10 Questions You Should to Know about Sewage Lifting Device

A pressure sewer system uses small-diameter pipes and grinder pumps installed at each home. The sewer lines are buried just below the frost line and follow the countours of the land ("up and down" hills or a constant grade across flat land, for example).

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The grinder pump station collects all of the wastewater from the home and grinds it into slurry. The wastewater is then pumped to a wastewater treatment plant or system, a gravity manhole, a larger sewer main or to a septic system.

The design process includes the following steps:

1. Collect information: Project layout showing location of connections (scaled); contour information; discharge location

2. Sketch a proposed pipe network layout: Flow should generally always head towards the discharge; no loops

3. Create zones designations where flow changes: More pumps operating simultaneously; and where two branches connect

4. Perform hydraulic calculations. E/One Design Assistant software is available for free in the Design Center

5. Optimize the design as required

E/One offers a no-cost preliminary design service to help users evaluate the feasibility of a pressure sewer for a project. Visit the E/One Design Center for more information.

E/One recommends that combination air/vacuum valves be utilized.

Air/vacuum valves, air release valves and combination air valves prevent the concentration of air at high points within a system. This is accomplished by exhausting large quantities of air as the system is filled and by releasing pockets of air as they accumulate while the system is in operation and under pressure. Air/vacuum valves and combination air valves also prevent a potentially destructive vacuum from forming.

Air/vacuum valves should be installed at all system high points and significant changes in grade. Combination air valves should be installed at those high points where air pockets can form. Air release valves should be installed at intervals of 2,000 to 2,500 feet on all long horizontal runs that lack a clearly defined high point.

Air release stations are available from E/One. Consult your local distributor for more information.

A grinder pump may be needed if your community has a low pressure sewer system, your home is located below grade from the sewer line and you need to pump uphill, or your home is located far away from the sewer line and connecting by a gravity sewer line is not possible.

Grinder pump are also installed to serve the basement of a home when a bathroom, kitchenette, etc is added to a home and the wastewater needs to be pumped vertically.

The life expectancy of an E/One grinder pump is difficult to pinpoint. There are many variables that contribute to the life expectancy of a grinder pump, such as: proper installation, system design, system pressure, run time, and what items go down the drain and into the pump.

E/One grinder pump have been known to last well over 20 years in some cases. The published average mean time between service calls is 10 years.

All of the wastewater in your home from toilets, showers, dishwashers, sinks, etc. empties into the grinder pump station. When the water in the tank reaches a certain level, the pump will turn on automatically and pump the wastewater to the sewer system. Most of the time, you won't even notice the pump running; it produces about the same level of noise as a washing machine and usually runs for only a few minutes.

Do not dump oil, grease, paint, strong chemicals, sand, kitty litter, etc. down your drain. Feminine products and personal/cleaning wipes should be disposed of in a garbage can. These items should not be flushed into any sewer or septic system. They can damage your pump or build up in the tank and prevent your pump from working properly.

The only items that should be going down your drains are water, regular toilet paper, and human waste. The following items should not be introduced into the grinder pump station (or any sewer system); they can damage or cause premature problems (parts wearing out) with your pump, or build up in the tank and block your pump from working properly.

Do not dump large amounts of grease, paint, strong chemicals, and avoid putting sand, kitty litter, etc. down your drain.

Feminine products and personal/cleaning wipes (even if they're marked "flushable") should be disposed of in a garbage can, not flushed. "Flushable" only means that the wipes will fit through your home's pipes, not that they will break down in water.

Refer to our Grinder Pump Owners Guide for more information about what not to flush.

The alarm on your grinder pump station will sound when the wastewater in the tank reaches a certain level ("alarm level").

An alarm may occur if a large amount of water goes into the tank and rises above the pump's alarm level, such as emptying a large whirlpool bathtub. After the pump "catches up," the alarm turns off by itself and does not turn on again. We call this a "nuisance alarm." Frequent nuisance alarms during normal water usage (showers, washing machine, etc) may indicate that the pump is having trouble "keeping up" with pumping and needs service.

A nuisance alarm may also occur after a power outage: wastewater may be above the pump’s alarm level and the pump needs a few minutes to pump down the tank to a normal level. If the alarm doesn't turn off, call for service.

An alarm will occur if the pump has stopped working and wastewater in the tank rises above the pump's alarm level. Discontinue water use to avoid causing a backup or overflow. Never silence the alarm and continue using water if your pump is not working; you will cause a backup or overflow and possibly damage the pump.

If the alarm turns off after a few minutes and does not turn on again, the grinder pump should be OK. Check regularly to ensure that the grinder pump is operating and the alarm is not on.

If the alarm turns on and off repeatedly or turns on and stays on, call an authorized service center for service. Discontinue water use to avoid causing a backup or overflow.

Look on your alarm panel for a service sticker with a number. If no service sticker is on the panel, call our Service Link (USA) at 1-866-539- to find a service center near you.

E/One grinder pumps come with an alarm panel. If your grinder pump is working properly, you shouldn't notice it at all — the pump will turn on as needed and pump down the tank; its noise level is similar to that of a washing machine. The pump will turn off after a few minutes.

If your pump stops working, the alarm panel's red light will blink and a buzzer will sound. If the alarm doesn't turn off after a few minutes, call for service. Look on your panel box for our Service Link number.

Drain cleaner can be used, but choose carefully: use a household (not industrial strength) drain cleaner and follow the instructions on the bottle. Then, flush enough water to ensure that the pump turns on so the pump isn't sitting in the chemical for any period of time.

Refer to the ingredients or MSDS information for the drain cleaner. Please contact us if you need additional information.

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Yes, you can rinse paint brushes, but get off as much paint as you can before you start rinsing brushes. This is a good idea for your pipes as much as it is for your grinder pump.

Never disposed of unused paint down the drain -- paint of any kind should never be introduced into a sewer system of any kind per the EPA.

Sizing and selecting an appropriate grinder pump station is important for ensuring long life of the pump. The following are basic guidelines for station sizing. Visit the Design Center or contact E/One if you need further assistance.

E/One manufactures one grinder pump that is available with a number of different tank sizes. Station sizing takes many factors into consideration including:

- Residential or non-residential/commercial application

- Expected total daily flow (not the number of water-using fixtures)

- Regulatory guidelines (local, regional, or national)

The most common application for pressure sewer systems is single-family, residential applications. A grinder pump station is located at each home and is sized to accommodate the home. The most popular residential E/One grinder pump station is the DH071.

Other configurations are available. Contact your local distributor for help choosing what is best for your region and need.

Sizing E/One grinder pump stations for non-residential and commercial applications is more complex. Commercial grinder pump station sizing considers many of the same factors as residential appliations, especially total daily flow. E/One typically uses known/estimated flow from the Table H 201.1 (4) from UPC Appendix H. This estimates flow based on intended use of the site and the intended occupancy. E/One avoids using fixture counts because, in our experience, flow is typically overestimated and results in an oversized system.

Constant, predictable pump output is the foundation for proper hydraulic design. It enables the engineer to minimize retention time, pump wear and deep scouring action at effective levels. E/One's semi-positive displacement (SPD) grinder pump was developed for wastewater applications. Pumps & Systems magazine featured an article about SPD pumps for pressure sewer systems that compares SPD and centrifugal pumps.

E/One offers grinder pump stations for residential (simplex stations) and light commercial (duplex through quadplex stations) applications. All grinder pump stations use the 1 hp Extreme Series pump. Visit the Product Catalog for the available tank capacities, tank materials and GPD ratings.

E/One's grinder pump lends itself to complex system designs because of its nearly vertical pump curve and the resulting nearly identical flow rate allows a wide variety of discharge heads. The predictable flows of the SPD pumps provide tolerance of widely varying system pressures.

SPD grinder pumps are crucial to the success operation of a pressure sewer system. The performance characteristics of SPD pumps assist in maintaining a sewer network free from blockages. When deposition of solids occurs, tending to block the pipe, centrifugal pumps will move toward shut off, reducing flow and velocity and increasing the tendency to block the pipe. SPD pumps constantly scour the lines to prevent buildup because flow is maintained although pressure or head increased, effectively scouring the pipe.

A grinder pump station that is too tall shouldn't be a problem other than aesthetics and possibly being in the way. The station can be shortened, but contact E/One or your local distributor for proper instructions.

A grinder pump station that is too short can allow infiltration into the tank. If this happens, the pump will run much more often than necessary, possibly introduce sand, stones or other debris, and cause problems (or a shorter life) for the pump. In this case, the E/One Extender or another E/One accessway extension is needed. Contact E/One or your local distributor to determine what extension you need.

Lift stations can be found in many residential homes, and play an integral part in managing wastewater flow. They are typically located on the lowest level of the building, such as a basement. We will often have clients wondering what they are, sometimes confusing them with sump pumps.

While a lift station does function similarly to a sump pump, it certainly serves a different purpose. We wanted to set the record straight about lift stations. So naturally, we decided to write a blog about them!

What Is A Lift Station?

A lift station (also know as a pump station or sewage ejector pump) is an electronically powered pump that is designed to transport liquid (sewage) from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. These devices are implemented in scenarios where wastewater cannot drain toward the main city line or septic tank through gravity and slope alone.

How Does It Work?

Wastewater is drained into the tank of the lift station, commonly referred to as a wet well. The pump, which is either located at the bottom of the wet well or just outside of it, is attached to a float switch. As the wet well fills and the water level rises, the float will rise until it reaches a pre-determined threshold. Upon reaching this point, the float will activate a switch that tells the pump to turn on and begin moving the water out of the tank.

The wastewater is pumped out of the tank and up into the main residential waste line, which subsequently travels to the main city sewer line or a septic tank.  The pump will continue to work until the float reaches a desired point below the threshold.

Why Are Lift Stations Used?

One of the common scenarios that will call for lift stations is when the main drain line is located above certain drainage elements in a home. This is especially common with basements.

Say you are renovating your basement and want to add a bathroom. Since there was no prior drainage lines located in the basement, there will be nowhere to channel the basement wastewater by natural flow. This is a job for the lift station! All the basement drainage can be directed into a wet well and then lifted up to the main drainage line on the floor above.

A lift station is a great alternative to costly excavation projects. Instead of having to dig down far enough to allow basement drainage to successfully leave a home through natural flow, many builders will utilize a lift station. That way they will not not have to dig as deep, thus saving time and money.

Lift stations are also used when the city sewer main is higher than the drain lines in the lower parts of a home. When building a home, contractors obviously can’t adjust the depth of the city sewer line. So instead, they must make sure that the main line leaving the home is at a higher elevation than the city line. Lift stations will help to move any wastewater up to that optimal elevation. This is really common to see in older neighborhoods where city pipes were installed years before basement finishes were popularized.

You also see lift stations in homes where septic systems are present. Because septic systems are generally installed close to the surface, there isn’t always a big elevation change between the home and the septic tank. Because you need a certain amount of “fall” in your pipe, often times a lift station is needed if a basement is present.

Lift Stations Vs. Sump Pumps

As stated above, lift stations do bear certain similarities with sump pumps – both are pits in the ground, usually located in basements. However, there are several defining characteristics that separate the two.

The main difference between these two devices is their respective functions. We have already talked about a lift station’s purpose – it is meant to move sewage from a low point to a high point. The sump pump’s function is to collect and remove any water that makes its way into the home underground. In other words, it protects your basement from flooding rain or ground water.

They also both have several physical features that set them apart. First, lift stations usually have bolted lids in order to keep hazardous sewage fumes from entering the living space. On the contrary, sump pumps generally will have removable lids and you can usually view into the pit through some type of hole or a clear lid.

Additionally, a sump pump will usually only have one pipe coming out of its top (as shown above) – the discharge pipe, while a lift station has two pipes. One pipe is to allow for ventilation and the other is the discharge pipe.

Finally, the devices differ based off of where they discharge their respective liquids. A sump pump’s discharge pipe will normally run through the foundational wall and expel excess liquid somewhere outside of the home. The lift station, on the other hand, ejects wastewater from its tank directly into the main sewer line of the home.

Inspecting Lift Stations

While our inspectors do not physically open a lift station to inspect its inside, they can take several other steps to evaluate its condition and functionality.

They can, of course, conduct a visual inspection to ensure there are no leaks and that all visible parts are intact and in good condition. They also test the outlet from which the lift station is powered to make sure it is operational. Finally, they will run water to make sure that the pump is kicking on properly. Keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to have your lift station periodically inspected and tested by a plumbing specialist.

We hope that this article has given you more insight into the functions and uses of lift stations. If you have any questions, you can feel free to reach out to us through our Ask Your Inspector program.

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