Liberty Pumps 287 1/2-Horse Power 1-1/2-Inch Discharge 280-Series Automatic Submersible Sump Pump with VMF Switch
Price:


Product Feature
- Pumps up to 67 GPM
- Maximum head 37-Foot
- Quick-disconnect 10-Foot standard power cord allows replacement of cord in seconds without breaking seals to motor
- Efficient motor design reduces electrical usage by up to 40-percent
- Includes a magnetically operated VMF switch for smaller pits down to a 10-Inch diameter
Product Description
287 Features: -Pump.-Designed for step systems, mound systems, liquid waste transfer and high output sump applications.-High-output submersible with rugged cast iron housing.-Permanently lubricated upper and lower bearings.-Oil-filled, hermetically sealed motors with thermal overload protection stainless steel, removable bottom screen.-Stainless steel rotor shaft.-Stainless steel fasteners.-Vortex style impeller permitting passage of solids.-Carbon and ceramic mechanical face seal.-All fasteners - corrosion-resistant stainless steel.-Engine HP: 1/2.-RPM: 3450.-Discharge: 1 1/2'' FPT.-Shut-off head: 444''.-Solids handling: 3/4''.-Maximum fluid temperature: 140 F. Color/Finish: -Epoxy powder coat finish. Specifications: -115 Volts / 60 Hz / 8.5 Amps motor. Dimensions: -Designed with unique one-piece cast iron body and quick-disconnect cords available in 120'' and 300'' lengths.-Vertical magnetic float for smaller pits - will operate in a 10'' diameter sump.-Dimensions: 13'' H x 10'' W. Warranty: -2-Year warranty.Liberty Pumps 287 1/2-Horse Power 1-1/2-Inch Discharge 280-Series Automatic Submersible Sump Pump with VMF Switch Review
If you're looking at a Liberty Pump, you're most likely also comparing it to a Zoeller Pump. First off, both are excellent choices and plenty of people in their reviews will tell you that they are far superior to what you'll find at the 'big box' stores. I wholeheartedly agree. Both brands offer several pumps on Amazon that are excellent values, given their construction, price, features and U.S. manufacture/assembly. Given all of that has been covered by others, I thought I'd focus on why I chose Liberty, and in the process hopefully point out some little-discussed points that differentiate two excellent brands. I do own a Zoeller M53 which has provided me with trouble free service for some time. I purchased the Liberty 287 because of its increased power (1/2 vs. 1/3hp) and corresponding water output. I've had a couple of close calls where the amount of water coming into my sump nearly exceeded the capacity of my smaller Zoeller pump and almost flooded my finished basement.1. Switch Design: Liberty and Zoeller use various switch designs including floats, etc. However, for for this discussion, I will focus on what appear to be the most popular designs from each respective manufacturer. The Zoeller Mxx series generally use a mechanical switch actuated by a float/rod/arm assembly. The Liberty 2xx series generally use a magnetic/reed switch actuated by a motor body-conformal rod/float assembly. In my research, I found several instances of switch failure on the Zoeller, either apparently caused by water intrusion into the switch housing or mechanical failure. My opinion is the magnetic/reed switch is a superior design because the switch housing containing a reed switch doesn't need to have a rubber seal/gasket to seal the switch arm, therefore eliminating this failure mode.
2. Motor shaft: Deep in the specifications of the Liberty pump (available at their website), one will find that the motor shaft is specified as being manufactured from stainless steel. I could find no such material specification for the motor shaft for the Zoeller pumps. Why does this matter? Quite simply because corrosion and pitting of the rotor shaft can cause the shaft to seize in the motor housing, causing the motor windings to overheat and the insulation to fail. Also, pitting of the shaft can cause premature shaft seal failure through accelerated abrasion of the rubber or elastomeric shaft seals. Finally, in sumps where brine water discharge from a water softener is introduced, a stainless shaft may be the difference between a trouble-free pump and a failure. (the ideal solution in this situation is a bronze pump, which resists salt corrosion far better than the cast iron pumps reviewed here. Both Zoeller and Liberty manufacture bronze pumps).
3. Bearings: Liberty specifies (again in the specification documents available on their website) that the motor shaft is supported by ball bearings. Zoeller references bushings made from the same material as the motor housing (cast iron). Generally, higher quality motors use ball bearings and in this case, where the pump may be used very frequently or infrequently, I think ball bearings are a superior anti-friction bearing to cast iron bushings.
Other thoughts: Some may find that the cast iron impeller used by Zoeller on some models may be reason to purchase over the engineered plastic impeller in Liberty pumps, particularly if the pump is operated in environments with lots of particulates in the drain water (i.e. sandy or silty environments) In my application the above features that I've highlighted outweigh the potential benefits of a cast iron impeller.
Again, both are excellent brands that represent the best that American manufacturing offer. Neither is a bad choice as both offer a wide range of products for a variety of applications. I do think the above features are tangible reasons to go with a Liberty pump over the Zoeller and reflect Liberty's focus on product innovation and improvement.
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