Clarke Water Pump Buying Guide
Clarke Water Pump Buying Guide 2026: compare submersible, sewage, booster & petrol/diesel pumps to find the right model for your job.
Key takeaways
- Clarke has been a fixture of UK water pump sales for decades through Machine Mart, and the 2026 range now spans submersible, sewage, engine-driven and booster pumps.
- <ol style="padding-left: 20px;"> <li style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong>Is the water clean or dirty?</strong> Clean-water pumps are cheaper and more efficient but will clog or wear out fast if solids get into them.
- Designed to sit fully underwater and shift clean water only: ponds, water butts, flooded basements without debris, and general garden drainage.
- These tolerate grit, leaves and suspended debris without clogging.
- For waste water containing sewage, slurry or large solid debris.
Jim Fellows, Garden Machinery Specialist
Updated June 2026 · 9 min read · Reviewed against current manufacturer specifications
Clarke Water Pump Buying Guide 2026: Which Model Do You Actually Need?
Clarke has been a fixture of UK water pump sales for decades through Machine Mart, and the 2026 range now spans submersible, sewage, engine-driven and booster pumps. This guide breaks down which category - and which specific model - suits flooded cellars, garden ponds, building sites and mains pressure boosting, so you don't overspend or under-power your job.
Quick Answer
For most UK homeowners, a clean-water submersible pump like the Clarke CSE400A handles ponds and water butts, a solids-handling submersible like the Clarke PSV1A or HSE200A clears flooded cellars and sumps, a Clarke CBT1400SS booster pump restores weak mains pressure, and for sites without electricity, a petrol engine-driven pump such as the Clarke PW80A moves large volumes fast. Pumps that handle sewage or solids over 25mm, like the HSEC1400A sewage cutter pump - are for serious flood, drainage or agricultural use, not routine garden draining.
How to Choose: 4 Questions Before You Buy
- Is the water clean or dirty? Clean-water pumps are cheaper and more efficient but will clog or wear out fast if solids get into them. Dirty water and sewage pumps cost more but tolerate grit, mud and debris.
- What's the largest solid the pump needs to pass? This is the single most important spec on a dirty water pump. Garden sumps rarely exceed 10–15mm; sewage and agricultural waste can need 35–40mm clearance.
- Do you have mains power on site? If not, an engine-driven petrol or diesel pump is the only realistic option for high-volume transfer.
- What's the vertical lift (head) required? Flow rate figures on the box assume zero head — real-world performance drops the higher water has to travel, so always check the max head figure against your actual lift.
1. Submersible Pumps - Clean Water
Designed to sit fully underwater and shift clean water only: ponds, water butts, flooded basements without debris, and general garden drainage.
Clarke PSP105 Puddle Pump - 250W
A genuinely useful low-level pump with an auto sensor and a 1mm residual suction depth, meaning it clears flooded cellars and spillages right down to a thin film of water — most pumps leave several centimetres behind. Best for: final clean-up after a bigger pump has done the heavy lifting.
Clarke CSE400A - 750W, 208L/min
A solid all-rounder with a float switch that can be set to auto-cut or run continuously. Corrosion-resistant build makes it suited to permanent pond installation rather than just occasional draining duty.
Clarke Multi-Stage Pump - up to 46m head
A 4-impeller multi-stage design built for vertical lift rather than raw flow — relevant for boreholes, deep wells, cisterns and rainwater harvesting tanks where the water has to travel a long way up before it's useful.
View clean water range at Machine Mart →2. Submersible Pumps — Dirty Water & Solids Handling
These tolerate grit, leaves and suspended debris without clogging. The figure to compare is maximum solid size, not just flow rate.
Clarke PSV1A - 335W, 140L/min, up to 5.8m head
A genuinely heavy-duty unit for its size, with an anti-airlock valve and automatic float switch as standard. Good middle-ground choice for sump pits and building sites without going to industrial-spec pricing.
Check price at Machine Mart →Clarke HSE200A / HSE130 - Pool & Pond Circulation
Marketed specifically for pond circulation, aeration, waterfalls and fountains as well as general flood and drainage work — a sensible choice if you want one pump that covers both decorative water features and emergency draining.
View dirty water range at Machine Mart →
Clarke CSV2A Vortex Pump
A vortex impeller design that keeps solids away from the moving parts rather than chopping through them, which means it copes with brackish, debris-laden water with less wear over time than a standard impeller pump.
Clarke CSV4A - 1300W, 417L/min
The flow-rate heavyweight of the domestic/trade range. If you're clearing a genuinely large flooded area quickly rather than a typical garden sump, this is the model to look at before stepping up to engine-driven options.
Clarke PVP11A - Heavy-Duty Solids, up to 35mm
Built for pits, sumps, ditches and footings on construction sites. The 35mm solid-handling capacity puts it well beyond what most garden pumps can cope with, at the cost of being bulkier and heavier to move around.
3. Sewage & Cutter Pumps
For waste water containing sewage, slurry or large solid debris. These use tungsten carbide cutter plates or oversized impellers to chop or pass material that would jam a standard submersible pump.
Clarke HSEC650A - 290L/min, up to 15mm solids
Machine Mart's best-selling sewage cutter pump, available in 110V and 230V with a stainless steel body throughout. A sensible entry point into cutter pumps for sump pits and waste water drainage on smaller sites.
View sewage pump range at Machine Mart →
Clarke HSEC1400A - 430L/min, up to 40mm solids
The step-up model for agricultural and industrial waste containing light slurry and heavier solid content. Worth the extra outlay over the HSEC650A only if you're routinely dealing with debris larger than 15mm.
View sewage pump range at Machine Mart →Clarke CSP1530 - 1530W, 500L/min
Stainless steel body on a cast iron base, built for both clean and dirty water duty including solids. The highest flow rate in Clarke's submersible sewage line, intended for heavier, more frequent use rather than occasional homeowner draining.
View sewage pump range at Machine Mart →Clarke CGP870 Grinder Pump - 870W
A dedicated grinder pump rather than a cutter pump, designed to macerate sewage and waste before discharge. Cast iron body with a dual-layer protective coating for longevity in continuous waste-handling duty.
View sewage pump range at Machine Mart →
4. Engine-Driven Pumps — Petrol & Diesel
For sites without mains power, or where you need to move very large volumes fast - irrigation, construction dewatering and emergency flood response. Trade-off: noisier, heavier, and need fuel and maintenance like any small engine.
Clarke PW80A - 3" Petrol Water Pump
Lightweight and mobile, designed for draining pits, pools, trenches and foundations as well as field irrigation. Handles sand and suspended solids up to 6mm, which makes it more clean-water-biased than its trash-pump siblings below.
Clarke PS75A Semi-Trash - 750L/min, up to 15mm solids
Powered by a 208cc 6.3HP 4-stroke petrol engine and supplied with hose connections and intake strainer. Designed to pump sand and suspended solids up to 15mm — a solid choice for general trade and agricultural use.
Clarke PF75A Full-Trash - 1300L/min, up to 28mm solids
Same 208cc petrol engine as the PS75A but built to pass much larger solids — almost double the flow rate too. The pump to choose over the PS75A when you're regularly moving water with sticks, stones or rubble in it.
Clarke WPD75 - 3" Diesel, 306cc 7HP, Euro 5
A robust diesel-powered clean water pump compliant with current Euro 5 emissions standards, aimed at DIY and trade users who want diesel's better fuel economy and runtime over petrol for longer jobs.
Clarke WPD100 — 4" Diesel, 306cc 10HP, Euro 5
The larger-bore step up from the WPD75, with a bigger 4-inch inlet/outlet for higher volume transfer. Suited to construction site dewatering and larger-scale irrigation where the 3-inch model would be a bottleneck.
Clarke WPTD75 — Diesel Trash Pump
Combines the diesel platform of the WPD75 with a trash-pump body for solids handling, for sites that need both diesel runtime and the ability to pass debris in the water.
5. Booster & Centrifugal Pumps
For increasing or maintaining water pressure — weak garden taps, irrigation systems, mains pressure top-up — rather than moving water from one place to another.
Clarke CBT1400SS — 1" 1650W, 90L/min, 50m head (230V)
A high-spec stainless steel booster pump — body, motor shaft and impeller all stainless — built for properties wanting genuinely strong, reliable mains pressure boosting rather than a budget plastic-bodied unit.
Clarke MSP6120 — 1500W, 90L/min Multi-Stage
A multi-stage booster delivering the same 90L/min as the CBT1400SS through a different (multi-impeller) design, aimed at homes, offices and irrigation systems needing maintained pressure rather than a single burst of flow.
View booster pump range at Machine Mart →Clarke 1" 230V Centrifugal Brass Body Pump
A medium-duty centrifugal pump with a non-corrosive brass body, ideal for general clean water pumping applications. Not self-priming, so it needs to be installed below or level with the water source.
View centrifugal pump range at Machine Mart →Comparison: Which Clarke Pump for Which Job?
| Job | Recommended Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Garden pond / water butt | CSE400A | Reliable clean-water flow, float switch options |
| Flooded cellar final clean-up | PSP105 | 1mm residual suction depth |
| Sump pit / building site drainage | PSV1A or PVP11A | Solids handling 15–35mm |
| Sewage / heavy waste water | HSEC650A / HSEC1400A | Cutter plate, solids up to 40mm |
| No mains power on site | PW80A / PS75A / PF75A | Petrol-driven, fully portable |
| Long irrigation / dewatering runs | WPD75 / WPD100 | Diesel economy, Euro 5 compliant |
| Weak mains water pressure | CBT1400SS | Stainless steel, 50m head |
Methodology
This guide was compiled from current Clarke product listings and specifications published by Machine Mart, Clarke's authorised UK retailer, cross-checked in June 2026. Flow rate, head and solids-handling figures are manufacturer-stated and measured under standard test conditions; real-world performance will vary with hose length, vertical lift and water condition. We have not physically tested every model in this range — where we haven't run hands-on trials, recommendations are based on published specification comparisons rather than direct experience. Always confirm current pricing and stock on the retailer page before buying, as specifications can change without notice.
Affiliate disclosure: Garden Review may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links to Machine Mart on this page, at no extra cost to you. Specifications are sourced from manufacturer and retailer listings and were accurate at time of publication; always verify current specs and pricing on the retailer page before purchase.
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