DeWalt 1/3 HP Aluminum Submersible Utility Pump

A utility pump you can toss in a hole and trust is worth its weight. After a season of jobsite trench dewatering, a couple of basement cleanups, and draining a stubbornly murky pond, the DeWalt 1/3 HP submersible has become one of those grab‑and‑go tools I don’t think twice about. It’s not the biggest pump in the trailer, but it’s fast for its size, tough, and refreshingly simple to live with.

Build and design

The housing is cast aluminum, which hits a nice balance of durability and weight. At roughly 12.7 lb, the pump is easy to carry by the integral handle or lower with a rope when you’re working in a muddy pit. Aluminum shrugs off corrosion better than steel and cools the motor efficiently when submerged, and mine still looks clean after plenty of gritty water.

Internally, it uses a vortex-style thermoplastic impeller and a carbon/ceramic/stainless mechanical seal. That vortex design is the right call for utility work: it prioritizes passing small solids (up to about 3/8 in) and resisting clogging over peak efficiency. You won’t be grinding debris; you’re bypassing it. The base has a coarse intake screen that keeps sticks and rags at bay while allowing sand and fine silt to pass.

The discharge is 1‑1/2 in FPT on the top of the pump. DeWalt includes a 3/4 in garden-hose adapter in the box, which is handy for quick tasks, though the pump really shines with a full-size 1‑1/2 in discharge line. There’s a 20 ft power cord with a watertight entry, and the motor is thermally protected.

Worth highlighting: this is a switchless design. There’s no float. It runs when you plug it in and stops when you unplug it. That simplicity is great for control and reliability, but it does mean you (or a controller) have to manage it.

Setup and user experience

Set-up is straightforward:
- Attach your discharge hose—ideally 1‑1/2 in lay-flat with a secure clamp or camlock.
- Place the pump on a flat, debris-free surface.
- Submerge, plug into a GFCI-protected outlet, and go.

In most conditions, the pump will draw down to roughly 1/2 in of water. Practically, you’ll be left with a thin film and little puddles in low spots. For finishing work I’ll tip the pump slightly or squeegee the last bit toward the intake; just avoid running it dry for more than a few seconds.

Noise levels are low for a utility pump. From a few feet away in a basement, the motor hums; outside, it disappears into background site noise. Vibration is minimal, and the top outlet keeps the hose tidy when working in tight pits.

Performance

DeWalt rates this pump at 60 GPM (3,600 GPH) at zero lift, around 50 GPM at 10 ft, and a maximum head of about 35 ft (roughly 15 psi). My results line up with that curve.

• With a 1‑1/2 in lay-flat hose and a 6–10 ft lift, I time 45–55 GPM consistently. A 100‑gallon stock tank empties in two minutes and change.
• Through a 3/4 in garden hose, expect a fraction of that. Between the smaller diameter and added friction losses, real-world flow lands closer to 10–18 GPM depending on hose length and head. That’s fine for a hot tub or small pool, but not for serious dewatering.
• At tall lifts (approaching 30 ft), flow drops as expected, but the pump will still move water until it reaches its shutoff head.

The motor draws about 5 amps at 120 V under typical load, and the thermal protection is there if you forget yourself and let it run dry. Mine tripped once when I was distracted; it cooled off and reset without drama. Still, plan to supervise or use a controller.

Solids handling and reliability

Jobsite water is rarely clean. The vortex impeller is forgiving of sandy, silty water and the occasional small aggregate. I’ve run it in muddy trenches, a leaf-soup yard pond, and a basement with drywall dust and fine debris. It’s not a trash pump, and stringy rags or larger pebbles can cause trouble, but for general dewatering it’s proven dependable.

Two practical tips that have kept mine happy:
- Put the pump in a perforated crate or use a pump sock when you’re dealing with heavy sediment or sludge. You’ll reduce clog risk and keep the last 1/2 inch from turning into paste.
- After pumping dirty water, dunk it in a tub of clean water for a minute to flush the volute and impeller. It takes no time and pays back in seal life.

The mechanical seal is a consumable in the long run, as with any submersible, but DeWalt’s 10‑year limited warranty is notably generous for a utility pump. That, more than anything, tells me the housing and motor are built to last.

Control and accessories

No float switch is both a pro and a con. On the plus side, there’s nothing to get hung up, and you control exactly when it runs. On the minus side, there’s no automatic shutoff. I’ve addressed this in a couple of ways:
- Add a piggyback float or an external pump controller for basins that fill unpredictably.
- Use a smart plug or countdown timer when doing, say, a pool partial drain or an overnight trickle—just make sure the pump will remain submerged.

As for hoses, the pump’s performance scales with diameter. If you’re moving real volumes, use 1‑1/2 in hose and keep runs as short and straight as possible. The garden-hose adapter is best reserved for convenience tasks. Some retailers offer a kit version with a lay-flat hose and camlocks; the base pump includes the garden-hose adapter.

Limitations and what to watch for

• Not for unattended duty out of the box. If you need automatic on/off, plan on an external float/controller or choose a model with an integrated switch.
• Not a trash pump. It handles small solids, but rags, mulch clumps, and pea gravel can stall it. Pre-screen in nasty water.
• Garden hoses throttle it severely. Use the full 1‑1/2 in outlet to take advantage of the motor’s capability.
• Avoid hot or corrosive fluids. The max liquid temperature is 120 °F, and aluminum plus standard pump seals aren’t meant for chemicals or saltwater service.
• Don’t lift by the cord; tie a rope to the handle. The cord entry is sealed, but it’s not a lifting point.

Safety and power

Always run on a GFCI-protected circuit. If you must use an extension cord, choose a heavy-gauge one appropriate for the length to keep voltage drop in check. The pump is water-cooled, so never let it free-spin for long. If it does run dry and shuts off, give it time to cool and re-submerge it before restarting.

Who it’s for

• Contractors and maintenance crews who need a compact, tough dewatering pump for basements, vaults, pits, and trenches.
• Homeowners who want a reliable, simple pump for pools, hot tubs, irrigation transfers, and storm cleanup.
• Anyone who prefers manual control or plans to add their own float/controller rather than rely on a built-in switch.

If your primary need is a permanently installed sump that cycles unattended, a dedicated sump pump with a built-in float is a better fit. If you regularly move very dirty water with large debris, step up to a trash pump.

The bottom line

The DeWalt pump pairs a durable aluminum build with a forgiving vortex impeller and solid performance across common lifts. It’s easy to deploy, quiet enough to run in a basement, and fast enough to make short work of most dewatering tasks—provided you give it a full-size hose. The lack of a float is the only real compromise, and for many use cases it’s a feature: fewer parts to fail, more control for the operator.

Recommendation: I recommend this pump. It’s a well-built, dependable utility tool that moves a lot of water for its size, tolerates the kind of grit real jobs throw at it, and keeps ownership simple. If you need hands-off operation, budget for an external float or choose a different pump. Otherwise, the combination of speed, durability, and a long warranty makes this an easy choice for both jobsite and home use.