Emergency plumbing problems never happen when it is convenient. The sewage grinder pump is a hard working piece of plumbing equipment that grinds up all the sewage from your home and pumps it into the city sewer. City sewage systems use forced main sewage systems due to excessive elevation changes. The sewage grinder pump lifts waste up hills to pushes it to the sewage treatment plant.
The sewage grinder pump should be installed with an alarm. The alarm may be a flashing red light, a buzzer or both. Not all sewage grinder pumps are the same and not all sewage grinder pumps are allowed in every city. The most commonly used grinder pumps in the Lago Vista and Leander area’s are 2hp grinder pumps.
There are a few different brands that have been installed in this area such as
Barnes
Smith Pump- www.smithpump.com
Gould’s- www.gouldspumps.com
Liberty- www.libertypumps.com
The most common problem we see when servicing grinder pumps are foreign objects such as:
Tampons
Q-Tips
Wet Wipes
Shop Towels
Scrubber Pads
Condoms
Cigarette filters
Grease
Wash Clothes
Toys
These items cause damage to the sewage grinder pump and will result in emergency sewage grinder pump repair or replacement. The life of the sewage grinder pump is determined by how well you maintain the sewage grinder system and how well you protect from foreign objects.
The most common repair we make to a sewage grinder pump is unjamming it. The process to unjam the sewage grinder pump is messy and can be costly on older equipment . The piping inside the sewage grinder pump should be of corrosion resistant metal or pressure rated PVC. The sewage grinder pump should be flushed and rinsed out once annually to promote reliable operation.
Not all plumbers are qualified to work on sewage grinder pumps. The best sewage grinder pump repair technicians are not afraid to get dirty. The sewage grinder pump has to be removed from the basin to be unjammed. The impeller at the bottom of the sewage grinder pump is removed to free of foreign objects. The sewage grinder pump is a submersible pump that works best when kept submerged in water. The sewage grinder pumps operate by floats that switch the pump on and off.
When the floats become tangled or covered in grease they do not work properly causing the pump to malfunction.
Common Problems caused when floats hang up:
False Alarm Signals
Pump fails to operate properly and short cycles
Pump may continuously run causing thermal over load
Pump may not turn on causing sewage back up
To avoid damage to your sewage grinder pump please perform annual maintenance consisting of cleaning the pump basin and the floats.
Call Can Do Plumbing at 512-551-8227
Schedule at candoplumber.com to have annual maintenance performed on your grinder pump today.