ᐅ Recommendations for Garden Pumps to Empty a Sump Pit

Hello dear forum community,

Are there any recommendations for garden pumps to empty a shaft about 4 meters (13 feet) deep and approximately 1 meter (3 feet) wide? The emptying needs to be done regularly.

I am not familiar with garden equipment at all.

The pump should not be placed floating in the shaft but rather stand on a solid surface, with one hose reaching into the shaft to draw water and another hose to discharge it. At least, that’s how I imagine it.

I prefer not to buy twice and am willing to spend a bit more for a product with a long service life.

Many thanks in advance!

@Scrooge McDuck
1. Garden water pump with suction hose (the pump is placed above ground, so the noise is also up there)
At the inlet, connect a suction hose with a filter and a check valve.
At the outlet, attach a Gardena connector, then you can connect your garden hose with a handheld spray nozzle, sprinkler, etc.
You need to switch it on and off manually.

2. Submersible pump (placed at the bottom of the pit, so the noise is also down there)
The cable runs to the pump, and the hose leads out. A float switch automatically turns the pump on and off.
Your hose is fixed to the pump at the bottom, so it’s attached quite firmly and not suitable for sprinklers (pressure is too low). It also pumps out debris.

In terms of price, you will find both systems range between 100-200 € (approx. 110-220 USD).

Important addition,
always secure the cover tightly on the shaft,
risk of fatal injury for you, your partner, and children,
no one can get out without a ladder.

I hadn’t even considered the noise the pumps might make.

It might end up being a submersible pump. Tomorrow I’m going to the hardware store to take a closer look.

Thanks for the addition. I really need to keep that in mind!

A permanent installation would be a small domestic water booster pump, which creates pressure like in your household water supply line. As I understand you, however, a submersible pump might be more suitable. You lower it on a rope and attach a hose that pumps the water wherever it needs to go. In my opinion, my pump did not have a suction hose; instead, the bottom of the pump was about 5mm (0.2 inches) above the base, and water was drawn in there. With a submersible pump, you should also be able to empty the sump, whereas with the booster pump plus suction line, probably less so, because these usually have more distance from the bottom.

What kind of water is this,
from the downpipe, soakaway, or house drainage?
If it doesn’t smell, is not cloudy, or otherwise unusual, you can use it for watering, including indoor plants that usually only get the lime and chlorine water (I know, meets all standards) from the tap.