Features:

  • none
  • Imported
  • 3/10 HP pump for residential sump pits or septic tanks
  • 1½" discharge, passes 1/2" spherical solids
  • Automatic model with integral float-activated switch
  • Cast iron switch case, motor, and pump housing, plastic base
  • Performance: 43 GPM at 5' TDH, shut-off: 19.25' TDH. 100% factory tested
Drill Your Own Weep Hole

Best Sump Pump that you can buy. Nothing can stop it from working. One small problem is that the metal air hole in the pump will inevitably get clogged with gunk or rust so you need to drill a small 3/8th inch weep hole in the outlet pipe about 8" above the base of the pump and before the One Way Check Valve. This weep hole will allow any trapped air to escape and allow the pump to self-prime. If you get a large enough air bubble, the pump will run continuously and burn itself out while failing to pump out any water. Weep holes are needed for all sump pumps, no matter what brand.

Cannot say enough great things about this pump!!

My basement never use to flood, all of a sudden it flood with every heavy rain. It all started after the storm Irene. I had a waterproofing company come to my home and they wanted to waterproof my basement for over $15k. The main thing he was selling was his patented pump. So it made my husband think is it possible we need to replace our pump? No way they would come and not say it may be this simple fix but instead dig into our ground in the basement. Long story short, we read reviews on this pump. Purchased this pump since it would be saving us thousands if it worked. Installed the pump ourselves exactly as the directions said. We also watched a you tube video on the installation. Example. (Make sure to drill the hole) And to our surprise this pump is able to handle all the water and we have had some heavy rain these past few weeks. Not one drop of water has leaked into our basement. We purchased a check valve off amazon which makes it quiet so we cannot even hear it working but its working!!!!! So happy we decided to take a chance with this great pump. It is SOLID, STURDY and POWERFULL!!! It arrived very quick with Amazon Prime. 5 stars isn't enough!! Thank you Zoeller!!

Exact replacement; Side spray is normal; my switch was bad; plastic impeller proved good over 19 years of use.

My 19 year old Zoeller sump seemed to be shot. I looked into the almost overflowing sump and could see the pump's float switch should have turned it on, but there was all that water. I took a stick and got the switch to turn on, but when it had almost emptied the sump, there was a spray out of the side of the cast iron casting, so I figured, "the casing is shot, the switch is shot, time to get another." The attached pic shows the old pump actually cleaned up a bit after removal, when I discovered the DPDT electrical switch was really the culprit. When the new M53 arrived I also saw that that spray must be an outlet for pressure relief or water lubrication (screw driver points to this in picture); I was wrong thinking the casing was shot. Anyway, I'm happy with the replacement pump and if I get another almost 20 years out of it, I'll be super-pleased. I should note I didn't install the pump, some basement waterproofer professionals did (that's my easy out for not understanding the side-spray/broken casing mis-diagnosis... :-) ). Also, very surprisingly, removal of the rust-encrusted screws on the old pump switch compartment was very easy. So I'm gonna replace that switch, and have this old pump as a back up pump, or use it at the lake cabin for something perhaps. One final note: The old original pump has a plastic water impeller as well as plastic base (3rd picture). I might have been inclined to get the more expensive, metal impeller model but for very clean and clear basement sump water the plastic impeller proved very reliable over the last 19 years. One final, final note: since I replaced the old pump with a new model that was virtually identical, installation literally took about 15" minutes. I just had to detach the old backflow preventer (screwed on to PVC pipe), swap out the pumps, and re-attach. It was just that easy and quick. I considered a different make, a cheaper pump, but am very glad I went with the Zoeller M53.

Extremely reliable pumps

Several years ago, we had 22" of rain in 9 days, which resulted in our region being declared a disaster area. Flooded basements and septic systems were much universal around here. At the beginning of the rains, the pump in our French drain failed, and after the cleanup and drying out, I had a sump pump installed in the basement. We had two different contractors, one did the drywell and another installed the sump and pump. At that point, I knew nothing about pumps, but did notice that both of the pumps the different contractors installed were the M53's. I don't think it was coincidence. These things are incredibly well made and have been absolutely reliable. About the only thing that might fail prematurely is the switch. They are readily available from Amazon and, assuming the pump isn't submerged, can be changed out in place. While I haven't needed to do it, I have one on hand and it's a few simple steps. Zoeller recommends changing the pumps out every 7 years, I do it every 5. Installation is very easy. Connect a 1 1/2" male threaded fitting to whatever discharge plumbing you have, set the pump in place and level it, make sure nothing is contacting the float and plug it in. Don't forget a check valve and to drill a 3/16" relief hole (it's in the instruction sheet more than once). That's it. Unlike most of the pumps you find in the box stores, Zoeller has a complete inventory of parts should you feel like rebuilding the whole pump. I doubt I would go that far, but do keep a third brand new one in a box on a shelf, along with the spare switch I mentioned. It's just one of those things that I don't want to fail during the spring thaw, then have to go out and try and find one someplace. The pump also comes with a 3 year warranty.

High quality easy install.

Great pump. Was delivered fast and packaged well. I'm not a plumber by any means. A combo of the included instructions and a 5 minute YouTube video gave me all the knowledge I needed. Install: Disconnected the check valve pulled my old Coleman pump out, unscrewed the discharge pipe, threaded the existing discharge pipe onto the new Zoeller pump, cleaned out the pit (super important!) dropped in the pump, replaced the cover, reattached the check valve and plugged her in. Works like a champ. It may be a touch louder than my previous pump. Perceived Quality: I can tell you this pump is heavier and more stout than the Coleman. The Zoeller has less plastic than the Coleman. The Zoeller just feels and looks tougher! The float and its mechanism seem stronger and the switch is smooth. The thrust of the discharge on the Zoeller seems stronger this it empties the pit quicker and has a shorter discharge time. Not a big deal for "normal" wet weather in Chicagoland, but can be a big deal when massive snow melts or the spring/fall downpours come. Two points on installation I forgot about. 1) Zoeller requires a small hole drilled in the discharge pipe level with the top of the pump. This was easy! This is to make sure there's no air pockets in pipe causing a dry pump 2) I hinted at this a little above. Make sure you clean the pit out after you remove the old pump. Mine was full of small rocks, some contractor materials, and a McDonalds ice cream sundae lid?! This crap can get caught in the pump, get hung up on the float and just F things up.

Efficient, quiet & long lasting!

Bought this because 3 different plumbing pros said it's there go to. Then I also had looked online prior to purchasing to find 2 more guys saying it is the ONLY brand they buy & have for 20+ years. That was good enough for me. Tried to pick one up at a big box & they carried some extremely subpar brands (per reviews online, a lot that were no good). Found they sell a better brand in their online store than in store...how the ... Anyhow, that had me jump ship on big box'n it all together. Jumped online, looked it up on amazon (while in that big box stores parking lot) & got my Zoeller ordered right then. It got to us fast. Easy switch up & install. Loved the design which I compared to my busted sump pump & my back up. It is much more robust & better built than those two. I want to pick up another one for a back up & keep the old back up as a back up for the back up, though I doubt I'd need it. These Zoellers are awesome at what they do. Efficient, quiet & long lasting!

The M1 Abrams Of Sump Pumps

This is a bona fide water war machine! Essentially, we have a river running underneath our house from March to June. To provide prospective and to quantify our typical WI Spring thaw experience: Our sump pump runs every 15 seconds for at least 8-10 weeks. I've had the same M53 installed for 3 years, cycling 15 seconds for 8-10 weeks! I've purchased backup replacements, not because they've failed, but because each have exceeded my performance expectation. I'm going on 9 years using the M53, not 1 problem. THANK YOU ZOELLER!!

This pump is so great I bought it a beer

So let’s frame the situation here...I built my house about two years ago on top of what apparently is a natural spring that produces more water than the entire nation of Guam. Seriously, it seems to do better than my well. Constantly filled up my sump, and the humidity of my basement was super high. As an added plus, my water is really high in salt. I could take a bunch of lobsters and throw them in my sump and eat like a king for years to come. They would live and breed, develop their own tunnel system, own culture, maybe worship me as their god....who knows. Anyway, the water is awful. I had a Harbor Freight pump I bought in a pinch, and that sucked lasted a whole month before it couldn’t take it anymore. It would have gone out for a pack of smokes and not come back if it could have, but since it couldn’t, it just froze up and died. Not a good death either. Think about it, it was basically running on a treadmill for 12 hours a day in a salty pit of horrors for a month. AND THATS WHEN THIS THING CAME ON THE SCENE. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I had a big problem on my hands, so I had a few beers and bought it. Not a single regret. This thing has been a complete champ. It runs around 10-12 hours a day and that has been for a little over a year. Nonstop. In fact, the reason I decided to finally write this review is because it stopped working. I was prepared to get all pissed off and order another one....and to my surprise, the thing had sucked up a bunch of rocks and clogged the hose. I cleared it out and it is running perfectly again. Unbelievable. I poured a beer in my sump because I figured the little guy deserved one, and now here I am writing this. Highly recommend.

Life is good if Zoeller is working to keep your basement dry.

This pump replaced one just like it that lasted for 17 years and (I believe) was a victim of sabotage when it died. It suffered through numerous dimwitted plumbers and lulled me to sleep on rainy nights knowing it would keep my basement dry as long as I could hear its motor running. My new plumber bought first one model and then another by another maker at a local store and he finally pointed to my computer and asked "Do you think you could find the same model as the old one?" Two minutes later I found it at Amazon and they delivered on a holiday, free two day shipping. My plumber adores me, he thinks I have a lot of clout at Amazon and that I have a good understanding how plumbing works unlike his other customers. (He actually said that). What does he expect from a quality European import.

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