After I bought that 137 Zoeller sump pump, I decided to call Zoeller.
I asked them how long should they last before being serviced.
The rep's response surprised me, he said that they want them serviced every 5-7 years.
Now, that does not sound like a long time to me!
Also, they said that the impeller is made of cast iron. Would not such impellers rust?
Any thoughts?
i
I would definitely prefer regular service. No doubt. Do other pumps have similar maintenance schedule? Does the impeller rust so quickly as to need replacement in a few years?
i
Not from my experience, but your water may be much different. The only trouble I've ever had with them is the switch. As for the 5 - 7 years, it depends on the use. As I said before, we use ours as part of a production system in use all the working hours. In a home, I'd expect it to last many times that. The company wants to cover their ass. In your case, how often is the pump going to run? Dump a bucket of water in the sump a couple of times a year to be sure it runs.
Set the pump to run long cycles, by having the pit fill up. In 7 yrs you will forget and it will likely be fine for much longer. But its life depends on the use it gets, if it runs every day, alot, you may want to replace it in 7 yrs, I have a pump in use most every day that is maybe
80 yrs old and many that are 40+
I'd sure rather have a cast iron impeller than a piece of crap plastic that disintegrates from small sand particles that are always in the pit.
I have used this brand of pump and find them top of the line. I service them when they break. What else is there to fix? Run them every so often so they dont cease up, and check the cord for frays or damage, plus be sure the float is not sticking. Thats about all it takes.
Ah shucks! I saw this thread after I responded in the original about te swicth lifetimes. Repeating:
I have the 1/3 HP Zoeller which is one of the links on the posted site. In fact, I now have two. One older one in reserve.
Murphy's Law predicts that sump pumps will only go out right after a big rainstorm and just after noon on Saturday when the nearest pump and replacement parts shop that handles Zoeller equipment closes for the weekend.
Before I bought the second pump I used to keep an extra replacement switch kit handy. If the switch mechanism is the same for the 1/2 HP as for the 1/3, then you may want to see if you can puchase a replacement switch. It seems I get about 6-8 years on a switch before it goes bad. The replacement is pretty straightforward. The motor seems to last forever.
Gary Dyrkacz snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net Radio Control Aircraft/Paintball Physics/Paintball for 40+
As well as sell parts, I suppose.
It is going to run at least once a day, I think. Good question, I will try to see.
i
Thanks... That is somewhat reassuring.
i
Thanks, I will look for a switch kit.
i
to call Zoeller.
The Zoeller 137 per the manufactures selection guide states?. ?Durable cast construction. Cast switch case, motor and pump housing, base and impeller. No sheet metal parts to rust or corrode?.?
Its primary use is for septic tanks which are part of waste/ effluent system. Cast iron is a proven product for drainage, waste and storm drain systems.
Model 139 is all bronze construction
Here are some ? 'Stainless Steel Automatic Sewage Pumps by Ebara'
They should be looked at periodically, a couple times a year, to see that they are working. Lift up the float if you can and watch it pump the water out. Everything ok?
I've had my house for 23 years, and it was 4 y.o. when I got it. I don't think the pump was expensive. When I got it, iirc the old owner had already done something so the long float rod would be held in place at the bottom correctly. Or maybe not but if not I fixed it a couple years later. it was held in place at the top by a hole in the "micro"switch arm.) Not every pump uses a long vertical float rod but this design did. The old thing, the lower support, rusted out and something like a flat-lead tv antenna stand-off (for an antenna mast, a couple dollars at Radio Shack) was used or I used to clamp to the vertical sump pump pipe and the plastic end had a hole big enough for the float rod to move freely.
After that, nothing went wwrong until it was about 14 years old. The main pipe through which the water went rusted at the water line so it was in two pieces. When I went to replace the pump, the similar pump now had a plastic pipe. I doubt that part will fail again. And I wouldn't be surprised if this pump last 30 years or more.
I don't think your impeller will rust out. It's probably below the water line and it rusts a lot less there. My impeller had a bit of rust, but 99.9% of the impeller was still there after 14 years.
My switch was fine too, but by putting the water level 2 inches higher than it was, but still 6 inches below the floor, I arranged it to only run on very wet days. I live in the East too, and right next to a stream. For 18 years I never heard the sump pump when I was upstairs, but something changed a couple years ago, and now at my desk, with the tv on and the computer fan making noise, I hear when it goes on and 24 seconds later, I hear it go off. So I know it's working, at least most of it.
One of my neighbors *thought* she had a problem. When I went over there, the motor was humming constantly. Her pipe had rusted too and the motor which is attached to it fell over and the pump couldn't turn, so the motor was on continuously, doing nothing. I told her to get a new sump pump. I don't see how anyone here could have the original one anymore, but I doubt any replacements had the metal main pipe.
Why did you replace the pump because the pipe was rusted? It's just a piece of plumbing pipe screwed into the pump. Of course the threads were likely rusted, but some rust buster or a torch will usually remove them. Or you could have put a Fernco coupling on the stub pipe and some new pipe.
While I hate plastic impellers, PVC pipe is the best. No more rusting pipe. However, here is a tip. Never lift the pump out of the hole by the PVC pipe. I did that once and the pipe snapped off at the threaded adaptor on the end. Was not the biggest problem but it pissed me off for my own stupidity, and was a pain to get the broken pvc piece out of the threads.
I will agree with the person that said to keep a spare switch for a Zoeller. That seems to be their weakest part. A gasket is needed too for the housing over it. A spare switch and gasket is a good idea to keep on hand, although I have always preferred keeping a spare pump on hand. I always keep an old beater pump (that works), and keep one of those flexible sump pump hoses attached to it. If by chance my regular pump dies and the basement starts to flood, I can just toss that pipe out a window and plug it in without any wasted time connecting stuff. I have used this pump for other uses too.
plastic pipes do crack.
from the manufactuers position,
hey we sell a quality product but nothing lasts forever.
buy a new pump please!!!
its good for business and in a use that could cause damage if the pump fails a excellent idea.
pumps dont cost that much cheap insurance if you ask me
I recall now that the motor was on for a while, and then the built in circuit breaker or thermal interrupt would stop it. Then a few minutes later it would reset itself and hum for a few minutes again.
It didn't run "continuously".
Because it was a disgusting rurty, wet piece of crud to work on. And I had to remove it to do anything to it. Might as well replace it. I'm as thrifty as anyone you know, but I have my limits.
I don't want to go through all that. I think the new pump was only about 30 dollars (10 years ago.)
Also by cutting the horizontal piece and removing a bit of it, and rotating the vertical piece a bit, I was able to use the plastic sump cover that the house came with but which wouldn't fit, and certainly wouldn't fit and still allow the float to go up and down.
I was very happy with what 30 dollars bought me.
I did save the motor with the switch, the impeller rod, and the impelller. I've used two motors -- I don't know where I got them -- one to power the cheap belt sander, and one to power my second bench grinder. (The first one is almost a toy, with a jig saw on the other end.)
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