Sump pump basins

The Jackel SF22A-DR is the basin I’d put in a basement. It scores 9.5, the top of this page, because Jackel answers nearly every question a replacement buyer has, and backs the basin longer than anyone here.

Jackel’s product sheet lists 22 US gallons, an 18 in. inside diameter, a 21 in. outside diameter, a 19-1/2 in. bolt circle and a 24 in. height. It weighs 14 lb, and it’s one-piece HDPE structural foam with nylon-encapsulated threaded inserts for the lid bolts, made in the USA.

Depth is the reason it’s my pick. Zoeller’s basin sizing article gives a rule of thumb of at least 24 inches of water depth in a residential pit to give the pump enough run time and avoid short cycling. This is the only pick that’s 24 in. tall.

The DR means it comes factory-drilled, so groundwater can seep in through the walls. Jackel’s application line is plain: residential basement sump systems. That also tells you what it isn’t; a drilled basin is the wrong part for a sewage ejector, which needs a sealed basin.

The lid is a known part. Jackel lists its SF16314-CV cover for the SF20 and SF22A basins, with discharge and vent flanges, an access cover, a cord grommet, a reusable seal and stainless bolts. For radon, Jackel’s SMR16101 dome bolts to the floor over an existing basin.

Jackel warrants its structural foam basins and lids to the original buyer for as long as they own the home. Its one-page install guide calls for 4 to 6 in. of level, compacted base and rounded gravel or stone between 3/8 and 3/4 in. around the basin.

If you want a solid wall instead, Jackel sells the same basin undrilled as the SF22A, which its Amazon listing describes as gas and radon tight.

The Zoeller 31-0444 is the 18 × 22 in. polyethylene basin Zoeller sells for basement sump pits. It scores 8.0. Zoeller describes it as designed to be buried flush to grade and ideally sized for a primary sump pump, a check valve, a backup pump and a high-water alarm.

It comes as a plain basin: the listing says less hub and hole, and Zoeller’s comparison sheet lists it without an inlet or pipe seal. That suits a groundwater pit where you want to control where water enters, or a sealed radon setup.

The covers are documented by part number. Zoeller’s FM0487 sheet lists the 17-0294 polyethylene lid with a 1-1/2 in. discharge and cord grommet, and the 17-0131 steel radon lid with a 3 in. vent, and pairs the 31-0444 basin with the 17-0131 as a radon set. The sheet rates its basins to 130°F.

Zoeller’s FM2125 install sheet is specific. Dig the hole at least 8 in. wider than the basin for 4 in. of backfill all around, lay at least 4 in. of compacted base, and use 1/8 to 3/4 in. pea gravel or 1/8 to 1/2 in. crushed stone. To add a 4 in. pipe seal inlet, it says to use a 5 in. hole saw.

It loses points on depth and warranty. Zoeller’s own sizing article suggests at least 24 inches of water in a residential pit, and this basin is 22 in. tall. Zoeller gives it a one-year limited warranty, against Jackel’s lifetime basin warranty. Zoeller notes its polyethylene basins are for indoor installations only.

Zoeller’s product page doesn’t give a gallon figure; the listing title says 22 gallons, so it gets two thirds of the size check.

The Jackel TSF16-DR is the basin for a crawl space. It scores 7.8. Jackel designed it for crawl spaces and limited-space installs, and it telescopes from 9-3/4 to 17-1/2 in. tall, then locks at four ribs.

That matters in a crawl space, where carrying a 24 in. tub through a small access door and digging a deep hole is the hard part. Jackel lists 16 US gallons, an 18 in. inside diameter, a 21 in. outside diameter and the same 19-1/2 in. bolt circle as its basement basins, at 8 lb.

Its install guide is the most detailed of Jackel’s: line the hole with non-woven geotextile drainage fabric to keep out fine particles, lay 4 to 6 in. of compacted base, set the basin level and at grade, and backfill with rounded gravel or stone larger than 3/8 in.

The guide then has you install the check valve and pump, apply the cover seal, pull the cord through the cord opening and bolt the cover down. Jackel’s product page doesn’t name which cover part to buy, so it gets half the cover check, and none for a sealed option.

It’s a lifetime basin under Jackel’s structural foam warranty, like the SF22A-DR. The listing says it has 24 drilled 5/16 in. holes and four metal inserts for the cover.

Depth is the tradeoff. At 17-1/2 in., it’s well under Zoeller’s 24-inch water rule, so check your pump’s minimum basin size before you buy. For a basement, take the SF22A-DR.

One practical detail from the guide: if you need to collapse the basin again, you pull hard on the top half until the halves separate and set the bottom inside the top. That makes it easier to carry back out through a small crawl-space door. The guide also says you can install a high-water alarm when you set the pump.