THE BASEMENT WATCHDOG Universal Replacement Sump Pump Float Switch (Model BWC1)

I really like these electric float switches. I have a sump pump that is down in a deep hole that is not very wide. The problem with normal ball style floats is that in a tight space the ball can get stuck and not float up or fall back down like it is suppose to. The watchdog uses 2 floats in side a little cage. Since they are inside the cage they cant get stuck on their surroundings. The cage can be attached to the side of the pipe as high or low as you like. This allows precise control over the water level.I have used a couple of these Watchdog sump pump switches and I really like them. I would definitely purchase them again.

We had a sump pump fail last year, and the insurance goons required that I devise a backup in order to keep the policy.Well, instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for an expensive system, I bought this unit and clamped it to the pipe. Then I connected it to a spare submersible pump, and voila! Problem solved.I've had the unit for several months and tested it. It works very well. When water moves the float, the backup pump turns on every time.

So far this unit works perfectly. I have had water issues for many years on and off due to faulty pump switches and switch systems that stick in the on or off position. After doing a lot of research I found that there are no integrated pump switch systems that are completely reliable. Plumbers have fixes similar to this one that cost anywhere from $100 TO $300. But this solution thus far is the most elegantly simple, low cost and about the only thing that I can see that might fail is the electronics that turn the pump timer on and off. I have had this unit in for about 6 weeks and so far so good it works every time.It's been almost a year now and this switch is still working well, it has saved me a lot of worry and I trust it to work every time. As for the 10 second delay that seems to trouble some people, you can easily adjust the height of the float to make sure you empty the sump completely or make sure it doesn't drain before timer shuts down. This is no big deal. I still recommend this product 100%Coming up on 4 years and this product is still working great not 1 single failure!I originally purchased in 2011, 7 years later the back up float system saved me from flooding. The fist magnetic float switch failed and the second one kicked in as advertised and kept the pump working. I noticed one day that the sump hole water level was higher than I had originally set. After some preliminary investigation I realized that the primary switch float wasn't working but the back up kicked in just as designed.I quickly purchased a new unit which arrived in a few days. I just finished replacing the unit and I'm back to normal. I took the time to disassemble the failed float unit (which is easy to do) and I cleaned up all the caked up silt, and once i did this the old float switch unit is working again! Now I have a reconditioned backup. What I learned is that after 7 years of flawless performance, the unit developed some silt/muddy build up that interfered with the magnet sensing on the primary float inside the cage. Once cleaned all was good again. hence if you have one, it worth the few minutes it takes to clean it up once in a while. So now I'm a 7 year test lab with nothing but excellent results. if I could give it 6 stars I would!

The basement watchdog arrived today; mounted it on my sump pump, and, behold, it works!Nice.The float unit is 2 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall. It fits in my small sump bucket with room to spare. Nice - other float switches won't work in my cramped space. In the fabulous future of flying cars and robotic maids, I expect sumps to be 18, 20, or even 24 inches across. But for now, I must be content with a 12 inch diameter muckhole.Even better: the float unit apparently runs on low voltage. This is a good thing, since it'll live around water. When it activates, I hear the guy call out, "Click" ... a sure sign that the wallwart has changed states (well, it stays in California, but perhaps it's yearning to return to its birthplace in Shanghai)I'm happy with its timer, which keeps the pump going for 10 seconds beyond the float hitting the low end. During this time, my sump-pump slurps the last half inch out of delicious sump-syrup from the bucket.What's wrong with it? Other pump switch connoisseurs and sump-o-philes will object to its color. It is, alas, all black. Hey - everything around a sump is black: the bucket. the hole. The mud is black. The ABS pipes. And it's the darkest corner of my cellar. Why can't someone make a float switch that shows up when I shine my flashlight there? How about a reflective or white float? Especially, a white cord, so I can see where it's twisted amidst the mud, muck, and debris?Then, too, this is one big wallwart. A 4x3 inch lump that sticks out two inches from your wall outlet. It weighs a shade under a pound; if you often go hiking with your sump pump, you'll eventually notice this weight in your backpack.A very useful feature would be a glowing green LED to say that, Yes, power is reaching the switch. This would save time during those all-too-wet emergencies -- is there power getting to that cellar outlet? ? ? Ideally, the light would glow green when the pump is switched off, yellow when the pump should be powered, and red when the planet Saturn is about to collide with Earth.Sadly, this is a power vampire (even without any LED!). Using an ammeter, I measured it eating 2 watts in standby (which is what it'll do 99 percent of the time). This translates into $3/year for those of us who enjoy the flavorful electricity from Pacific Gas and Electric. So the little guy does not qualify for Energy Star (Level-V requires less than 0.5 watts in standby).In addition, it's quite silent after the sump has been drained. I'd hoped that it would play a rousing Sousa march during the pump action, and then improvise on a few riffs by Thelonius Monk followed by a Bach cantata with a tromba da tirarsi. No such luck.

I have been using Basement Watchdog for ages. I did have a switch go bad and had to order this new one. I am sure that I will have no issues because I've had none before other than it's failure because of its age

This guy still working after I bought it over 10 years.