Black & Decker 1/3 HP Submersible Water Pump

I put the Black & Decker submersible pump to work the way most folks will: moving water fast with minimal fuss. Over several weeks I used it to drain a spa, push out a flooded window well, and relocate standing water from a soggy corner of the yard. It’s a compact, 6.5‑pound utility pump with a 1/3 HP motor, and it strikes a nice balance between portability and meaningful throughput—especially when you let it breathe through a full-size discharge line.

Setup and build

Out of the box, setup is straightforward. The pump body is a fiberglass‑reinforced thermoplastic, which keeps weight down and shrugs off corrosion. That makes it easy to carry one‑handed using the fold‑away handle, even when it’s wet. There’s onboard cord storage to keep the 10‑foot power cord tidy in a bin or truck. The footprint is small enough to fit on a spa step, inside a small sump pit, or on the floor of a tight crawlspace.

It ships with a 1‑1/4 inch FPT discharge and includes a 3/4 inch garden hose adapter. The intake screen is removable, which is important: it’s the difference between a job that keeps going and one that stops every 10 minutes to clear leaves or silt. The pump is thermally protected, so it will shut itself down if it overheats under poor cooling or blocked flow.

Performance and flow

On paper, this model is rated up to 2,500 GPH with a maximum vertical lift (head) of 28 feet. In practice, what you see depends heavily on the hose you put on it and how far—and uphill—you're pushing.

• With a short run of 1‑1/4 inch discharge hose and a modest lift (3–6 feet), I got exactly what I expect from a 1/3 HP utility pump: brisk flow that makes a dent in standing water immediately.
• Switching to a standard 3/4 inch garden hose throttles the pump significantly. It’s convenient in a pinch, but the smaller diameter adds friction and cuts flow. For quick spa or pool drains, stick with a larger hose if you can.
• With longer runs (100+ feet) and a moderate lift (around 7 feet), the pump kept up without strain as long as I stayed with the 1‑1/4 inch line. The motor hums, but it’s quiet enough that you don’t need ear protection.

The short version: the pump has the motor to do the job, but the plumbing you connect will determine how fast the water moves.

Real-world jobs I tackled

• Draining a 400‑gallon spa: Submerged on the lowest step with a 1‑1/4 inch discharge hose, the spa went from full to nearly empty in under half an hour. I stopped a few times to brush debris away from the intake screen; being able to pop the screen off and flush it quickly was handy.
• Window well overflow after a storm: A slurry of leaves and grit didn’t bother the pump. It will pass small solids up to 1/8 inch, which covers typical bits you’ll encounter in basements, crawlspaces, and yard puddles. As with most utility pumps, it won’t evacuate every last puddle—expect to finish with a squeegee or towel.
• Low spot in the lawn: I set the pump in a cement paver recess to keep it level and off the mud, ran 1‑1/4 inch lay‑flat hose about 75 feet to the street, and let it run for a few hours. No overheating, no tripping breakers, and the thermal protection never had to intervene.

Usability and maintenance

Day-to-day, this is an easy pump to live with. The handle folds flat for storage, the cord wraps neatly, and the housing won’t rust. The intake screen pops off without tools for cleaning—do that before stowing it; dried silt cements itself into place.

A few practical notes:
- Power management: The 10‑foot cord is adequate for a spa or sump pit, but in a basement you’ll likely need a heavy‑duty, outdoor‑rated extension cord. Use a GFCI outlet.
- Operation: There’s no integrated float or automatic shutoff. This is a manual utility pump: plug it in to run, unplug it to stop. If you want it to cycle automatically at a water level, plan on an external switch or a different pump style.
- Hose choice: If speed matters, use a 1‑1/4 inch hose and minimize sharp bends. The included garden hose adapter is fine for convenience, but don’t expect “2,500 GPH” through a 3/4 inch hose.

What I’d change

• Outlet geometry: The pump’s 1‑1/4 inch port is female NPT. Many off‑the‑shelf sump discharge kits assume a male outlet on the pump. You can solve this with a male NPT adapter or camlock, but out of the box it’s not the quickest connect to a lay‑flat hose kit.
• Cord length: A 15‑foot cord would reduce the need for extension cords in basements and yards. Ten feet works; it’s just not generous.
• Garden hose expectations: Including the 3/4 inch adapter is convenient, but it invites a bottleneck. A clear flow chart in the box showing expected GPH at common heads through 3/4 versus 1‑1/4 inch hose would set better expectations.

Durability and protection

Thermoplastic construction is the right call for a utility pump that’ll see dirty water, pool chemicals, and occasional rough handling. It’s light, corrosion‑resistant, and tough enough for jobsite use. Stainless fasteners and an internal motor shaft design are protected from the elements inside the housing. The thermal overload protection is a meaningful safety net; I never triggered it, even with long runs, but it’s reassuring when you’re pushing head height or running partially throttled.

The pump carries a 1‑year limited warranty. That’s typical for this category, though I’d always prefer two. As with any submersible, longevity comes down to not running it dry, avoiding dead‑head conditions (don’t kink the discharge), and keeping the intake clear.

Safety and handling

• Always plug into a GFCI outlet.
• Don’t lift the pump by its cord; use the handle.
• Keep the intake off loose silt or fabric liners to avoid suction lock; a paver or plastic grate works well.
• If you need continuous automatic operation in a sump, this isn’t the right tool—look for a dedicated sump pump with a float switch.

Who it’s for

This pump suits homeowners, facility managers, and tradespeople who need a portable, reliable way to move a lot of water quickly. It’s well‑matched to spas, pools, window wells, small pits, and seasonal flooding where you can babysit the operation or run it on a timer. If your use case is a permanent sump that must cycle automatically, step up to a sump pump with an integrated float. If you primarily use garden hoses, temper your expectations on flow or invest in a proper 1‑1/4 inch discharge setup.

The bottom line

The Black & Decker submersible pump is a capable, compact utility pump with performance that tracks the specs: plenty of flow when paired with the right hose, enough headroom for typical residential lifts, and thoughtful touches like a removable intake screen, fold‑away handle, and thermal protection. Its lightweight, corrosion‑resistant body makes it easy to deploy, and maintenance is as simple as rinsing the screen and coiling the cord.

Recommendation: I recommend this pump to anyone who needs a dependable, portable solution for intermittent water removal. Use a 1‑1/4 inch discharge line to unlock its capacity, mind the manual operation (no float switch), and plan for the 10‑foot cord. With those considerations, it performs reliably across a wide range of household and light jobsite tasks and represents a solid, no‑nonsense tool to keep on hand for unexpected water.