Water pumps are meant to pump clear water. But when you introduce debris and other solids to the mix, things can get clogged or damage your pump. That's where trash pumps come in.

They're capable of passing water that other pumps just can't handle. There are many types of water pumps you'll need to choose from, depending on your situation.

In this article, you'll learn about the different types of trash pumps and which applications work best for each.

 

 

Electric Submersible Trash Pumps

If you simply need to pump small amounts of greywater around the home with solids in it (like in flooded window wells with sand and leaves), then an electric submersible trash pump may be right for you.

They are as easy to use as attaching the hose and dropping it wherever compact areas you may need it. Just keep in mind that the function of these pumps are extremely limited, so if you need to move large amounts of dirty water with solids involved, we definitely recommend a semi-trash pump or better.

 

Semi-Trash Pumps

Semi-trash pumps get their name from the fact they can pass small debris, but not much more than that. The pump housing just isn't large enough to pass larger items.

Semi-trash pumps are typically used to pump clean or slightly muddy and sandy water.

The largest items any of our semi-trash pumps can pass is about 5/8 of an inch. You'll want to use a hose with a strainer so the hose doesn't get clogged with any items too big to pass through. The strainer just sifts the debris that the pump can handle and leaves out the stuff that's too big.

 

 

Traditional Trash Pumps

Trash pumps are made to handle debris and solids such as leaves, pebbles, and twigs. With larger impeller veins and pump housing, trash pumps can pass solids like those mentioned above.

The pump does not grind these up as they enter the impeller, but leaves them intact and sends them on their way. You'll want to use a hose with a strainer for trash pumps too. In the event the pump does get clogged though, there are easy cleanouts, which you can open up by hand and remove any items too big.

 

 

Diaphragm Pumps

Diaphragm pumps work entirely differently than other trash pumps. Instead of using centrifugal force, the pump has a diaphragm that is pushed up and down, creating a vacuum effect.

When the diaphragm goes up, it creates a vacuum, sucking in water. When the diaphragm is pushed down, it ejects the water that was just suctioned into the pump. It essentially acts like a piston in a combustion engine, alternately drawing in and then ejecting out.

Diaphragm pumps are most commonly used to pump sludge and extremely abrasive liquids. A common example would be draining a pond because it can handle the muck and mud on the bottom, as well as the water, leaves, and weeds.

 

Shop All Diaphragm Trash Pumps

 

PTO Trash Pumps

PTO trash pumps are beloved by farmers and workers in the agricultural industry because they attach to a tractor's power take-off driveshaft and are powered by the tractor's massive gas engine. They attach quickly, prime in seconds, and are virtually maintenance-free because they don't have an engine of their own.

 

How to Pick the Perfect PTO Trash Pump

 

Industrial Trailer-Mounted Trash Pumps

Sometimes you need the power of ten industrial trash pumps in places you can't really carry it to. The natural solution is an industrial-grade, trailer-mounted trash pump. You no longer have to imagine a pump that boasts a 6" inlet size, can pump up to 2,750 GPM (gallons per minute) and can lift that water 150 feet high with these behemoths.

Armed with a venturi dry prime centrifugal pump and a water-cooled, turbo-charged diesel engine, the possibilities are virtually endless with industrial, top-tier trash pumps like these. Don't let the price tag fool you, they're worth every penny for the toughest water pumping applications on construction sites, mining operations, sewer bypass projects, and much more.

 

Shop All Trailer-Mounted Trash Pumps