Sump Pump instead of Condensate Pump

I had a problem with condensate pumps that frequently clog and fail. I have a tankless water heater and a direct vent HVAC system which both drip at least 1 gallon of water per day. When the pumps fail, they flood the basement and I have to make an emergency trip to Home Depot to buy a new one for $60. The pumps are available for less at Amazon, however, when I already have a flood situation, there is no time to order online.


I decided that there must be a better way. I bought an Everbuilt 18x22 sump pump basin with a cover.


Here is my natural gas tankless hot water heater with condensate pump.

Here is my HVAC system with second condensate pump. As you can see, I started to cut into the concrete with an angle grinder using masonry disks. It made a mess so i used some water to reduce the dust. I wore a charcoal respirator, ear protection and safety goggles. The angle grinder only made a 1-1/2" groove in the concrete. The concrete dust got all over my basement.

Links to safety equipment:




I bought an air compressor, an air hammer, and a chisel which i used with my hammer and sledgehammer



It was slow going. The air hammer wasn't strong enough. It only helped a little. The 10 pound sledge hammer did the job. The concrete was about 6" thick. After breaking up and removing the concrete, I had to dig out the dirt about 20" down to fit the basin.

I then bought a bunch of schedule 40, 3/4" and 1" PVC pipe and a 1/3 horsepower cast iron sump pump with switch and a one way valve.

It works really well. I will update if I have any issues.

Video Below:

ROI Salt System vs. Chlorine Tablets for Swimming Pools

I bought a pool and was sold on the salt system as the better option. I was told that there is less chlorine in the pool and it is more comfortable for bathers. I was told that there was less maintenance because the salt system makes chlorine so I wouldn't have to buy chlorine.

After owning a pool for 4 years, I am not so sure. I was  curious if anyone performed a true analysis of the return on investment for a SWG electrolytic salt system. My pool came with the Zodiac Aquapure 1400 Nature2 Fusion system. My pool is approximately 20,000 gallons. I have an auto-cover that remains closed 95% of the time. I maintain it myself.

Things they did not tell me.
1. You will have to check pH and buy acid or PH minus and add it to your pool weekly, I usually add 4.5 cups of muriatic acid per week.
2. You will have to check your chlorine level and add chlorine when there is high swimmer load or your pool gets dirty.
3. The salt system is a maintenance headache and the salt cell will need to be replaced every 3 years at a cost of $600. It frequently spits out error codes and does not reliably talk to the PDA remote.


Cost of chlorine pool:
No significant start up costs, maybe $50-100 for chlorine feeder or you can just place in skimmer baskets.
$2/lb for chlorine
Test strips (which you need either way)
no other maintenance costs

Cost of SWG pool:
Salt system $1250, generates 1 lb chlorine per day

Electricity cost - assume 100w x 10 hours/day = 1kwh/day x 120 days = 120kwh x 20c = $24 per year, not much
Cell replacement $600 every 3 years


 Salt $10 per 40lb bag, 3 bags/ year


 Acid cost $10/gal about 8 gallons per year = $80


In summary, 10 year cost:
SWG = 1250 + 240 + 600 +600 +300 + 800 = $379/yr
Chlorine 120 lbs = $240/yr

I think we have been duped by the pool industry. Chlorine costs maybe $250/year. The salt systems cost less to run ONLY if you do not count the cost of the salt system and the replacement cells which you will need. Over the long run, chlorine is 35% less than salt systems.