THE BASEMENT WATCHDOGUniversal Replacement Sump Pump Float Switch (Model BWC1)

So far this unit works perfectly. I have had water issues for many years on and off due to faulty pump switches and switch systems that stick in the on or off position. After doing a lot of research I found that there are no integrated pump switch systems that are completely reliable. Plumbers have fixes similar to this one that cost anywhere from $100 TO $300. But this solution thus far is the most elegantly simple, low cost and about the only thing that I can see that might fail is the electronics that turn the pump timer on and off. I have had this unit in for about 6 weeks and so far so good it works every time.It's been almost a year now and this switch is still working well, it has saved me a lot of worry and I trust it to work every time. As for the 10 second delay that seems to trouble some people, you can easily adjust the height of the float to make sure you empty the sump completely or make sure it doesn't drain before timer shuts down. This is no big deal. I still recommend this product 100%Coming up on 4 years and this product is still working great not 1 single failure!I originally purchased in 2011, 7 years later the back up float system saved me from flooding. The fist magnetic float switch failed and the second one kicked in as advertised and kept the pump working. I noticed one day that the sump hole water level was higher than I had originally set. After some preliminary investigation I realized that the primary switch float wasn't working but the back up kicked in just as designed.I quickly purchased a new unit which arrived in a few days. I just finished replacing the unit and I'm back to normal. I took the time to disassemble the failed float unit (which is easy to do) and I cleaned up all the caked up silt, and once i did this the old float switch unit is working again! Now I have a reconditioned backup. What I learned is that after 7 years of flawless performance, the unit developed some silt/muddy build up that interfered with the magnet sensing on the primary float inside the cage. Once cleaned all was good again. hence if you have one, it worth the few minutes it takes to clean it up once in a while. So now I'm a 7 year test lab with nothing but excellent results. if I could give it 6 stars I would!

March 3, 2019: updateStill the easiest and fastest way to keep a sump pump running and not repairing switches or buy entire pumps. 10 minutes with a screwdriver and the replacement is working and the problem is solved. NOTE: When it fails it usually leaves the sump pump running, which could in theory burn out your pump. I have not had that issue.Failed again after 14 months. I checked and in my house with the amount of use this gets, it lasts from 12 to 15 months consistently. I do get more water in my sump than most. If your sump gets a lot of use, buy the square trade warranty. It is basically a 2 for one benefit.Jan 1/2018 update:1 year later, the switch went bad again. Within 10 minutes I replaced it with my standby and ordered its replacement on Amazon. Compared to completely replacing the pump or disassembling to replace the switch plus the PVC work that I used to do no less than once every 2 years, this is a fantastic deal and much appreciated.We have a very active sump pump. About once every one to two years our sump pump switch used to go bad, while the pump was fine. We ordered the replacement switch from the sump pump company and installed it. Eventually though, the switch housing "screws" would make it so the switch could not be replaced causing the need for a full new pump. Replacing this switch when it could be done required taking the pump out of the pit, disassembling it, installing the new switch and then reinstalling the pump. Replacing the pump could be less effort if all of the fitting till worked.By comparison, replacing this switch takes under 10 minutes. It does go bad but the cost of a bad switch is the 10 minutes to replace and whatever the price of the switch is, which I believe is still under $40.

We had a sump pump fail last year, and the insurance goons required that I devise a backup in order to keep the policy.Well, instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for an expensive system, I bought this unit and clamped it to the pipe. Then I connected it to a spare submersible pump, and voila! Problem solved.I've had the unit for several months and tested it. It works very well. When water moves the float, the backup pump turns on every time.