Best laundry sink drain pump for a basement below the sewer line: Liberty 404 and 405, Superior 92017 and Zoeller 105 compared on flow at head, basin size and what the maker prints
Maker sheets compared: Liberty 404CV 38 GPM at 5 ft, 21 ft shut-off, 4.3 gal, cCSAus; Superior 92017 1,800 GPH at 10 ft, 6 gal; Liberty 405 34 ft shut-off, 180 F.
- Verified
- Updated
- 11 min read
- 12 sources
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OwnerSpec compares published manufacturer specifications, certification listings and sourced technical documents. Unless a page explicitly states otherwise, OwnerSpec has not laboratory-tested or used the products it compares. Editorial policy
Short answer
For a basement laundry sink below the sewer line, the pick is the Liberty Pumps 404CV: Liberty’s 404-Series engineering specification prints 38 GPM at 5 ft of total dynamic head, a 21 ft shut-off head, a 4.3 gallon basin, 1-1/2 in connections and 3/8 in solids handling, and the sales sheet prints the CV version as cCSAus certified to ASME A112.3.4 / CSA B45.9, check valve included. The runner-up is the Superior Pump 92017: its product page prints 2,760 GPH at 0 ft, 1,800 GPH at 10 ft, a 6 gallon tank, head up to 25 ft and UL, CSA and SSPMA certification. Where the lift passes 15 ft or a dishwasher drains into the same sink, the Liberty 405 prints a 34 ft shut-off head, 48 GPM at 5 ft and 180 F continuous. Skip all three if the fixture is a toilet: every unit here is printed for gray wastewater, and Liberty sells its toilet systems as a separate macerating line.
The picks
Standard basement laundry tray, wants a certified unit with the check valve in the box
Liberty Pumps 404CV 1/3 hp drain pump with check valve
Liberty 404-Series engineering spec: 38 GPM at 5 ft TDH, 21 ft shut-off head, 4.3 gal basin, 1-1/2 in NPT inlet and discharge, 3/8 in solids, 1/3 hp 115 V 5.2 A, 11-1/8 in tall; sales sheet: 404CV cCSAus certified to ASME A112.3.4 / CSA B45.9, 104 F continuous
Wants the largest basin here and a complete kit with the check valve included
Superior Pump 92017 1/3 HP sink and drain pump system
Superior product page: 1/3 HP cast iron pump, 6 gal tank, 2,760 GPH at 0 ft, 1,800 GPH at 10 ft, head up to 25 ft, 1-1/2 in NPT discharge with check valve, 3/8 in solids, piggyback vertical float, 35 to 120 F intermittent, UL, CSA and SSPMA certified, 3-year limited warranty
Lift past 15 ft, a dishwasher draining into the sink, or 2 in pipework
Liberty Pumps 405 commercial 1/2 hp drain pump
Liberty 405-Series engineering spec: 48 GPM at 5 ft TDH, 34 ft shut-off head, 5.5 gal, 2 in inlet, discharge and vent, 3/8 in solids, 180 F continuous, 1/2 hp 115 V 7.3 A, SSPMA and cCSAus; sales sheet: not intended for use with chemicals
Budget kit for a sink that is not inspected; no maker spec sheet could be opened
VEVOR utility sink pump, 1/3 HP, 6 gallon basin
No VEVOR spec sheet or certification listing was readable this session, so none of the listing's flow, head or basin figures are reproduced here; buy it as an uncertified kit or not at all
If the basement fixture is a toilet, close this page: nothing below is printed for it, and the sewage class is a different machine.
How was this shortlist built?
Every figure here is a manufacturer-published specification read on 2026-10-10 from the document named beside it. OwnerSpec did not install, run or flood-test any pump; every pick was confirmed in stock on Amazon the same day.
Units were compared on flow at the one head the maker states, shut-off head, basin gallons, horsepower, inlet and outlet size, switch type, listed fixtures and printed certification. A standard number appears only where the maker prints it.
Total dynamic head is the vertical lift from the pump to the gravity drain plus pipe friction, in feet. A drain pump is a sealed basin with a submersible pump and a float switch that lifts gray wastewater to a drain above it.
Three gaps are stated, not filled. Saniflo’s site answered every fetch with a challenge page, so Sanivite and Saniswift are named as a class with no figures. Wayne’s site lists no laundry tray or utility sink system, so there is no Wayne row. No VEVOR or Holdwell document could be opened, so the budget kits carry no numbers.
How do the drain pumps compare on paper?
GPH figures are the maker’s GPM multiplied by 60; Superior prints GPH directly.
| Unit | HP | Flow at stated head | Shut-off head | Basin | In / out | Solids | Switch | Fixtures the maker lists | Certification printed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty 404CV | 1/3 | 38 GPM (2,280 GPH) at 5 ft | 21 ft | 4.3 gal | 1-1/2 in NPT / 1-1/2 in NPT | 3/8 in | CSA and UL approved piggyback wide-angle tilt float | Bar sinks, laundry trays, dehumidifiers, utility sinks, washing machines, gray wastewater below gravity lines | SSPMA, cCSAus; 404CV to ASME A112.3.4 / CSA B45.9 |
| Liberty 405 | 1/2 | 48 GPM (2,880 GPH) at 5 ft | 34 ft | 5.5 gal | 2 in / 2 in, 2 in vent | 3/8 in | CSA and UL approved piggyback wide-angle tilt float | Bar sinks, laundry trays, multi-compartment utility sinks, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, commercial sinks | SSPMA, cCSAus |
| Liberty 406 | 1/6 | 12 GPM (720 GPH) at 17 ft | 27 ft maximum total dynamic head (no shut-off figure) | 1.91 gal | Three 1.5 in inlets / 1, 1.25 or 1.5 in | 1/8 in | Vertical float | Sinks, showers, laundry sinks and bar sinks directly; washing machines and dishwashers indirectly | cCSAus (ASME A112.3.4-2018, CSA B45.9-18), SSPMA |
| Zoeller 105 (M53 pump) | 1/3 (FM3241) or 3/10 (FM3373) | 43 GPM (2,580 GPH) at 5 ft, 34 GPM at 10 ft, 19 GPM at 15 ft | 19.25 ft | Not printed | Not printed | 1/2 in | Not printed | Laundry trays, wet bar sinks, lavatories, A/C condensate, dehumidifiers; dishwashers and disposals | Not printed |
| Zoeller 131 (M98 pump) | 1/2 | 72 GPM (4,320 GPH) at 5 ft, 61 at 10 ft, 45 at 15 ft, 25 at 20 ft | 23 ft | Not printed | Not printed | 1/2 in | Not printed | Same list as the 105 | Not printed |
| Superior 92017 | 1/3 | 2,760 GPH at 0 ft, 1,800 GPH at 10 ft | Up to 25 ft | 6 gal | Not printed / 1-1/2 in NPT | 3/8 in | Piggyback vertical float, on at 6 in, off at 2 in | Wet bars, outdoor kitchens, utility sinks | UL, CSA and SSPMA |
The Liberty 406 and the Zoeller 105 and 131 are in the table for comparison only: their listings were scarce or had no offer on 2026-10-10.
What flow do you actually need?
Less than the shelf suggests. Measure the lift from the basin to the gravity drain, add the pipe run, and read the flow at that head, not at 0 ft. Superior’s own page shows the drop, from 2,760 GPH at 0 ft to 1,800 GPH at 10 ft.
The sump pump sizing calculator does the head arithmetic for any submersible pump; the sump pump and battery backup review covers the pit for ground water, which a drain pump never should handle.
A washer is the fixture that overloads a small basin: it dumps a tub at once. Liberty prints the washing machine on the 404 page, and the 1.91 gallon 406 lists it only as an indirect connection. Pair any washer on a pump with fresh hoses: the washing machine hose replacement interval guide explains why a burst hose in a pumped basement is worse than one upstairs.
Liberty Pumps 404CV: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if the sink, laundry tray or washer sits in a normal basement and an inspector may see it. Liberty’s engineering specification prints 38 GPM at 5 ft of total dynamic head, a 21 ft shut-off head, a 4.3 gallon basin, 1-1/2 in female NPT inlet and discharge and 3/8 in solids; the sales sheet prints 1/3 hp at 115 V and 5.2 A, 11-1/8 in tall, 13 lb, 104 F continuous and 140 F intermittent, and the 404CV as cCSAus certified to ASME A112.3.4 / CSA B45.9.
The flaw is temperature: 104 F continuous rules out a dishwasher, which Liberty’s 404 sheet does not list and the 405 sheet does. The plain 404 ships without a check valve; the CV is the one to order.
Skip it if the pipework is 2 in: Liberty prints that as the 404L.
Superior Pump 92017: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if basin volume matters more than a standard number. Superior’s page prints a 1/3 HP cast iron pump in a 6 gallon tank, 2,760 GPH at 0 ft, 1,800 GPH at 10 ft, head up to 25 ft, a 1-1/2 in NPT side discharge with a full-flow check valve, 3/8 in solids, a piggyback vertical float that switches on at 6 in and off at 2 in, 4.1 A, 19.3 lb and a 3-year limited warranty, and says the unit is UL, CSA and SSPMA certified.
The flaw is the fixture list: wet bars, outdoor kitchens and utility sinks, with no washer, dehumidifier or dishwasher named, and 35 to 120 F printed for intermittent use. The Amazon title says 3/10 HP where Superior’s page prints 1/3 HP.
Skip it if the maker’s list must name the washer: that is the Liberty 404.
Liberty Pumps 405: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if the drain is far above the pump or hot water goes in. Liberty’s 405-Series engineering specification prints 48 GPM at 5 ft, a 34 ft shut-off head, 5.5 gallons, 2 in inlet, discharge and vent and 180 F continuous duty; the sales sheet prints 1/2 hp at 115 V and 7.3 A, 16 lb, 14-1/8 in tall and lists dishwashers among the fixtures. Liberty describes it as built for higher head applications such as commercial buildings.
The flaw is plumbing: 2 in connections mean adapters for a 1-1/2 in sink trap, and the sales sheet says the unit is not intended for use with chemicals.
Skip it if the lift is under 15 ft and the water is cold: the 404CV covers that.
Zoeller 105: why it is in the table and not a pick
Zoeller’s FM3241 sales sheet prints the 105 at 43 GPM at 5 ft, 34 GPM at 10 ft and 19 GPM at 15 ft, a 19.25 ft shut-off head, 1/2 in solids, 9.7 A and a low profile for a base cabinet. Its fixture list is the widest here: laundry trays, wet bar sinks, lavatories, A/C condensate and dehumidifiers, with dishwashers and disposals allowed.
Two things keep it off the picks. The 105-001 listing had no Amazon offer on 2026-10-10, and Zoeller’s own documents disagree on horsepower: FM3241 prints 1/3 HP, the FM3373 chart prints 3/10 HP for the same M53 pump, and neither prints basin gallons or inlet size. If a disposal shares the sink, read the garbage disposal review before choosing a pump that accepts one.
VEVOR utility sink pump: buy it or skip it?
Buy it only if the sink is a garage or workshop fixture nobody will inspect and the price gap to the Liberty is the whole decision. No VEVOR spec sheet or certification listing could be opened this session, so this page reproduces none of the listing’s flow or head claims and files it as an uncertified kit.
The flaw is everything above: no maker document, no certifier, no printed fixture list.
Skip it for a washer, a rental or anything a permit touches.
Measure the lift before you order
Do not buy on the box’s maximum head. Measure from the basin floor to where the discharge joins the gravity drain, add the horizontal run, and pick the unit whose maker prints a usable flow at that head: Liberty 38 GPM at 5 ft for the 404 with a 21 ft shut-off, Superior 1,800 GPH at 10 ft, Zoeller 19 GPM at 15 ft for the 105.
Who should skip every unit here?
Anyone draining a toilet. Every pump above is printed for gray wastewater and passes 3/8 in or 1/2 in solids. Liberty sells its toilet systems as a separate macerating line: the Ascent II, which Liberty says pumps up to 25 ft vertically and 150 ft horizontally through a 1 in discharge.
Anyone pouring chemicals down the sink. Liberty’s 405 sales sheet says the unit is not intended for use with chemicals.
Anyone who wants a macerating grey-water unit. Saniflo’s Sanivite and Saniswift are that class; Saniflo’s site could not be read this session, so no figure for them appears here.
Anyone whose dehumidifier is the only fixture. Liberty and Zoeller both list dehumidifiers, but a dehumidifier with its own condensate pump needs no basin; the basement dehumidifier review marks which units pump.
What goes wrong?
The float sticks. Every unit here switches on a float, and washer lint is what hangs it. The float switch diagnosis written for sump pumps applies to a drain pump basin unchanged.
The check valve is missing. Without it the column drains back and the pump short-cycles; Liberty prints the plain 404 without one; Superior includes one, and Zoeller’s chart says its systems do except Model 104.
The sink drains slowly and the pump gets blamed. A trap clog above the basin looks like a weak pump: run the slow drain checklist first.
Hot water into a 104 F pump. Liberty prints 104 F continuous for the 404 and 140 F maximum for the 406; the 405 prints 180 F continuous.
Frequently asked questions
Can a laundry sink drain pump handle a washing machine?
Liberty's 404 product page lists washing machines among the fixtures the 404 serves, alongside laundry tray sinks and bar sinks, and its sales sheet prints a 4.3 gallon basin and 38 GPM at 5 ft of head. Superior's 92017 page lists utility sinks, wet bars and outdoor kitchens and does not name a washer, so route a washer only to a pump whose maker prints it.
How much head does a basement laundry pump need?
Measure the vertical distance from the pump basin to the point where the discharge joins the gravity drain, then add pipe friction. Liberty prints a 21 ft shut-off head for the 404 and 34 ft for the 405; Superior prints up to 25 ft for the 92017. Flow falls as head rises: Zoeller's FM3241 sheet prints the 105 at 43 GPM at 5 ft and 19 GPM at 15 ft.
Is a drain pump the same as a sewage ejector?
No. Every pump on this page is printed for gray wastewater: laundry trays, sinks, dehumidifiers and condensate, with 3/8 in or 1/2 in solids handling. Liberty sells its toilet systems as a separate macerating line (the Ascent II, which Liberty says pumps up to 25 ft vertically through a 1 in discharge). A basement toilet needs that class of product, never a sink pump.
Why is the Zoeller 105 in the table but not a pick?
Two reasons. The Zoeller 105-001 listing had no Amazon offer on 2026-10-10, and OwnerSpec recommends only listings it confirmed in stock. Zoeller's own documents also disagree on its horsepower: the FM3241 sales sheet prints 1/3 HP and the FM3373 comparison chart prints 3/10 HP for the same M53 pump. Its flow table (43, 34 and 19 GPM at 5, 10 and 15 ft) is still useful for comparison.
Does the pump need a check valve?
Each maker answers for its own unit. Liberty's sales sheet prints the 404CV as the version with the check valve included and the plain 404 without one; Zoeller's FM3373 chart says all its systems except Model 104 include a check valve; Superior's 92017 page prints a full-flow check valve included. Without one, the discharge column drains back into the basin after each cycle and the pump short-cycles.
Fact sheet and how to cite this page
- Answer
- The pick for a basement laundry sink below the sewer line is the Liberty Pumps 404CV: Liberty’s engineering spec prints 38 GPM at 5 ft, a 21 ft shut-off head, a 4.3 gallon basin and 3/8 in solids; the sales sheet prints cCSAus certification to ASME A112.3.4 / CSA B45.9. The Superior Pump 92017 prints 1,800 GPH at 10 ft and a 6 gallon tank; the Liberty 405 prints a 34 ft shut-off head.
- Comparison basis
- Liberty Pumps sales sheets and engineering specifications for the 404, 405 and 406, Zoeller’s FM3241 sales sheet, FM3164 flow tables and FM3373 comparison chart for the Model 105 and 131, and Superior Pump’s 92017 product page, compared on flow at the head the maker states, shut-off head, basin gallons, horsepower, inlet and outlet size, switch type, the fixtures the maker lists and the certification the maker prints.
- Assumptions
- The fixture is a laundry tray, utility sink, washing machine standpipe, dehumidifier or condensate line: gray wastewater as the makers print it, never a toilet
- Total dynamic head is the vertical lift from the pump to the gravity drain plus pipe friction; the flow figures are printed only at the head each maker states, and GPH figures are GPM multiplied by 60
- Every Amazon listing was checked in stock on 2026-10-10; the Zoeller 105 had no offer that day and appears in the table only
- Method
- OwnerSpec compared manufacturer-published specifications read on 2026-10-10 and confirmed each pick in stock the same day; it did not install, run or flood-test any pump, prints no sales rank or rating, and reports only the figures the cited document states.
- Primary source
- Liberty Pumps, 404-Series engineering specification (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Facts verified
- Last updated
- Cite as
- OwnerSpec, "Best laundry sink drain pump for a basement below the sewer line: Liberty 404 and 405, Superior 92017 and Zoeller 105 compared on flow at head, basin size and what the maker prints", https://ownerspec.com/plumbing/reviews/best-laundry-sink-drain-pump/, facts verified 10 October 2026.
Every figure above also appears, with its source, in the article. All sources ยท How OwnerSpec verifies numbers
Sources
- Liberty Pumps, 404-Series engineering specification (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Model 404 sales literature (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Model 404 product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, 405-Series engineering specification (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Model 405 sales literature (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Model 405 product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, 406-Series engineering specification (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, macerating toilet systems (Ascent II) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Model 105 preassembled drain pump sales sheet FM3241 (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, drain pump comparison chart FM3373 (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, drain pump sales sheet FM3164 (Models 104, 105, 131, 132 flow tables) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Superior Pump, 92017 sink and drain pump system product page (manufacturer or vendor document)