Have you ever been stuck in a situation where you have to quickly remove unwanted water from a flooded basement? It’s not a pleasant experience, and it puts you in an awful position if you don’t have a way to drain out the water IMMEDIATELY. In a worst-case scenario, this could happen in the middle of the night and your local hardware store won't be open until the morning. Its situations like these that you must proactively prepare yourself for.

There are many different types of water pumps in today’s market: Transfer Pumps, Submersible Pumps, Semi-Trash Pumps, Trash Pumps, Diaphragm Pumps…just to name a few. All of these water pumps are great and specifically designed for a particular task. However, we’re going to concentrate and discuss pumps that are more commonly used for home applications. These are water pumps that will assist you on a repair project and/or help you during in case of emergency.

TRANSFER PUMPS

In some occasions, homeowners and tradesman may face the challenge of getting water out of something. Maybe it’s a small size trench, water storage container, toilet, water heater, washer machine and other modest applications. There’s a lot of instances and situations in where you need to get water out in order to perform a task. A transfer pump is exactly what you want in order to get over this obstacle.

Transfer pumps like the Milwaukee 2771-20 M18 Water Transfer Pump is a good addition to have in your toolbox. This Milwaukee M18 transfer pump is unique because it’s the industry’s first cordless water transfer pump with the fastest setup in the market. An innovative self-priming pump, you can connect and go quicker than ever. The tool’s flexible impeller and powerful pump moves water at up to 480 gallons per hour (or 7 ½ gallons per minute). It generates up to 18 feet of lift and produces up to 75 feet of head height. This water pump also recognizes when the tool stops moving water and automatically shuts itself off to avoid dry pumping. Very impressive for this little guy and handy to have around.

This pump features a 3/4-inch brass inlet and outlet. So really, all you need is a heavy-duty garden hose connected on each side, switch it on, and begin to transfer water. It doesn't get any easier than this folks!

SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS

The only downside about transfer pumps is its size and power. You will find yourself needing to pump out more water fast and the flow rate in transfer pumps just will not be enough. This is where a submersible pump comes into play. Submersible pumps are a better solution to remove unwanted water from a flooded basement or window wells. You can also use this to drain pools or hot tubs for servicing or maintenance, and can be utilized for many other related purposes.

Submersible pumps are exactly what it sounds, water pumps that can be fully submerged into water during operation. The motor and all electrical components are completely sealed off. All you have to do is plug it in to a dry electrical outlet or a heavy-duty extension cord, place the discharge hose away from the water source, and begin pushing water ASAP. Honda, along many others like Tsurumi and Multiquip, make outstanding submersible water pumps. The Honda WSP100AA 1-HP Side Discharge Submersible Water Pump is no exception. This pump moves water at up to 150 gallons per minute! Compare that to the Milwaukee transfer pump, huge power difference! This pump is packed with features like a built-in thermal reset and automatic non-mercury float switch. This will definitely get you out of a flood.

This Honda pump features a discharge port diameter of 2” FNPT (Female National Pipe Thread). You can easily find a discharge hose at your local hardware store or a step-down adapter to accommodate different hose fittings.

SEMI-TRASH PUMPS

Overall transfer and submersible pumps are a great piece of equipment to have. However, in my opinion, there is one major disadvantage. Most of these pumps only operate off 120-volt electricity. What happens when the power goes out? Sure, you could plug in a submersible pump into a stand-by generator but that would tie up power that could be used for other essential items around the house. This is where a gasoline semi-trash pump really stands out from the rest!

Besides submersible pumps, Honda also makes excellent semi-trash pumps like the WB20XT3 2-Inch 164 GPM 4-cycle Gas Engine Semi-Trash Pump, but a better deal is the DuroMax XP650WP-LHK 7 HP 220 GPM 3-Inch Gas Engine Water Pump Kit. You get a lot more pump for a lot less money, this is a bargain! This 3” compact pump can push water at up to 220 gallons per minute! Capable of emptying a 40,000-gallon pool in about 3 hours. WOW! This pump is easy to use, it features an EZ-Pull recoil start system that allows for simple startup without multiple pulls. If you're familiar with small engines, this pump is very easy to operate with very low maintenance. This is the best solution If you need to drain out a flooded basement during a power outage. It's also extremely useful in a remote location where power is nonexistent or very far away.

This DuroMax Semi-Trash water pump comes with two heavy duty hoses. In the box you’ll find a 3 in x 50 ft discharge hose and 3 in x 20 ft suction hose, both rated for water pump usages and NPT threaded. This way you don't have to run to your local hardware store and pick up additional equipment.

To simplify this a little further, Transfer Pumps are made for smaller repair projects and operations. Design to transfer clean water and greywater*. Submersible Pumps have the exact same principle on hand, just moves water way faster and more efficiently. In comparison, Semi-Trash Pumps can handle it bit more by transferring small solids and debris through the pump without causing any internal damages (thus the name trash). In addition to pushing gallons of water per minute with velocity, it’s also very portable by not depending on electricity. Water pumps are one of those tools that you usually don’t operate on a daily basis, but you're always glad that it's there when you most need it. Prepare yourself against this hurricane season, water pumps are lifesavers during floods.

*Greywater – used water from sinks, showers, bath and laundry, without harsh chemicals