What is a Puddle Pump?

Puddle pumps are a hidden gem in the water pump world. Although they are fantastic products it appears that there is little knowledge of how they work and their use of them.

What is a Puddle Pump?

A puddle pump is a special type of water pump which is able to pump to very low levels of water without overheating or burning out. This removes the need for a chamber to be dug. Traditional submersible water pumps are water cooled and unable to pump to low levels. Electric puddle pumps can be used internally or externally.

Puddle pumps are perfect for use in flood protection and emergency response situations.

They can be used on most surfaces to pump away residue and nuisance water, which may occur because of seepage, rainfall, or flood water. Puddle Pumps are perfect for emergency response situations because you are able to position them straight onto a surface and can pump shallow water. This feature means that puddle pumps can hugely improve flood response – which is our key goal at Flood Protection Solutions Ltd.

One pump can help protect hundreds of people over its lifespan

Puddle pumps can prove very effective investments for councils, businesses, homeowners or agencies. They avoid the need for a chamber, which means you are able to use the same pump in multiple locations. It's also possible to move puddle pumps to different places on the same site to remove nuisance water, or even to another site if necessary.

With submersible pumps, there is always a depth of water that cannot be reached. The following graphic compares a submersible pump with a puddle pump:

Where to use a puddle pump?

• Flood control
• Basement drainage
• Lift shafts
• Fixed installations
• Hire fleets
• Transfer

 For the purpose of flood control, Puddle Pumps can be used internally or externally:

Internal use:

There are many different types of flood protection – a popular method is to use door barriers or guards as flood barriers, in conjunction with air brick covers. Whilst this will help buy time to move possessions, a house is not watertight. Water is likely to still find its way into the property by infiltrating through the bricks, the mortar and anywhere vulnerable.

At Flood Protection Solutions Ltd we like to use the example of ants… ants find their way into your property and often you’re unsure where from. Water is the same! Some flood schemes may include an internal sump and chamber to deal with this water entering. Fitting these can be disruptive and expensive. You are able to use an electric puddle pump internally to help remove any water that still enters the property. This can help keep the water level low, and massively reduce any damage that the flood may cause. A puddle pump such as the Tsurumi LSC1.4S can pump as low as 1mm and run dry for prolonged periods of time with very little, or no water at all due to the air and water cooling route to the top outlet.

External use:

With any flood defence scheme, there is always a requirement for a water pump. Puddle pumps can be used to effectively control seepage, rainfall, and rising groundwater, without the need for a chamber or sump digging. This gives flexibility and helps reduce any costs for the works. Puddle pumps can be used to help drain a site and protect it from flooding.

Flooded basements are a common occurrence in the U.K. Puddle pumps can be used when required, or installed permanently in a fixed installation with an automatic option available. Once again, a chamber is not necessary, so there is minimal disruption with using the water pump.

Puddle pumps are very versatile as they can either be in fixed installations or used in various locations. They’re fantastic products and we want to help more people with puddle pumps.

The main advantages of puddle pumps are:

• Portability
• Cost effective
• Pump as low as 1mm
• No chamber required
• 3 year warranty on Tsurumi Puddle Pumps
• 2 year warranty on APP Pumps
• Versatility
• Help prevent flood damage
• Fixed Installations also possible 

The Tsurumi LSC1.4S is a fantastic puddle pump and pumps water as low as 1mm. Unlike other pumps, it can even run dry for extended periods of time without damage. This pump comes with a fantastic 3-year product guarantee as standard and is the industry standard for quality. The pump is incredibly robust we believe it should be utilised more widely across the U.K. If you’re looking to pump flat surfaces, without a chamber, we would recommend the LSC1.4S. Water levels can even be managed in fixed installations with a SwitchH20 system of a Tsurumi Sensor.

Our flood protection goal

Did you know flooding is the biggest threat to the U.K as a result of climate change? Despite this, studies show that 67% of the U.K population do not know their own flood risk! At Flood Protection Solutions Ltd we want as many people as possible to reduce their risk of flooding, and puddle pumps can be a very effective and inexpensive way of controlling flood risk.

We believe that all communities, councils, and agencies should have a store of puddle pumps. This can help to reduce and mitigate the upheaval, expense and stress that flooding causes.

No matter what flood defence product you use there will always be a requirement for a water pump. This can be due to rising groundwater, overflowing drains, seepage and even rainfall. Flooding and its effects are unpredictable and therefore to be able to respond quickly and effectively with the correct pump is essential.