Review on 🔒 Wayne WSS30VN: Upgraded Combination 1/2 HP and 12-Volt Battery Back Up System in Black - Efficient Solution for Added Security and Reliability by Ken Barnett

Packaging: The pump was well packed with cardboard pads to prevent wobbling and bruising. It's always nice to see an item well packaged as the outer box is always destroyed by shipping companies. Size: I measured the "bottom" of my sump as the top was slightly larger and I only had about 14 inches to work with. The instructions on Wayne's website state that a minimum of 15 inches is required. I was a little worried but I can confirm it fits the bottom of my sink. It's pretty tight though. The pumps can rotate a bit on the Y-connections, so I rotated them to squeeze in tight spaces. The vertical float is about 0.5" from the pool wall, which is closer than I would like, but I'm embarrassed that I didn't check the dimensions before ordering. There don't seem to have been any side effects so far. Installation : I've never done plumbing or any type of sump before. I bought a 5ft section of 1.5" PVC, PVC cement primer and PVC cement at a local hardware store. I used a jigsaw (the only one that I had) and cut the pipe to fit the 90 degree bend above my sump.I primed the pipe and glued it to the Y-piece and let it dry for 30 minutes.Cut out my old pump,sit these in and use a 4" long rubber fitting with screw terminals on each side to connect to my existing pipe. ) and replaced it with a small piece of new pipe and more rubber fittings. Note: There is a tiny check valve built into the base of each pump that simply screws into the base and connects to a tube. No need for extra check valves. This setup was surprisingly easy and didn't take me any time at all. Feature: The float won't start the pump until the water is slightly higher than my old pump/float combo. It's actually not a big deal, since that just means it runs less. My swamp isn't very busy so it was raining pretty good and when I checked it out there wasn't much water so I assumed we hadn't had enough rain yet. Came back 15 minutes later and remarked that it would work in a moment. It really worked and I had no idea. He's so quiet. I checked it. There must have been some air in it when I installed it because there was a strong sound of running water. Now that the tube is pre-filled with water, I think it's quieter. I can't hear it in my basement when I'm 5-10 feet away and it's completely quiet upstairs. On the first floor, if I put my ear to the floor, I can hear water running through my pipe. That's all! No more gurgling, humming, clinking, etc. In fact, I almost worry it won't work when it's raining since I can't hear it anymore. I'll be adding the battery in a few days to have the backup pump ready, although I haven't had a power outage in over a year. So I can't comment on the backup pump yet. -1 Star: Taking a star off because literally the next morning when I checked the pit the base of the main pump started to rust. There were some orange spots at its base that I could see through the water. When I came back a few days later, I noticed that I couldn't hear the pump (almost silent) and found that most of the base was now orange. Not sure if this will affect the longevity of this pump but will keep an eye on it. I was hoping the paint/finish on the base would prevent rust, especially since it happened so quickly. If this pump continues to work and the rust is purely cosmetic, I would rate this product 5 stars, and I'm not simply giving 5 stars. Certainly more than the nearly $1,500 I received for having a contractor install a two-pump, battery-backed combo system. And it wasn't difficult to install since it came pre-assembled! Summary: Installation of the double pump is quick and easy as it is pre-assembled. Simply cut and glue the old 1.5" PVC pipe into the Y-piece and connect to the existing pipe with a fitting. The built in check valves are virtually silent and inaudible compared to any other standard check valve I've owned. This system gives me peace of mind as it has a backup pump and is silent.