Thanks to their effectiveness, and growing awareness, water pumps are becoming far more common in flood mitigation schemes. Traditionally, flood defences focused on walls, gates and barriers, and pumps were often overlooked. That left a gap: any seepage, groundwater, or even rain falling inside the protected area would simply build up on the "dry" side of the defences.
Water pumps solve this. They remove water from the dry area and move it back to the "wet" side, keeping internal levels low. In perimeter schemes this can stop water ever reaching a depth that lets it enter a property. In Property Flood Resilience schemes, pumps help ensure any water that does get in stays shallow, reducing the damage. They are also invaluable for clearing low spots where water collects, moving it to a suitable discharge point such as a drain or ditch.
This guide focuses on which flood pump to buy at each budget. If you would first like to understand the different categories of flood pump, read our companion guide to the 3 main types of flood pumps.
How to choose a flood pump
There are plenty of choices on the market, and several factors worth weighing up:
- Budget
- Flow rate (how quickly you need to move the water)
- Manual or automatic operation
- The distance the water must travel, and whether it is uphill or around bends
- Whether the pump is deployed as needed or permanently installed
- How low the pump needs to clear the water
More broadly, think about the overall flood risk, how the property is built, your existing drainage, where you will store the equipment, how easily you can deploy the pump, and how much warning you usually get before a flood. The resistance the pump works against (the head) matters too, so our Water Pump Performance Calculator and our guide to reading a pump curve are worth a look before you buy.
Manual flood pumps
Essential range: Stream SPP2-4
Whether used in domestic or industrial applications, the Stream SPP2-4 is excellent value and good quality, ideal for dealing with small floods.
Head: 6m. Flow rate: 70 litres/min.
Enhanced range: Stream SPK530
This heavy-duty fully submersible pump is widely used in residential, commercial and industrial situations, and on hire fleets. The Stream SPK530 clears water down to 1mm.
Head: 11m. Flow rate: 170 litres/min.
Premium range: EVAK Residox 400
The EVAK Residox 400 is fully submersible, available in 110V or 230V, and designed to pump very low levels of water, down to just 1mm.
Head: 11m. Flow rate: 250 litres/min.
Automatic flood pumps
Automatic pumps start and stop themselves as the water rises and falls, which makes them the right choice for unattended protection. For more on this, see how to pump water away automatically at floor level and our pick of the best automatic pump for a flooded basement.
Essential range: APP RS32EA
The APP RS32EA is a compact automatic submersible pump, ideal for narrow sumps or draining basements. Shallow water level control is handled by a miniature float switch.
Turns on at: 50mm. Turns off at: 25mm. Head: 7.5m. Flow rate: 130 litres/min.
Enhanced range: EGO 500 SELS
The EGO 500 SELS is set from the factory to turn on at 125mm and off at 40mm. The on level is adjustable down to 15mm and the off level to a few mm. The pump runs for a short while after the level drops below the off point, enabling low-level pumping down to a millimetre, but to help prevent it running dry the off level should be set no lower than 3 to 5mm.
Head: 7.5m. Flow rate: 170 litres/min.
Premium range: FPS Iguazu Sump 635
During flood events the FPS Iguazu Sump 635 has a major advantage over portable puddle pumps: it is installed below ground and operates automatically, switching on and off as needed. One customer was on holiday in Australia when their Iguazu activated during flooding and kept the property dry.
Head: 6.5m. Flow rate: 166 litres/min.
Choosing the right pump
The right choice comes down to your flood risk, how your property behaves in heavy rain, and how quickly you need to move water as levels rise. There is no one-size-fits-all option, so think through the space you have, the level you need to pump down to, and how much warning you usually get. Whether you choose a simple manual pump or a fully automatic setup, the goal is the same: keep water levels under control and reduce the impact on your home. For a permanent, below-ground solution see our packaged pump stations, and for pumps aimed at below-ground flooding see cellar and basement flooding pumps.
If you would like help choosing, use our Pump Finder or call the team on 0115 987 0358.
