Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Dirty water pump buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

A dirty water pump buying guide starts with the grit the pump can pass, then the height the hose must climb, and only then the litres per hour. In this set the entry band, about £35 to £40, holds both a real 25 mm pump and a FOTING listing whose own bullet says not to use it in dirty water. The twelve rows are on the [Güde dirty water pump comparison](/hub/garden-watering/guede-dirty-water-pump). Peter F. compared those listings on 21 October 2026. There is no laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

A dirty water pump buying guide starts with the grit the pump can pass, then the height the hose must climb, and only then the litres per hour.

Our top picks

Einhell Einhell GC-DP 3325

Best overall

Einhell Einhell GC-DP 3325
8.8/10about £37.97
View offer
FOTING FOTING 400 W 8,250 L/h

Alternative

FOTING FOTING 400 W 8,250 L/h
8.6/10about £39.99
View offer
Einhell Einhell GC-DP 7835

Rank 3

Einhell Einhell GC-DP 7835
8.4/10about £50.50
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Particle size comes before litres per hour
  2. 2.Head cuts the flow
  3. 3.Residual water and the hose
  4. 4.Plug, voltage and what not to buy for

Particle size comes before litres per hour

ManoMano UK treats particles under 5 mm as clean water, wastewater as often 10 to 20 mm, and heavily loaded water as over 25 mm. A 5 mm pump will not swallow the grit a 35 mm pump is sold to pass. At 25 mm, the Güde GS 4003 P and the Einhell GC-DP 3325 suit light silt and choke on rubble. At 35 mm, the Einhell GC-DP 7835 and the GC-DP 9035 N are the muddy-water class. A named pick is on the best dirty water pump page.
Einhell Einhell GC-DP 3325

Testsieger

Einhell Einhell GC-DP 3325
8.8/10about £37.97
View offer

Residual water and the hose

Waterpump.co.uk is plain: the pump is temporary, a puddle pump is the dry-floor tool, and sludge or sewage is another machine. Güde’s English retailer page says the GS 4003 P leaves about 25 mm. UK reviews of the GC-DP 3325 describe the last 20 to 30 mm staying. The Einhell GE-DP 7035 LL, at about £68.98, claims about 1 mm, and a UK review says that mode needs a hard, level base. None of the twelve boxes includes a delivery hose. Allow roughly £15 to £40 for hose, clips and a fitting, as a rule of thumb. Match the adaptor to the port in the photos.

Plug, voltage and what not to buy for

UK mains are 230 V, and a household socket takes a BS 1363 plug. Outdoor sockets up to 32 A need 30 mA RCD protection under BS 7671 Regulation 411.3.3, as Electrical Safety First explains it. Use a socket that already has that protection. The GS 4003 P listing says 230 V. The GC-DP 3325 listing says 120 V, which matches neither a UK socket nor the Einhell UK sheet. The Güde manual caps liquid at 35 °C and forbids circulation, drinking water, pressure boosting and a permanent cellar overflow. How to lower the pump is on how to use a dirty water pump.

Common questions

What grain size do I need for mud?
For light silt, a cooled tub or a small pond drain, 25 mm is the band here: the Güde GS 4003 P or the Einhell GC-DP 3325. For leaves, gravel or a one-off muddy cellar, use a stated 35 mm intake such as the GC-DP 7835. ManoMano UK puts clean water under 5 mm, and one FOTING bullet says not to use that pump in dirty water.
Why is a 28,000 litre pump not automatically the one to buy?
The 28,000 litres per hour line, at about £56.99, has no curve for a real head. Flow falls as the hose climbs. A Devon review of the GC-DP 7835, listed at 8 metres and 15,700 litres per hour, could not lift water 10 metres in one go. Buy the head, then the particle size. The biggest litre number is the last figure to read.
Why does the pump leave a puddle?
These pumps stop above the floor. Güde’s English page says about 25 mm on the GS 4003 P, and UK reviews of the GC-DP 3325 describe the last 20 to 30 mm. Waterpump.co.uk treats that layer as normal, and a puddle pump is a different tool. The GE-DP 7035 LL claims about 1 mm if the base is hard and level. Mud, a slope or a trapped float leaves more than the catalogue line.
The title says dirty water but the bullet says 5 mm. Which do I trust?
Trust the particle bullet. The FOTING at about £39.99 claims 8,250 litres per hour and also says not to use it in dirty water. It passes 5 mm, which ManoMano UK treats as clean water. The stainless FOTING at about £62.99 is the same 5 mm class. The metal case does not make a mud pump.
Does about £35 include a hose?
No listing in this twelve includes a delivery hose. The Güde at about £34.65 and the Einhell at about £37.97 are pump bodies. Allow about £15 to £40 for a hose, clips and a fitting, as a rule of thumb rather than a price we checked. Match the bore: a 25 mm hose comes up in GC-DP 3325 reviews, and a garden hose is a poor match on the GC-DP 7835. Check whether the port is male or female before you order the adaptor.
The GC-DP 3325 listing says 120 V. What do I check?
The amazon.co.uk line we kept prints 120 V for the GC-DP 3325. That is not UK mains, and the Einhell UK page for the same model is not a 120 V description. Look at the rating plate, the pins in the photos, and the parcel. The Güde listing does print 230 V. Do not run either pump until the plate matches a 230 V BS 1363 supply on a 30 mA RCD.

Related pages

Güde vs Einhell dirty water pump

Güde dirty water pump

Best dirty water pump for muddy water in this UK set

Pump water out of a cellar: when pumping can start

How to use a dirty water pump: hose, float and RCD

Sources

Public UK sources cover RCD protection, product-safety marking and flood pumping limits. The Güde manual and English product page cover duty limits, residual water and the figures that disagree with the amazon.co.uk listing. The Kärcher page is used only for the point that maximum flow and maximum head are separate. It is not a listing in this table. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in the display file. This is not a lab test.

  1. Güde GS 4003 P manual (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Güde GS 4003 P product page (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — garden electrics (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First — BS 7671 411.3.3 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK — adapting a home to flooding (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — help during a flood (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK — Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Kärcher SP 16.000 Dirt — flow and head are separate maxima (retrieved 22.10.2026)