VCMA-20ULS 115 Volt, 80 GPH, 1/30 HP Automatic Condensate Removal Pump for HVAC/Refrigeration Systems/Dehumidifiers with Overflow Detection Switch and 6-Foot Cord, White/Black, 554425

This is a very nice pump. It does a good job and it is very quiet. It is priced very good and well worth the money. Easy to install. Only took me about 15 minutes to remove the old pump and install the new one. Everything matched right up. No modifications had to be made. I give this pump 5 stars and I would buy it again.

My condensate pump started overflowing after being in service for maybe 20 years. We had regularly serviced the coil and furnace, added a few ounces of bleach every month and tried to keep it working. The motor would still run, but the efficiency of the pump had fallen, it required that the tubing be full of water to take advantage of the siphon effect. The pump, mounted in the basement, could no longer push water up to the required height (about 7 feet) to get to the waste drain pipe. Plus, the float was getting stuck and would only operate intermittently. I decided to try the "Little Giant" because it not only has a slightly greater capacity rating than my old pump, but it also has a safety switch that I thought I could use to notify me if the pump failed for some reason. Although I haven't implemented the safety switch yet, I was able to quickly install the pump after it arrived. I was very pleased that it worked immediately and pushed water through the dry hose and out with no problem. I'll have to wait and see if it is as reliable as the old one. I think it will be, the motor looks sturdy and has a good cooling fan on it, much better than the old one. The microswitches are typical; they will be the most likely point of failure I'd guess. Be sure to check for level along both the X and Y axis because the safety float is mounted at 90 degrees to the main float. If it is off-kilter it won't operate properly. I am very pleased so far. This is much less expensive that what my A/C maintenance company wanted to charge for the part and installation. I figure I did this for about 10% of what they would have charged. I've included before and after pictures.

Works great.

The most remarkable feature of this item was the speed at which it was delivered. Ordered at 4:00 pm and got it by 9:30 pm same day! The A/C system was accumulating 30+ gallons a day so this was much appreciated. Great overall value and power. Relatively easy to install. Noisier and more powerful than previous. Details below: 1. It is more powerful than the previous unit which is great, but it is also is more noisy - which isn't so great. I've added some foam against the wall to muffle some vibration and noise. Choose what you need and limit excess noise. For me, the noise level is probably worth having fewer clogging problems, easily blown out by the more powerful unit. 2. Installation: Mounts easily to the wall on 2 screws and if you are replacing an existing unit, it is easy to set up. There are 3 intake openings and snap-in caps for the ones you don't use. The hose clamp shown on the outtake nipple isn't included and may not be necessary. $1.49 for that extra peace of mind is worth it. This model came with a grounded plug, which I used to test the unit. I later cut off the plug and wired it into the fused shut-off box for the whole A/C system. 3. Reliable switching: The internal switches (attached to floats) come on when an inch or so of water enters and a second switch cuts off the A/C unit via the thermostat when there is too much water in the reservoir. If the motor fails or there is a clog in your pipes, your house will not get flooded. The shut off works great when there is about 3" of water in the reservoir. Typical run time to empty the reservoir is about 5-7 seconds. 4. Quirks: (Which may mean nothing) A. The motor smelled a little oily/smokey for the first 3 days until it broke in. It settled in nicely. The ice cold air from a high efficiency A/C unit creates some condensation on the outside of the reservoir. (See photo) I have not noticed dripping but keep squared plastic shoe container beneath just in case. So far, so good.

First, the crap and gunk that this unit battled - I am amazed that it was still running. Here are some notes from my experience:- + DON'T ASSUME THE PUMP TANK IS CLEANED WITH ANNUAL OR PERIODIC SERVICES. Many companies (I have experience with a fairly wide range) will do just enough to clear the lines and keep the unit functioning. Not once have any of the companies *ever* cleaned this tank. + DON'T ASSUME THE PUMP IS REPLACED WHEN THE FURNACE IS REPLACED. We had a huge, new Lennox system installed and the not inexpensive, certified installers just left the old pump in place. If the photo wasn't so terrible, I'd attach it. Cannot believe this Little Giant battled through. + DRAIN LINE. There was so much gunk in the unit that the line out was also full of sediments. I replaced it based on guidance from amazon contributors. It was not at all difficult. I think you will do much more for your own unit than someone normally has time to do on a usual service. If you want it replaced, it is probably something you'd have to specially request. + DRAIN LINE CONFIGURATION. There are notes on how to do this given your specific location (rise precedes horizontal run, length, etc.). Mine was twisted, tied so tightly to the pipes that it was constricted in multiple places, and the run configuration was inverted. The Little Giant manual contains relevant info. as well. + REPLACEMENT. For less than $50 it is much, much more economical to replace the pump. There are also many good notes in the reviews -- together with You Tube vids. + INTAKE PIPES. I just knew before I removed the unit, I'd find that the ends of the pipes were not only flat cut, but also almost flush up against the bottom of the tank. A read of the very straightforward installation instructions highlights this as an issue. It's just not something the normal retail customer would even know to check until a water or functional issue develops. Cut at a 45 degree angle. + P TRAP. So important and so often overlooked. Equipment manufacturers may not really focus on these, and service technicians are busy once there's an obvious fail. My installation was riddled with errors. No wonder it has been leaking for years. Every time I asked about it, every co. agent just said, yeah, they do that. Well they do if they are not installed correctly. It is easy to check the levels and venting requirements by reading 1.5 pages of the manual. Risks of improper installation: water damage to the system and area, and worse, distribution of substandard air throughout the house. + MAINTENANCE. The tank needs to be flushed and cleaned regularly. That's IMPORTANT. From what I gleaned, that's a minimum of every 2 years........ but realistically at *least* annually (with that service contract) and possibly more frequently in humid or damp areas. I have friends who are GREAT service technicians. I admire their skills. The thing is that unless you understand the equipment in your own house, it's hard to appreciate those talents -- and also know when someone is lacking. It also helps to do some normal maintenance to preclude issues. Edit: The check valve (and float switch) supplied with the unit are working well; no issue and there is a 10 ft vertical run preceding the inverted U down to the drain entry point. Nevertheless I will cut in a second check valve given the length of the vertical rise.

Great part, I have had no issues, I would order again

This is my 2nd pump from little giant, my first is humming right along on my heat pump water heater that was installed 4 years ago. This one I processed for my dehumidifier. I will say it does the job, hook up 3/8 drain line ,power and the optional cutoff wiring. The pump keeps up with an 80 pint dehumidifier without issue.

Using the unit with the HVAC system, working great so far. I set up a alarm system for the overflow switch on the Little Giant since I was not using the switch to shut down the HVAV. One of the main features is that you don’t need to run drain hoses across the floor. We also collect some of the condensate as water for the flowers.

After my furnace condensate pump failed I tried getting a replacement locally, but the nearby hardware stores either didn't have any in stock or the price was more than double. This one was a fair price, arrived the next day, and has worked flawlessly since I installed it.

This is a great pump. The check valve works as it should and with the units large storage capacity it doesn't need to cut in very often. It does make some noise but compared with the unit it replaced it is very quiet. Our old unit ran almost continuously as there was no check valve so the water was always siphoning back, I can't believe we didn't replace it sooner. Love this unit.

A good simple replacement which does the job as expected.

Needed to replace our old pump after its float failed and it started to run constantly. The old one was hard-wired to the furnace, and this guy comes with a plug. I'm no electrician; replacing an outlet is as adventurous as I get, but it was easy enough to lop off the plug end and wire it up to the furnace. I just took a picture of the old wiring, and copied it... easy! I had to test it a couple times with a few pitchers of water, just to confirm it really was that simple. So far, so good!

So our Little Giant VCMA-15ULS has finally croaked after making terrible gurgling and groaning sounds of death for a while. Not knowing the first thing about operation/installation of these pumps, I called a couple of local HVAC repair shops, to get a feel for how much the pump repair/replacement will cost. None of them wanted to give me a straight answer as to an average cost without an actual appointment, which prompted me to check the web for who sells these pumps (in Canada), and for how much. I am very much a DIY woman, whenever possible, so I found an exact model of pump right here on Amazon but, since the drain hose is probably about 25 feet long, to the nearest drainpipe, I decided to upgrade to the stronger motor VCMA-20ULS model. The sweetest thing was the Prime delivery - I ordered yesterday evening, and the pump arrived in less that 24 hours. After that, all it took was a quick scan of the product's "manual" (very straightforward, and in actual English), and Youtube video by this nice and knowledgeable lady known as "Know How Now", and I got to work. It took me about 30 minutes, with modifications such as length of drain tube, hardwiring to the existing wiring, leveling, and about 1/2 gallon of distilled water to prime the unit, and the test of the functionality of the furnace-humidifier-pump system passed with flying colors. I am very pleased with the pump, the price, and the shipping time, and would highly recommend this sweet Little Giant to everyone!