TLDR: I have a 120V 1/4 HP general purpose motor with pump head attached (with female threaded connections for input and output). Could I keep this pump/motor above ground and run PVC from the pump head input to the bottom of a sump tank?
I have drainage issues in my unfinished, dirt-floor basement - it is so damp down there to the point that the red clay soil is ALWAYS damp unless we have >1-month of no rain. I have been converting this space to a workshop (drill press, mitre saw, dust collection, mini lathe, hydraulic press, and storage of wood/metal materials).
I'm thinking of installing a sump pump as part of a solution/prevention. I am also looking at the grading/slope around the house, drainage from roof, etc., but this question is specific to the sump pump. I have seen the pedestal vs. submersed sump pumps, but I have never seen a completely external sump pump and motor. I have several 120V motors with attached pump heads that I picked up extremely cheaply. The motors are 1/4 HP and they're rated at 18GPM (gallons-per-minute) I'd rather put one of these to use if I can rather than purchase a new pump. I am considering keeping the motor and pump above ground, with a section of piping running down to the bottom of the sump collection tank. Does this sound feasible? I can't seem to find anyone else doing this and was wondering why. I usually find people hacking almost anything into a solution.
The pumps I have are basically a lower-duty variation of this: