Wayne WSS20 - 1/3 HP Combination Primary and Backup Sump Pump System
Product Discontinued
Style
GPH
3450
Gallons
HP
1/3
Horse Power
Switch Type
Protect Your Basement from Flooding •Provides primary and backup pumping capabilities
System Includes: •1/3 HP Primary Pump with Switch Genius™ Technology •Epoxy-coated cast iron construction offers years of reliablility •Oil-filled, thermally protected motor prevents overheating •Reliable, reinforced poly-carbonate impeller •Top suction screen filters debris •Simple Drop In Installation
High-Flow Battery Back-Up Pumps Up to 1410 GPH @ 5 feet •Corrosion-resistant thermoplastic construction •Float switch for automatic operation •Battery charger keeps battery properly charged •Electronic water sensor means no adjustments needed •Alarm system lets homeowner know standby system is active •Battery case included
Requires one 75 amp deep cycle battery (SOLD SEPARATELY)
Q: I currently have a Wayne 1/2 hp sump. It is getting old and I need a battery backup combo due to power outages.
I really would like the wss30 combo but my pit is just about 14 inches at the base.
Will it fit?
The specs say 15 in. It does taper up a bit at the top. I cannot go too high as I may go beyond the overall height. My pit is covered on top.
by Barry from Pennsylvania on January 30, 2011
A: Per the manufacturer's manual, this will fit in a sump basin that's 12" or larger. The 15" measurement is actually the length of the battery box, not the pump.
This switch activates at 8" of water.
by Jim, Product Expert
Overall Rating
3.5
(Based on 4 Reviews)
Sort By
April 03, 2011
Leo Acton, MA
Wayne WSS20 (Primary and Backup) ** Rating May Be Premature **
Received the pump direct from Wayne about 10 days after I ordered the pump. The box was in fine condition
Could not wait to install the new pump. I wanted to now benefit from the safety and the security of the new electronic switch control. I have had a number of mechanical switches fail on me in the past resulting in BAD news.
Install of the system went very well. The unit was pre-assembled. All I needed to do was cut my PVC piping to length, glue, connect the wires and power it up.
Wayne included a number of cable ties for securing the number of cables involved.
However to my disappointment, the electronic switch on the primary unit seems to cycle very often... (the pump starts up in the claimed position about 9 inches off the bottom) however, it shuts down after only dropping the water in the sump about two inches. (Hence the high amount of cycling)
To try to troubleshoot the main pump, I have moved the pump around in the pit.. making sure I have about 2 inches between the sensor and any other object (side wall... Piping, etc)
I am not sure if I have a bad switch or not. Although the Switch is warranted for 5 years... Cycling every 20 seconds or so... I am not sure if that is the optimal working conditions.
Received the pump direct from Wayne about 10 days after I ordered the pump. The box was in fine condition
Could not wait to install the new pump. I wanted to now benefit from the safety and the security of the new electronic switch control. I have had a number of mechanical switches fail on me in the past resulting in BAD news.
Install of the system went very well. The unit was pre-assembled. All I needed to do was cut my PVC piping to length, glue, connect the wires and power it up.
Wayne included a number of cable ties for securing the numbe... more
October 26, 2010
Darrell Merrill Columbia, MD
Wayne WSS20
This pump worked right out of the box. I have checked out the primary pump which seems to work fine.
No experience with the backup unit yet.
May 24, 2010
George Chicago, IL
Very Powerful Main Pump
I bought this pump to replace my aging old pump. This primary pump is immensely powerful and quietly empties my pit, even during a extreme rainstorm, in a few seconds with little effort.
It has a built-in back flow preventer that is submerged so you don't get that loud knock every time the pump finishes running like average pumps do (like my old pump with the back flow preventer sitting outside the pit a few feet from the floor in the discharge tube).
The primary pump does not use a mechanical float that can get stuck or full of grime from being submerged, instead it uses a stationary water sensor.
You do have to wipe this sensor clean with a wet rag every once in a while (every 3-4 moths for me, just reach in and wipe the sensor that is exposed and attached to the side of the pump), otherwise the pump will think there is water that needs to be pumped when there is none, causing the pump to run needlessly.
The backup pump is a separate unit that is attached slightly above the primary pump and powered by battery. This is nice in the event the primary pump fails or gets jammed. This one does use a float switch, however it sits outside of the water virtually all of the time so there is little chance it would get full of grime, preventing its operation. There is a alarm that sounds every time the backup pump runs (3 secs.)
I am reasonably happy with the backup's performance, it will work great in 90% of scenarios. But when I turned off the power to the sump pump during one of those extremely heavy rainfalls to examine the performance of the backup pump, I notice the backup pump can't drain the pit until the rain slows down a bit.
The backup pump will definitely prevent a flood however, as it holds the water level steady in the pit. If you get these heavy rain falls regularly, I would recommend going with the larger model that has a larger backup pump capacity.
Since I did not go with the larger model I will be installing a water powered backup pump to offer assistance during these extreme weather conditions.
I bought this pump to replace my aging old pump. This primary pump is immensely powerful and quietly empties my pit, even during a extreme rainstorm, in a few seconds with little effort.
It has a built-in back flow preventer that is submerged so you don't get that loud knock every time the pump finishes running like average pumps do (like my old pump with the back flow preventer sitting outside the pit a few feet from the floor in the discharge tube).
The primary pump does not use a mechanical float that can get stuck or full of grime from being submerged, in... more
February 24, 2010
David Freeland, MI
NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD SUMP PUMP
Ten years ago I built the home I live in. As a former builder and now an architect I thought I had everything covered well. The sump pump, however has been a nightmare.
5 years ago my completely finished lower level flooded during a heavy storm. The problem? The float on the sump pump got stuck on the ribs of the crock. This was one of those float on a rail types.
I figured I'd try a tethered one that would be free to move around. Wrong! 5years later the tethered float got stuck between a rib and the side of the pump and the lower level flooded again.
I have spent over $12K in repairing my lower level since 2000. See, every time the pump cycles it moves just a bit. My pump is hard plumbed so I figured it wouldn't move much. Again, I was wrong.
So then, after the last flood just 4 months ago, I bought this system, the Wayne WSS20 with battery backup. The pump has what I thought was the answer to floats....a sensor bar that senses the water level. Ahhh, nothing to get hung up! Well, I haven't had a flood...yet, but what I do get is a constant cycling of this pump, even when there is no water in the crock.
After checking it out, I noticed the sensor was close to the wall, so I moved the pump back to the center of the crock and it worked fine. I created a metal brace system on top of the crock to hold the pipe and pump in place, and it worked fine for a while even though it continues to run for several seconds after the crock is empty and makes a horrendous noise that can be heard throughout the 2800 sq. ft. house.
I dealt with that until I noticed it wasn’t shutting off at all. I just checked on it to find the pump is in the center of the crock and it runs shuts off for a few seconds and runs some more, nonstop and no water in the crock with only a trickle coming in.
So what's the solution? I'm working on that and within a year or two Google "the perfect sump pump" and you'll find my answer.
SPD RESPONDS: If you don't want to wait a year or two, just give the tech support folks at Wayne a call: (800) 237-0987.
Ten years ago I built the home I live in. As a former builder and now an architect I thought I had everything covered well. The sump pump, however has been a nightmare.
5 years ago my completely finished lower level flooded during a heavy storm. The problem? The float on the sump pump got stuck on the ribs of the crock. This was one of those float on a rail types.
I figured I'd try a tethered one that would be free to move around. Wrong! 5years later the tethered float got stuck between a rib and the side of the pump and the lower level flooded again. more