Liberty Pumps 257 pump, gray, 1-1/2"

The pump arrived in decent packaging and therefore I had no issues with any shipping damage. The finish looks great and the pump seems very sturdy. It's relatively heavy which is a good thing as it's not going to move around. I like the external plastic float fixed to the side that rises and falls verticaly - unlike my last pump which had an internal float (and which unlimately led to its demise after about 10 years). The base has built-in feet allowing the impellor to sit about 1 in off the bottom of the sump pit but note that, unlike my last pump which came on when water was about 2in high in the pit, the float on this pump has to rise about 7 or 8 inches before it activates the pump. Although this means more standing water in the pit, it also means less activation (and therefore, hopefully, longer service life). The next step was installation which took me about 2 hours since this pump was taller than my old one (about 12in vs 7in) and therefore I had to adjust the pipework to fit both this new pump and my back-up pump. If it wasn't for my back-up pump, installation would have been a breeze. When it was time to test, at first I became concerned as it didn't activate despite there being a couple of inches of water in the pit. Of course I then realised that the float had to rise a few more inches before activating and so I lifted the float by hand to see if the pump worked. I could hardly tell that the pump was on other than the water level dropping - that's how quiet it is !!! On that basis alone, I heartily recommend it. I was going to buy the Zoeller M57 but I'm so glad I didn't given the float switch issues with that pump. Naturally, I can't comment on longevity and how long the powder coated body , the float, the impellor etc will last as only time will tell. However, first impressions are very positive. All in all, I'm very happy so far with the pump. ****UPDATE 05/01/2013 **** The pump has been worked hard this winter given the amount of snow and rain we've had. After just over 6 months and it's still as quite as when fitted. Working like a charm and still whisper quiet. So far so good... *** 2 YEAR UPDATE 11/12/14 *** It's been 2 years and the pump is just as quiet as it was on Day1. And still pumping as effectively as before. No issues whatsoever. This is one great sump pump.

I had a flotec 3/4 hp pump for about 7 years. It worked fine but it was quite loud. I would know upstairs that the pump was turning on. I investigated several pumps at Home Depot, Menards and online. Most pumps at HD and Menards were made in China but I think there were a couple made in USA. The made in USA pump was being sold in several different brand names - but they appeared to come from same manufacturer. Often they had a tethered switch - which is rather inconvenient to set up. Also, I checked the reviews of those pumps and they had one common problem - switch failure after a few years! Finally, this liberty pump. Made in USA and outer appearance does make it look superior to others - including the other unit made in usa (forgot the name brands). We have had constant rains for past week in Wiscosin and this pump is more than sufficient for my need. 3/4 hp was over kill. I suspect for most people, as a sump pump, 1/4 hp is more than sufficient (unless you have a special situation/problem). This liberty pump is very quiet. You would barely notice that it is working. It has a built in float and magnetic switch, which makes set up very convenient. You should buy a check valve. I bought Zoeller but I think Campbell Mfg Quietsump Chk Valve would have been better. Buy a check valve which allows 100% flow through diameter. Cheap ones open only about 45 degrees or so. If you are seeking to replace a sump pump and cannot afford failure (I have a $150,000 worth finished basement + $25,000 audio equipment), consider this liberty pump. Of course, I have not tested this for longevity. Flotec worked just fine for 7 years but based on the "sound of refinement", I get the feeling this liberty pump would work just fine for another 7+ years. Made in USA is a big plus for me and it outward build quality shows the attention to detail. And yes, I do have a backup system - I use zoeller water powered backup system. Btw, the instructions say that you should drill a 1/8th inch hole near the outlet - to avoid air lock. I did so but it was splashing water. Therefore, I replaced it with a connection without the 1/8 inch drill hole. The pump works fine. It does have a built in vent hole in the base/body of the pump and you don't need another vent hole. I am using zoeller check valve and I don't have an air lock issue.

I asked how everyone liked this pump 4 days ago. Got good responses and ordered. Received it today 5/16/14. Very fast delivery. We had 6 inches of rain last night and my old cheap sump pump was running overtime. It was very loud and worked half the time. I had this one switched out and working within 7 min. That is no lie. Delivery. An dropped it off at about 6pm and by 6:15 I was eating dinner. I already had everything cut. This is a very solid unit. It was boxed very well. Very quick and easy to install. The cord is plenty long enough to reach outlets. I can't say enough how quiet this is. I had to walk down to see if it was running. I ordered the quiet check valve and it will be here in two more days. I like the fact that the water does not go over the top of the unit. My other one would get covered by water. I will try to do another update later. UPDATE::::5/19/14 Its been in for 3 days now and i would say that with the 6 in of rain we had last week it runs about every 50 sec all day every day. One thing that i like is that it only fills the crock up about 4 inches before it turns on. The last one i had would fill up about a foot or more. This gives you time to try and fix the pump or replace it before its to late. I really love this pump. I will be getting my Quiet check valve today so i hope that takes the THUD out of the pipe. Thats the only thing i hear now. Cant even hear the pump run. UPDATE::::2/18/2015 Still love my liberty pump. It has never failed me yet. I added the quitet check valve and i can not hear it run at all. I am going to order the 1/4 hp smaller liberty to add to this for battery backup. It draws less watts and will run longer on the battery. I really like this pump. Great price and its solid. If you are having any thoughts about a sump pump dont think again buy this.

I installed this pump to replace an 11-yr-old 1/3rd HP Zoeller. I decided on the Liberty pump based on web reviews as well as price...it was less expensive than the comparable Zoeller and offered similar features, including cast-iron metal construction. Out of the box the pump looks exactly as pictured, and it weighs at least 20 lbs. It's heavy duty, no seams, and seems to be built using quality parts. The float and switch mechanism also appear to be well designed. As the float travels up toward the switch, it activates a magnet which turns on the pump. The switch seems to be well-built and well-engineered. Installation was easy - pull your old sump pump by disconnecting it from a PVC union or check valve, build up the new PVC discharge pipe (1.5" schedule 40) using your old pipe as a template, closely matching the pipe lengths, then place into the sump hole after the PVC cement cures up, and off you go. Make sure there is no binding...the power cord needs to be out of the way so that it cannot interfere with the float or switch operation. Ideally the pump should be installed near the center of the sump hole. Per the instructions, when you're using a check valve, you're supposed to drill a 1/8" hole just above the discharge outlet on the PVC pipe on the pump to prevent airlock. I drilled about 1-2" above the discharge outlet as I am using a check valve to prevent back-flow of water back into the pump. Water does spray out the small 1/8" hole but that is normal operation. This pump should last - overall its operation is very quiet. I can't even hear the pump when it kicks on - the only indication I have that the pump is running is the clunk sound the check valve makes when it closes, after the pump is done running. I've had a Liberty pump underneath my basement washer tub for over 10 years and it's still operating extremely well. I'm betting this pump will last as long as the Zoeller did.

I ordered this to replace a failed one of the same model. That made fitting it easier. It worked once installed. However, 2 notes. 1. The threads at the mount point were REVERSE of what the old model was. One was inside thread the the other outside. This would prevent the simple reuse of the old hardware so I had to install new hardware. Which brings me to... 2. Despite claiming the adapter was included, it was not. This required an extra trip to the hardware store. Not a really big deal, but something to be aware of when installing. I have another sump with an identical pump. I will order a new one once that dies.

Good solid cast iron submersible water pump. No leaks so far and pump the water very fast. Be sure to buy the flow regulator to connect to the pipes down minimize noise level and knocking sounds from the pipes. Will be by more from Liberty because it's good value for the money. So far it's been reliable and plenty of horsepower the pump out basement water.

I never write reviews - never, but this experience was so good, I just had to. 3 days ago, I had a pump failure and had to go to one of those big box stores quickly - no time to order online and wait for delivery. Well the pump I put in was so loud I could hear it from the street (not kidding). It was a good pump and moved water, but that thing was LOUD. So, I started doing research to find a quieter pump with similar specs and came across this Liberty pump here on Amazon. I installed it in minutes and could not believe how quiet it was. I watched it kick on and saw the water moving, but still could not believe it was running. Zero vibration, zero noise - I actually heard the check valve click shut when the cycle finished. I cycled it a few more times just to make sure I wasn't missing something. In addition to being the quietest possible pump, it is sturdy and extremely well designed. Super compact but the steel swivel handle made it a snap to position in place. It's profile and leg design also got all but about 1" of water out of the basin which was much better than any submersible pump I've ever seen. Not sure how long it will last, but for the price and the perceived quality out of the box, I am now a total fan of these Liberty pumps.

I purchased this pump 5 years ago after buying a house with two sump pits and having one die the month after closing. I replaced the first one with a 287 model (1/2 HP). The 287 has been working fine for 4 years. I knew one day the other pump which doesn't see as much water would die and I would need to replace it, and I wanted a quality brand when it came time to replace it.... so I bought this 257 and kept it on standby for the past 5 years. Well, finally one day the Flo Tec that was installed gave up the ghost. The pump still pumped but the float sensor had died on it. Time to bring in the all-star replacement.... or so I thought. This pump has given me constant problems every since it was installed. It has failed to trigger three times in the month it has been installed. I come downstairs to an overflowing sump pit and have to reach into the water and wiggle the float to get it to turn on. The float does not feel like it has water inside of it. It moves up and down freely with no obstructions. It must just be faulty. I am outside of the warranty period now and it's my own fault for that, but the VMF should be warrantied for a lifetime considering it is new technology. I am likely going to end up having to buy a new mercury float and zip tying the VMF up. The pump itself is quiet and strong, but a good pump with a bad float is a paperweight.