A utility pump comes in handy when you need to pump water out of a flooded basement, broken washing machine, clogged sink, hot water tank, boiler, etc. A cordless pump is even more useful plus it's much safer than working with 120 volts AC & water. Always use caution when working with water & electricity, even if you're working with battery powered equipment. All of the items came from Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Harbor Freight:
The sump is constructed out of a PVC shower drain, a reducing bushing, a bushing with a 1/2" female pipe thread, and a brass 1/2" X 3/4" hose adapter for a washing machine hose. Rubber washers on the bottom serve two purposes. They keep the sump level plus they provide a small amount of space for water to flow into the sump. This is a bottom view:
The hose connects to a two valve Y connector. The second hose is used for draining boilers or hot water tanks. The power is provided by a Ryobi 18 volt battery pack. I have several Ryobi tools which use the same battery so it makes sense to use the battery pack in this system. I had to hack a flashlight for the housing, battery connectors, and the switch:
The battery, holder, pump, and plumbing are connected to the top of a plastic bucket cover. A 3/4" hole was made for the discharge hose to drain into the bucket:
The second valve has a quick connector for a regular garden hose. You wouldn't want to keep emptying buckets when you have to remove water from a boiler or a hot water tank, so a regular hose is the preferred choice when a drain is available. The bucket is used when there's no drain available. Here's the finished project:
The sump is constructed out of a PVC shower drain, a reducing bushing, a bushing with a 1/2" female pipe thread, and a brass 1/2" X 3/4" hose adapter for a washing machine hose. Rubber washers on the bottom serve two purposes. They keep the sump level plus they provide a small amount of space for water to flow into the sump. This is a bottom view:
The hose connects to a two valve Y connector. The second hose is used for draining boilers or hot water tanks. The power is provided by a Ryobi 18 volt battery pack. I have several Ryobi tools which use the same battery so it makes sense to use the battery pack in this system. I had to hack a flashlight for the housing, battery connectors, and the switch:
The battery, holder, pump, and plumbing are connected to the top of a plastic bucket cover. A 3/4" hole was made for the discharge hose to drain into the bucket:
The second valve has a quick connector for a regular garden hose. You wouldn't want to keep emptying buckets when you have to remove water from a boiler or a hot water tank, so a regular hose is the preferred choice when a drain is available. The bucket is used when there's no drain available. Here's the finished project:
