WaterAce WA50CPED versus WA50PPED – Review & Buyers Guide
Let’s clear up the confusion straight away: the WaterAce WA50CPED and the WaterAce WA50PPED are two very similar pedestal sump pumps.
In fact, it’s so hard to find the difference that one might wonder why there’s a price difference at all.
The difference is this: the WA50CPED boasts a cast iron housing material while the WA50PPED is made out of thermoplastic. This makes the 50CPED more durable than the 50CPED. Additionally, and perhaps as a consequence, the CPED has a warranty of two years, while buying the PPED just gets you one year of warranty.
Now that we’ve cleared up the confusion, let’s have a look at both of these pedestal sump pumps. The cast iron version of these two has made it to my list of best pedestal sump pumps, so let’s see in which situations this sump pump may be the right buy for you.
Table of Contents
Performance and Usage
Both pumps are quite the strong little sump pumps, with an impressive 5000 Gallons per Hour at head. To put this into perspective, that’s a number most ½ HP sump pumps can only dream of to paralel. I haven’t found any other ½ HP pedestal sump pump that attains these numbers. The only exceptions are a couple of submersible sump pumps like the Wayne CDU800 or the Basement Watchdog SW-50T, but like I said, those are submersible pumps, not pedestal. Very impressive.
So it’s clear that the WaterAce50CPED and the PPED pack a strong punch at head. Unfortunately, though, I have not been able to find the manufacturer’s numbers for the GPH at different heights of pumping water even after thorough research.
That is disgruntling, frankly, because this is a metric that I like to take into account when evaluating a sump pump, as the curve is different for every sump pump and it becomes important when you need to pump the water up higher than may be average. I do have anecdotal evidence, however, that it still works like a charm at at least 12 feet, which is 2 feet higher than the average distance a sump pump needs to pump water up. I’m taking a basement height of 8 feet and a sump pump pit of 2 feet deep als calculating numbers here.
Those who need to pump water up by more than 20 feet, may be advised to purchase a sump pump of which the GPH at 20 feet is a publicly available number. WaterAce’s submersible WA50CSV, for example, still has great performance at 20 feet.
When comparing the performance of the WA50CPED versus that of the WA50PPED, there’s no difference. They’re just as powerful. It’s durability that sets the two apart.
Float switch type and turn on point
As is common with pedestal sump pumps, what triggers its activation is a vertical float switch.
A fantastic feature of the WaterAce 50CPED as well as the 50PPED, is that both the switch on point and the switch off point are adjustable. That means that you yourself can decide what level the water must reach before the sump pump is turned on. This allows for a nice level of customisation. That is actually a feature present in many WaterAce sump pumps, but a feature seldomly seen in other sump pump brands.
The pumps discharge water on their side, and the discharge size is the standard 1-½ ‘’.
Electricity
Both pumps run at 5.2 Amps and require 115 Volt in order to operate – nothing out of the ordinary here. At ½ HP the WA50CPED and PPED are sump pumps that require a decent amount of energy, but not excessively. Read our article that allows you to calculate the running cost of a sump pump based on its horsepower if you want to learn more about that.
You will be able to save money on the electricity bill if you opt for a sump pump with less horsepower. But ultimately that is a decision you have to make: is the water table high underneath your house? Are you in a flood zone? What about hurricanes and heavy rainfalls? If you have either of these three things, it may be your money’s worth not to be overly economical with saving on the horsepower of your sump pump. And ½ HP for a sump pump is pretty standard.
Our review of the 50CPED and PPED
It should come as no surprise to you that we’re a fan of these two sump pumps. Their power is simply unprecedented for a pedestal sump pump with only ½ HP.
One of the reasons most people prefer submersible sump pumps over pedestal ones, is that pedestal pumps are bound to be more noisy. But in the models WA50CPED and PPED, WaterAce seems to have resolved this largely. Even when the company itself does not advertise the pumps as such, we’re aware of countless of owners who testify that they were surprised at how little sound this pedestal sump pump makes.
So if you’re looking for a pedestal sump pump that is relatively quiet, has immense power but is not required to pump water extrodinarily large vertical distances, then you should definitely consider the WA50CPED and the WA50PPED.
Now onto the final decision: which of these two will it be?
The final decision: Which one to buy, the WA50CPED or the WA50PPED?
We’ve established that the only differences between these two pumps are:
- The casting material
- The warranty duration
- and a negligible difference in size
So we can reduce the question to the essence like so:
Are the more durable build and the extra year of warranty of the WA50CPED worth the difference in price with the WA50PPED?
In my opinion, it is. By getting the cast iron version of the two sump pumps, you double your minimum amount of years of sump pump security, while the price does not double in doing so. That means that there’s an asymmetric gain to be had by going for the WA50CPED instead of the PPED.
On top of that, the cast iron version is more likely to last longer past its warranty, than the PPED is. These two reasons are decisive for me and that’s why I’ll go for the WA50CPED every day.
Good luck in making your decision. I hope this article has helped you to understand the difference between the two pumps and to make an informed decision as to which one you want to buy.
Specifications
| Name | WA50CPED | WA50PPED |
|---|---|---|
| H/P | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| Dimensions in inches, X x Y x Z | 9.5 x 9.25 x 31.6 | 9.6 x 9.5 x 31.4 |
| Maximum gallons per hour | 5000 | 5000 |
| Solids handling, diameter (inches) | 3/8 | 3/8 |
| GPH 0 | 5000 | 5000 |
| GPH 5 | / | / |
| GPH 10 | / | / |
| GPH 15 | / | / |
| GPH 20 | / | / |
| GPH 25 | / | / |
| Battery included | No | No |
| Battery required to run | No | No |
| Housing material | Cast iron | Thermoplastic |
| Base material | Thermoplastic | Thermoplastic |
| Impeller material | Nylon | Nylon |
| Switch Type | Vertical float | Vertical float |
| Warranty yes/no | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty years | 2 | 1 |
| Link to warranty | Link | Link |
| Link to manual | Link | Link |
| Voltage | 115 | 115 |
| Weight in pounds | ||
| Weight in Kg | ||
| First year of production | 2018 | 2018 |
| Is discontinued? | No | No |
| Running Amps | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Starting Amps | ||
| Cord Length (feet) | 8 | 8 |
| SJTW cord? | ||
| Discharge size (inches) | 1-1/2 | 1-1/2 |
| Discharge type | Side | Side |
| No-clog design | No | No |
| Switch On Point (inches) | Adjustable | Adjustable |
| Switch Off Point (inches) | Adjustable | Adjustable |
| Pumps Down To (Ft) | 22 | 22 |
| Liquid Temperature Minumum | / | / |
| Liquid Temperature Maximum (F) | / | / |
| Motor: Continuous duty | No | No |
| Motor thermally protected? | Yes | Yes |
| Capacitor start motor | Yes | Yes |
| Requires check valve? | Yes | Yes |
| Check valve included? | No | No |
| Sump Pit diameter required (inches) | 14 | 14 |
| Circuit requirement (Ampere) | 15 | 15 |
