WAYNE WAPC250 1/4 HP Automatic ON/OFF Water Removal Pool Cover Pump

I bought this in February 2016 and it was a great pump for several weeks of rainy, wet weather. As other reviews have noted, it does occassionally get clogged up with little needles which affect the automatic on/off switch. The video on the Youtube that has been posted by Wayne Pumps is easy to follow and works perfectly. Make sure you install the backflow valve so that the flap aligns properly to close downward. I made a small mark on the outside of the valve to make this easier. My pump stopped working after about 6 weeks. I contacted Wayne Pumps via their website and was worried when the only reply I got several days later was "call us" - however, when I called, they were helpful. Being in Canada, I did have to send the pump to them in the US which cost me ~$20. However, they replaced the pump very quickly inlcuding overnight shipping. I think the problem was with the safety switch in the plug head, not the pump itself. Interesting, the new pump no longer has the large safety switch and seems to have other minor updates / improvements.

Edit - 3/4/2019:Three years in to life with this pump and I'm still very happy with it. I still have it configured with a 1-1/4" sump pump discharge line instead of a garden hose. I've had to take it apart and clean out the weep hole only a few times that I can recall, and I tend to get lots of dirt and tree debris on the cover. After three years of life with this pump, I'm glad to change my review from four stars to five. It's a solid product from a good company.I originally posted a one-star review for this item. I’m changing that to four stars not only because the manufacturer took great care of me, but because this pump is great at moving a lot of water very quickly if you set it up right. This is a lengthy review, but hopefully worth the trouble of reading if you are like me and appreciate hearing the details.The pump is available in two versions, WAPC250 and WAPC250G, with the difference being power cord. The former has a standard three-prong plug and the latter has a large, integrated GFCI plug. Even though I ordered the plain-plug model, what I received was the GFCI protected version along with a note that the manufacturer had “upgraded” my pump with the GFCI version.The power supply to my yard and pool is compliant with current NEC codes. That is, the entire circuit is protected against ground fault (a GFCI circuit breaker in the main panel in my house), and all my outdoor electrical outlets are installed with while-in-use covers (the big, boxy covers which provide weatherproofing even while something is plugged in). My original one-star review was based on the fact that the GFCI plug on the pump I received is enormous. Not only was it simply too big to fit inside my in-use outlet covers (see photo accompanying my review), it was incompatible with any other in-use box design I found on the shelf at three different home centers.I was really mad when I called Wayne Company’s customer service line. But to their credit, they took great care of me. My goal was to be told that I could simply cut the GFCI unit off the cord and replace it with a regular plug without voiding my (three year!) warranty. Instead, they sent me another pump with the appropriate plug at their expense. The representative seemed genuinely surprised when I told her the GFCI plug wouldn’t fit inside any cover I could find at the store. The lesson for a prospective purchaser: If you have the old-style outlet covers (a flap-style which is only weatherproof when nothing is plugged in), will be able to plug in either model. If you have GFCI protection elsewhere in the circuit you’re using to power the pump, either another GFCI outlet upstream or a GFCI breaker in the house, then the GFCI plug on the pump is redundant and you can get away with the standard plug. Lastly on a personal note: If you still have the old style weatherproof covers around your pool you really should upgrade them to NEC compliant in-use covers. The old style flaps provide no weather protection at all while things are plugged in to them; we all know the problems which can arise when you incorrectly mix water and electricity.As for the pump’s performance, I am very impressed. I noted reviews here critical of the weep-hole maintenance, but this necessity is clearly called out in the owner’s manual for my pump (a simple procedure). Also, the garden-hose connection port is really a check-valve, which means it has a clearly marked top and bottom. The check valve must be installed by the purchaser, and it’s very important to have the top oriented correctly. I believe failure to accomplish this will lead to many of the pumping problems described in other reviews. Finally, this pump appears to be a sump pump sitting on a modified base. It’s true the water needs to get a couple inches deep before it kicks on, but it doesn’t seem to leave any more water on the cover after a cycle than the Rule pumps I’ve begrudgingly used for years.Finally, there is another review here which includes a video of the pump in action. I copied their idea of replacing the included check valve (1-1/4” NPT to garden hose adapter) with a check valve which allows connection of a sump pump discharge line (1-1/4” NPT to 1-1/4” hose barb). The replacement check valve and 24’ discharge line were readily available on the shelf of my local home center (near the sump pumps), and the total cost was around $11. Make sure you buy a check valve and not a simple adapter! This simple upgrade has big benefits. First, it allows the pump to move a LOT of water VERY quickly, and it takes much less work to do it. This translates to longer pump life and probably lower power consumption overall.I am very pleased with the performance! The only outstanding question in my mind is longevity. If it really does last three years without significant issue then my review will likely become five stars. A great product supplied by a solid company.

This little thing does what it says it does! It light to go on a pool cover yet strong enough to stay from heavy rain fall and wind

I bought this in November 2017. It is currently May 2020 and I felt compelled to log onto Amazon and write a review because I am just that pleased with it. After years of broken and clogged pumps, I paid a little extra for this one and it was well worth it. I have an above the ground pool. Almost every year I'd get a cover pump from the pool store. Nothing cheap, just their basic models. They ALL clogged and I was constantly cleaning them out from the fall leaves, spring blossoms and falling poly noses. If I had the misfortune of leaving the pump out and it froze, it was pot luck if it didn't burn out from a frozen float or otherwise break. Worst still was the wind. If I left it on the cover and it got windy, the cover would flap, toss the pump onto my pavers and I'd be left picking up the pieces.But this Wayne pool cover pump is completely different. It was designed with all the features you didn't even know you needed/wanted.1) The flow rate is phenomenal. If I had it off and the cover is full of rain water, I put the Wayne pump on and this beast pumps it dry amazingly fast. The water comes out with almost the same pressure as my garden hose.2) I try to take my pump off the cover when I expect it to freeze but the freeze protection keeps if from trying to activate and burning out. This alone makes it worth the price.3) It has a decent weight to it so it makes its own low spot on the cover to get almost every drop of water. Also, although I try to remove my pump when its windy, I've come home from work after horribly windy days to find it hasn't budged an inch. Not once has it been tossed off the pool.4) The strainer base works perfectly! It has never clogged on me, not once, even when completely surrounded by leaves and muck. And the base has a release tab that allows it to come off super easy for Spring cleaning. Pop it off, clean that bad boy and snap it right back on ready for next Fall.5) Super long and heavy duty cord/plug. Allows me to move the pump anywhere I want, no extension cord needed! Before I was limited to the side of the pool closest to the outlet or had to drag out the extension cord.6) Although I don't use this feature, the strainer basket has a place for you to attach a string so you can drag it across your cover and into the desired location. You can pull on the string in one direction or pull on the hose to move it the opposite way until you get it exactly where you want it. With my old pumps I was constantly struggling trying to move them with my skimmer only to have them flop on their sides. I always got wet fiddling with them, trying to get them in the pooling water without flipping over. With my pool I'm able to maneuver the Wayne pump with just the hose.6a) The Wayne pump never flips over!In the long run this pump is saving me money because I'm not replacing pumps every year or so. It is saving me time, money, keeping ME and the pool cover dry, super easy to clean/maintain and pumps the cover off super fast. I wish I found this pump years ago.

Have two of these for my pool cover. Great unit. Works trouble free . Best pump brand on the market in my opinion.