and had to be replaced), and one that was turning on and off every 10-15 seconds, dramatically decreasing the life of the pump. We still use these pumps because we like the other features, but I wish the quality and characteristics were more consistent.