Zoeller M53 Switch and Switch Arm Replacement

I'm interrupting the Raspberry Pi Pico series again so I can replace the float switch and switch arm assembly on a Zoeller M53 sump pump. Gotta keep that basement dry!
00:00 - Introduction
00:50 - Safety
01:42 - Replacing the switch
08:42 - Switch arm assembly failure
09:04 - Replacing the switch arm assembly
10:45 - Closing
Music:
(Pinnacle 25 royalty-free music):
Pulsing Dance
House Fever
Reaction Time
City Night Groove

[@jamesgambino7170]

I suggest installing an inline check valve on the discharge. That will cut down on the amount of stress on the pump overtime as the line will always be charged and reentry of water wont start to fill the basin again directly after it kicks off. Very nice video. Id like to see more people like you.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thank you for the comment. I do have an in-line check valve. There is a little hole in the outlet that allows the short length of pipe between the check valve and the pump to drain after shutoff.

[@marcosmota1094]

I knew that I would like David when he said *"dirty water in your mouth or eyes."* Gee, I wonder why that struck me. I'll be back after this woodworking table to fix mine with you information. You sir, are very sharp! And you even included a brain teaser of a skyline...Cleveland, Detroit, Dayton..damn it!

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thank you! Don't ask why I warn about dirty water. LOL Cleveland viewed from Bay Village. Thanks for watching!

[@jonathanglueckert8581]

Thank you, David. Just ordered a new "Arm and Seal Assembly." I plan on using a pipe to put the new assembly in. The video was super helpful. God bless, you.

[@LifewithDavid1]

You're welcome. Good luck!

[@avaborow8275]

Well done! I just completed this project as the switch was failing and we had much rain. Same result with water in the housing. I did purchase the entire case with switch, gasket and switch arm. Made work a little easier. Thanks for posting! Jason

[@LifewithDavid1]

Nice work! Thanks for watching.

[@mjg6191]

Going through this same issue now and your video is very helpful. Thanks

[@LifewithDavid1]

I'm glad it was useful. Thanks for watching!

[@scottwilcox1934]

Best I have seen yet! Way to go

[@LifewithDavid1]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching.

[@jimm7001]

Nice job showing the clean up of the gasketed services to get a tight joint in reassembly.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks Jim!

[@drgenescottlives]

Clear explanation, good photograph. Thumbs up.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Many thanks!

[@sulejmanlatifi8025]

Very good advice thank you

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks for watching. Of all the stuff I work on, the sump pump is the biggest worry. Nothing worse than the basement flooding!

[@RyanLovesCheese]

This was really helpful, thank you!

[@LifewithDavid1]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@jgladstone179]

David you are awesome. I thought I was McGyver by installing a string with a washer on the end to manually start the pump until repair(s) could be made...your servo operated auto switch is genius. When you pressurized the housing to see if the switch cover was properly sealed I thought "I want to meet this guy's wife/kids" lol. Keep on keeping on David....appreciate this video indeed.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks for the kind words. Even though I'm the nerdiest; the wife and both kids are also engineers; they tolerate me!

[@jgladstone179]

@@LifewithDavid1 I hope they more than tolerate you! It took me awhile but nerds rule!!! Thanks again for putting that video together...it was really a huge help.

[@rpredl]

Nice work.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks for the visit

[@chinov9445]

I thought u were Restoring classic pump for a minute 🤣✅🤙🏽

[@LifewithDavid1]

Sorry, no. I've found that I go through 2 or 3 switches for every pump. By the time the pump fails; it is completely shot; with the cast iron so corroded that there is no opportunity for rebuilding, Thanks for watching!

[@yruamaars232]

Good job 👍

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks for the visit

[@JacobAHull-nx6rx]

Good video brother. I'm doing the same job on the same pump! I saw my arm seal was in need or repair and ordered a new one yesterday. I have a nice pneumatic die grinder with a soft surface cleaner on it that works great for cleaning up gasket surfaces. Got it originally for head gasket repair job on UTV.. works great. I'll add a pic of it if I can find out how

[@LifewithDavid1]

The soft surface cleaner should help a lot. Good luck! My pump has been running trouble free since I replaced the switch and arm.

[@fathanfamily7538]

HELLO friend GOOD evening THANK you for GREAT SHARINGyou greatting FROM INDONESIA

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thanks for visiting!

[@sammac4]

Thanks Dave. I did the same thing with the same pump. Installed a new switch but the float wouldn't activate the switch. Ordering new arm assembly now.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Of course, the first time the switch fails, the switch housing gets submerged. When the housing gets submerged, water comes in through the seal. This causes the corrosion which leads to switch arm failure...one failure causes the other. Good luck. Thanks for watching!

[@kencrisp6333]

The weak point for the M53 is the seal around the arm. it either leaks or the rubber gets so stiff it can't operate. I'm experiencing the latter with mine, although I haven't opened it up yet. The replacement parts I ordered just arrived yesterday. The pump works if I pull-up harder on the arm, so I doubt that mine is flooded. The M63 is very similar to the M53 (which incorporates decades-old technology), but it addresses the main issue with the M53 by incorporating a viton boot on the arm. It also has a more powerful motor. This upgraded M63 costs $100 more than the M53. I decided to order the arm and switch to repair my M53 since it's been serving me faithfully for 14 years, including through a handful of hurricanes! It's built like a tank and, thankfully, it's easily repairable. Here's a quick comparison chart for the M53 and the M63: buildbetterhouse.com/zoeller-m53-vs-m63/

[@sammac4]

@@kencrisp6333 Thanks for the info. 👍

[@tomhansen4130]

David, great video. In addition to being very informative, I would like to complement you on the professional video work you do. The camera placement is excellent and your editing is great also. What is the new editing software that you are using if I may ask.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thank you very much. I'm using Pinnacle Studio 25. It's a little buggy; but I hear Studio 26 is much better so I might give that a try.

[@frankm2752]

Mine malfunctioned by switch always on. I was considering switch replacement, but after watching your video I'll pay to have a new pump replacement. I have a second installed pump currently working. Second zoeller pump to fail. Many videos with switch failures.

[@LifewithDavid1]

I've had that failure, too. I believe it can be caused with a pump that it too large for the sump; or a sump that is too small. I feel the pump should run for 10 or 15 seconds each time it turns on, and be off for more than a couple minutes during "idle" times. Of course, during high water events, it needs to handle the flow. One time I replaced my pump with a 3/4 horsepower monster and it didn't last very long at all. It would only just get started before it had to stop. I think that switch failed on. Good luck!

[@IanSlothieRolfe]

I suppose one idea would be to create a second float switch to raise an alarm if the water level gets too high, in case of switch or pump failure. This might give you time to eirher fix the problem or put in sn emergency pump. I'd be inclined to have a second pump (possibly gas driven) available to swap in even if its a cheap one just to get you by until you can fix it. I guess it depends on how quickly it fills, and how disastrous the consequence!

[@LifewithDavid1]

That's a good idea. At one time I had an alarm switch. However, I started keeping the water table around my house very low (by lowering the pump in the sump to the very bottom) which gives me several hours of reserve so I got rid of it. I manually bailed the sump during the power outage; but it was still over the switch housing.

[@gdust7786]

Up close pictures of disconnenecting & connecting wires Would be extremely helpful.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Thank you for the comment! I agree that that would be helpful. You never really know how good a shot is going to be until you are done fixing something. By then, it's too late. Tight spots are the worst; it's a challenge to see what you are doing, do it, and then record it too. I'll try to do better next time. Thanks for watching!

[@scottwilcox1934]

I took a picture with my phone for wire placement 11:58

[@EvetteCollins]

I think this could be my issue (messed up switch/arm). The pump works fine but at times, my basement has flooded. Today I checked the pit and it was full of water but I didn’t hear the pump working today. I plugged it out and back in and the pump started working again.

[@LifewithDavid1]

I love my Zoeller pumps; but I've had to ffix/replace the switch at least 4 times in the past 35 years. Good luck!

[@RRaucina]

Nice but you needed to service the wire inlet to the switch box. That's the third source of water ingress. Silicone on the gasket housing and cord inlet highly recommended too.

[@LifewithDavid1]

That's a good tip. I hadn't disturbed the cord so I didn't want to take it apart to seal it up. But if it looks sketchy at all, taking it apart and resealing is a good plan. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffroutledge9153]

Hi David, 2 questions, how do you adjust the height of the float so that it shuts off and turns on at the appropriate water levels? Also, how did you know the switch arm was bad? Was it hard to move? Thanks and that was a great informative video!

[@LifewithDavid1]

On this sump pump, there is no adjustment on the water level. They designed it so that the pump would switch on before the water got to the switch housing. In my mind, the seal around the float arm is the weak link, and during normal operation, the water level will stay below that. The switch arm felt a little "crusty". It didn't move smoothly along it's full range. It felt like it could get hung up ad a certain spot. Hope that helps.

[@jeffroutledge9153]

@@LifewithDavid1 ok thanks for that answer. Much appreciated sir!

[@zrat1977]

Do you know the name of the Prongs that the hot and Neutral hook to that go into the motor housing? one of mine broke off and cant find a name or any schematics on it at all? they unscrew and are plug and play type of connection.

[@LifewithDavid1]

Looking at the M53 diagram (s2.img-b.com/faucetdirect.com/mediabase/specifications/zoeller/773554/zoeller_53_0016_explodedparts_64.pdf) it looks like #22, the Housing, Mtr-& Term Asm. Unfortunately, I believe it is all one big assembly, and that it would probably be cheaper to replace the whole pump. The motor is filled with oil and it be a real mess to try to fix (if you could even get it to work). Sorry...

[@rlevass23]

can u bend the switch arm up? to adjust the level that pump turns on? or is there another adjustment method

[@LifewithDavid1]

There is not much range. It's best if the switch housing stays above the water; which is how it is designed to operate. Water infiltration though the rubber seal is what caused my problems. I adjusted the level by physically raising or lowering the entire pump. That seems like using a sledgehammer to kill an ant; but that's what worked for me. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@martinsemrau5264]

Just curious David, you said you used an Arduino "Switch Tickler?" for your pump fail safe? I'm thinking about setting up a bench to build Arduino projects and this sems to be number one on the list. Do you have a parts list and wiring diagram to build and install this? Thanks

[@LifewithDavid1]

Check out my previous video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYeQonljhrugY9E I give a quick overview of my tickler. Good luck!

[@beneb9318]

What kind of honing block do you use?

[@LifewithDavid1]

It was just a small honing stone, about 1" x 3" x 1/2". I don't know where you can get them; I've had it for years. Any medium stone should work. Good luck!

[@dawndavis5909]

What are you spraying into the housing...to clean / rinse?

[@LifewithDavid1]

It was just water, Because of the leaky seal, there was a lot of gunk in the switch housing. I rinsed it a couple times and dried it with towels and hot air.

[@dawndavis5909]

@@LifewithDavid1 👌 thank you!

[@lou_mat8256]

As soon as my float gets to the up position it shorts out and the sump doesn’t work what do I do

[@LifewithDavid1]

Not sure; but does the pump run ever? If not; then the pump motor itself might be shot. I've had two fail on me during the last 40 years. If the pump motor is OK; then there might be a short in the switch housing. Good luck!

[@lou_mat8256]

@@LifewithDavid1 it doesn’t run at all I took the sump pump out of the hole checked the switch as soon as I put it back in turn it on it just shorts out

[@drgenescottlives]

Seems to me that the orifice drilled into the side of the outlet tube is bleeding off some power unnecessarily.

[@LifewithDavid1]

There is a little power used with the orifice; but there are a lot of benefits. First it breaks the air lock when the pump is off, allowing the outlet head of water to drain back into the sump. This lets the pump restart with a low load; prolonging the pump motor. This also means the pump does't need a capacitor and centrifugal switch to start. Second, if the float switch gets stuck on, the pump won't run dry. The water flowing through the orifice will keep it cool and stop the seals from running dry. Third, the mixing provided by the water flowing through the orifice keeps any sediment from building up in the bottom of the sump. This keeps the sump cleaner than it would be otherwise. Thanks for the question!

[@markday3145]

So that dirty water in the switch housing was conducting electricity. That means your electricity usage was probably increased (even without the pump running). I wonder if that electricity flowing caused any physical damage (for example, electrolysis or electroplating) in the pump or pump housing?

[@LifewithDavid1]

You're right. It was using about 10 watts of power ((120V / 1400 ohms)*120V) continuously. The line plug connectors showed a little corrosion; but I was able to clean them up. Thanks for watching!

[@ZupE891]

This looks like 3+ hours of work.... think I would just spend the 200 and buy a new one

[@LifewithDavid1]

It actually only took a few minutes. Filming for KZbin triples the actual time. And I do have another new pump on hand since when it rains hard, the pump runs a lot. A busted pump would lake for a wet basement. Thanks for watching.

[@gregp3646]

$200? A Zoller pump here in New York is 250. Upto almost $400.00

[@davidminderman3179]

@@gregp3646 I bought my spare for about $190; but that was before the "Inflation Reduction Act" took effect. ;-)

[@scottwilcox1934]

It goes pretty quickly. Not that difficult. You can do it

[@spitty3456]

What I don't understand. Is why you would do this with how cheap sump pumps are.

[@LifewithDavid1]

The Zoeller pumps are really high quality and I've had several that have lasted for a decade or more even with continuous service (2 or more cycles per hour). However, they are not cheap. This is almost "preventive" maintenance; I'll do it when the switch gets just a little flaky. I've had "cheap" pumps, and have been disappointed in that they have failed at the most inopportune times (like at 8:30 Sunday night when I'm leaving at 5:30 am Monday for a week long business trip). But if you don't have water issues like I do; you can certainly get away with a cheaper pump. Thanks for watching!