Septic / Sewage Pump Installation FAQs

Septic pump installation depth, electrical wiring, plumbing Q&A

Sewage Pump Installation Procedure FAQs

Tip: Be sure to download the manual for your specific septic pump and then, follow those instructions. See SEWAGE PUMP BUYERS GUIDE & MANUALS

Plumber says sewage pump pit has to be two inches above the floor

I'm having ejector pit installed. Plumber states the style of pit has to be 2 inches above the floor.

Says keeping it flush to floor has changed so people wont treat it as a floor drain. Is this right? On 2020-06-14 by C.C.

by (mod) - your Plumber is mistaken according to the manufacturer's schematic for sewage pump installation

CC

Thanks that's an interesting question and not an assertion I've come across in any of the instructions for the sewage pumps that I have installed.

In my OPINION I suspect the plumber doesn't want to keep digging, or may have to run into a problem with mis-use of sewage pumps or with people confusing a sewage pump with a sump pump.

Let's skip over OPINION and look at what the authorities say - in the manufacturer's installation manual such as those at

SEWAGE PUMP BUYERS GUIDE & MANUALS

Shown here is a typical ejector pit and pump installation drawing from a Grundfos manual

You'll see that the manufacturer puts the surface of the pit flush with the floor.

Let's not have a fight with the plumber, but if she'll agree to install as per the specs of the manufacturer of your specific ejector pump and pit brand and model, that'll be the end of debate.

Plumber says pump is installed wrong, cut the power line and now wants to re-route or sewage pump lift station pipe

Hi, Two years ago we installed a full bath by our pool. The house is 4 years old.

We recently had a leak in our outdoor shower (I called a different plumber)..

He stated that the lift station line (located on the exterior of bathroom wall) ran towards the street but into our house DWV system. (The wall is where our kitchen and laundry is located).

He said this was not done correctly and that they should have ran the line all the way to the other side of the property under the driveway.

He then CUT the cord of the grinder because he said they had shoved it into the outlet....(which it was crooked and shoved but we specifically told him to leave everything as is so we could contact the people who did the work.) He then quoted me $10k.

Is this true. - hat a lift station/grinder should NOT be hooked into your house DWV system?

And lastly, is it easy to splice a new chord?

Please educate me. Located in Texas.

Thank you sincerely! On 2020-05-23 by Shana Holmes -

by (mod) - Plumber cut wire to septic pump and offered a $10,000 repair

Shana:

In my opinion you are being told some strange stuff.

1. I can't make sense of what he told you. If the grinder / lift pump from the outdoor bath was previously working successfully having been connected to your existing house DWV system then it was fine.

2. Hearing that a plumber cut the line cord to the lift station "because the outlet was crooked" sounds absolutely crazy to me, and downright dangerous.

It also sounds as if he wanted to leave your system disabled to try to push you into an expensive job that may be completely unnecessary.

I would not let that plumber back onto the property, ever.

Call someone else to fix your leak and repair the wiring for your lift pump.

Yes the pump line cord can be repaired or replaced.

Watch out: if you are not familiar with safe electrical wiring you could be shocked or killed

Septic / Sewage Pump Installation Electrical & Wiring FAQs

Where to find a wiring diagram for a sewage pump

I've been looking for hours (really) to find a wire diagram of the pump to alarm. I've tried msn, I've tried Google and some sites say they do have it...but when you go there, they don't. How hard can this be? I've tried to find a video, a drawing and just electrical to no avail. - Stumpman

Reply:

Stumpman, The wiring diagram for septic pump alarms are surely included with the alarm itself. Basically, when the pump fails to run when it should, the rising effluent level in the pump trips an alarm sound and light. If you give me the brand of your septic alarm device I'll research this and get details for you.

Or go right over to SEWAGE PUMP BUYERS GUIDE & MANUALS where we give both free PDF downloads of septic and sewage pump manuals and also manufacturer and sales contact information.

Tell me why the Sewage pump trips the circuit breaker

Pump works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't work normally a breaker is tripped, but I can not find what maybe be the breaker to trip. Any ideas? On 2018-07-16 by Robbie

by (mod) -

Usually I find that the pump is failing, with a tight bearing or a jamming impeller, drawing high current and tripping the breaker.

Some pumps might also overheat when running dry and that overheating could also seize a bearing and draw current and trip the breaker.

Sewage pump won't kick on, unless I jiggle the ejector pipe

My sewage pump won't kick on, unless i jiggle the ejector pipe. I got it from lowes, and its less than a year old. Any suggestions? On 2012-07-15 0 by Allen

by (mod) - fix or replace the float assembly or switch

Allen,

If the float itself is moving freely inside the ejector pump bucket or well then it sounds as if the float switch inside the unit is stuck or defective. Check first outside the unit for loose electrical connections.

Sewage Pump Plumbing FAQs

How to add a washing machine drain to the sewage ejector pump pit

Can you drill through top of sewage ejector lid to add a line for a washer hook up? On 2017-09-05 by Ron

by (mod) -

Ron,

Yes but because of the need to make a mechanically-secure and leakproof connection through the lid, I might consider a wye and checkvalve connection into the existing piping entering the ejector

Toilet won't flush until the ejector pump runs: traced to bad pump vent

New basement bathroom, new ejector pump. Problem: toilet wont flush until pump goes off. Eventually water will go down by gravity but Flush has no power behind it. On 2019-02-11 by Cindy

by (mod) - sewage pump not emptying the pumping chamber?

Cindy

I'm not certain what's happening but it sounds to me as if tperhaps he sewage ejector pump is not emptying the pump chamber. Check for a plumbing blockage.

If the drain isn't blocked and there's no stuck or jammed check valve on the drain, check the rest of the drain and vent piping.

If the pump chamber wastewater level is too high and you flush a toilet there's nowhere for the waste to go.

Ask your plumber to open the pumping chamber and confirm that the ejector pump float control is working properly and that the pump has a check valve to keep waste from draining backwards into the pump chamber.

by Cindy

Thanks for responding. Pump is working fine. I took the vent top off and toilet flushed great so need a new vent top probably. Thanks again.

by (mod) - vent problem can cause bad sewage pump operation

Cindy

Thanks so much for the follow-up; I sit corrected on this diagnosis - working together makes us smarter.

I suspect the pump chamber was air tight and creating a suction problem - air unable to enter the pumping chamber during pumpdown.

A Studor vent or V-200 or similar ought to work.

Daniel

What's the recommended depth of forced sewage line uphill to septic tankdepth of forced sewage line uphill to septic tank

I am putting a bathroom in our basement and i need to pump waste to my septic tank from the basement up a hill to the tank is a solid waste pump all i need and how deep do i put the pipes under ground? On 2015-07-20 by jason crowley

Reply by (mod) - protect buried effluent pumping lines from freezing

Below the frost line

How far can a sewage pump discharge line run with a minimum fall (slope)

How far can a sewage pump pump with a minimum fall? On 2018-09-05 by Robert

Answer by (mod) -

Robert,

I'm not sure what you have in mind by "minimum fall" - perhaps a pipe drain slope of 1/8" per foot of horizontal run? That's not the usual limitation.

Sewage pumps will generally be rated in GPM capacity and in LIFT capacity - how high the pump can lift the wastewater or sewage. The assumption is that from the point of discharge the waste flows by gravity to a destination (sewer line or septic tank) so the horizontal distance isn't given.

Example: A Zoeller 1/2 HP Simplex sewage ejector pump has a head or lift capacity of 21 ft. maximum, noting that the GPM rate of the pump (using clean water as an example to get consistent flow rates) is going to drop off as the lift increases.

At 0-5 ft. head the pump can push 128 gpm, while if the lift height or head is 20 ft. the GPM rate falls off to just 10 gpm.

A different case is a sewage grinder pump used on a "force main" that actually pushes ground sewage over some distance. For that type of pumping system there will be both a lift capacity and a GPM flow rate table that considers vertical distance, horizontal distance, pipe diameter, pipe obstructions or bends or elbows, possibly even pipe material.

More about force mains and sewage pumping stations is at SEPTIC PUMPING STATIONS

Does my sewage ejector pump connection to a public sewer rule out a septic tank at the property?

I am completing forms, getting ready to sell my house. It asked:

Has any septic tank or cesspool on the property ever been professionally serviced? Please clarify if there is a "cesspool" as part of my sump pump system.

I have a sump pump in my basement because of the low elevation relative to the public sewer line that runs in front of my house. On 2017-01-17 by Jan

by (mod) - No. ejector pump to sewer doesn't mean there was never a septic tank at a property

Jan: you are describing an ejector pump that lifts waste to a public sewer system.

You can report, if it's true, that since you've owned the home it has always been connected to a public sewer.

However the buyer wants to know, and you want to know for safety and liability reasons, if your home ever had a septic tank or cesspool. That may be determined by age of the home, location, local building department records.

Also see SEPTIC or SEWER CONNECTION?

Sewage or Septic Pump Battery Backup FAQs

Tip: See SEPTIC PUMP DUPLEX DESIGNS

Also see BATTERY BACKUP SUMP PUMPS (de-watering systems)

Also see the warnings about battery life and pump usability hours at SUMP PUMP BATTERY BACKUP

Options for battery backup for a sewage grinder pump

For a grinding pump (Zoeller 1/2hp), what are my options for a battery backup? Computer UPS maybe? Something more serious? - Rob 8/30/11

Reply: two approaches to sewage or septic pump backup systems

Nice question, Rob. I'd look at the data for the Zoeller pump model (data from your installation manual should be enough as the pump itself would need to be pulled to look at its data tags).

I am not sure that a typical home computer UPS will have enough ampacity at 120V to handle the pump operation but it might. If not, take a look at battery-operated backups for basement sump pumps.

Or even a second, auxiliary 12-V pump itself, added into the same pumping station (if there's room for both pump and floats).

1. Install a Second Septic Pump that is Battery-Operated and Uses a Separate Float Control

A common approach for a sewage or septic pump backup uses a second or additional smaller 12-Volt backup sewage pump that has its float control set to turn on the pump at a higher level than the main pump, so it will operate automagically if/when the main pump stops working for any reason.

This approach can handle both a power outage and other failures of the primary sewage pump.

2. Install a Backup Battery and Power Inverter to Run the Primary Septic Pump

This approach combines a battery or bank of batteries that, connected through a power inverter, provides 120VAC to operate the septic pump (and possibly other household circuits) in event of a pwoer failure.

There are at leasat two battery types to choose among: a conventional "wet cell" lead acid battery or a "maintenance free" Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery.

Examples of Battery Backup Systems for Sewage or Septic Pumps

Depending on features and your requirements you'll see a stunning range of price for battery backups for sumps and sewage pumps, from about $175. to over $2000. U.S.

• EcoFlow DELTA Pro Smart Generator Adapter [Website] 3.6 to 25kWh, 3.6 to 7.2 kW, designed to be used as one unit or in combination with two or more for greater capacity, shown above.
• SEC America 1733, Battery Backup System For Sewage Ejector Pumps and Sump Pumps, [Website] 1.8 kW (1,800 Watts)
  
  Excerpts: 1733 is a powerful backup designed for use with sewage ejector pumps and may also be used with sump pumps. ...
  
  It interfaces between a pump and its AC wall outlet. When AC utility power is present, the 1733 charges one or more batteries. While channeling power from the wall outlet to the pump it monitors the wall outlet for power outage detection.
  
  At the moment utility power fails, the 1733 substitutes its own generated AC power necessary for pump operation by converting energy from the battery.
  
  When utility power is restored, the 1733 automatically switches the pump back to the AC wall outlet’s power. At the same time the 1733 resumes the charging of the battery to return it to full capacity in preparation for the next power failure.

Do I need a battery back up for my septic grinder pump?

Do I need a battery back up for my grinder? What’s a reasonable price for 1br1ba Home 7-10’ of lift? On 2017-11-18 by Steve

by (mod) -

Steve,

I think the answer to your question depends on where you live, the frequency of power outages, and whether or not you would continue to occupy your home during a power outage considering that nothing else is working either.

In any event at general purpose battery backup or a generator backup might be useful