Sewage Ejector Pump Two Basic Types

A sewage ejector pump can be installed at ground level in a basement or below ground or in a pit in this article we look at two systems.

Residential Sewage Ejector Pump

(1) A bathroom ejector pump is used for houses that do not have a gravity draining system. This is the best solution for buildings that could not have a bathroom otherwise. It is usually located in the lowest spot of the house. A bathroom sewage ejector pump can be installed with a choice of 2 general types of sewage pump. One is sewage sump pit, a large hole in the floor where a specialized pump will collect waste from all of your plumbing fixtures. The other is an above floor level sewage ejector pump system that can be used in individual rooms or to service the entire house.

(2) Sewage ejection systems such as the Zoeller sump pump Quick Jon model are the answer to installing a bathroom and/or laundry room in your basement or anywhere else that is below your main sewer/septic lines The Quick Jon can be either floor mounted or recessed flush with floor. You will need a sewage ejector pump if it is an uphill climb from the basement to access the sewage line that leads to the street. The pump will transmit the sewage up to the gravity line so that it will drain to the street sewer system..

Installing A Sewage Ejector Pump

Finished Basements

If you have a finished basement area you should consider an above ground unit first as the most logical choice. An inground installation in a finished area can be pretty messy and expensive if remodelling is required. The good news is this type of unit exists. The venting problem can be answered this way, you cannot wet vent an ejector pump and you cannot vent through a side wall. It must go through the roof. That could be a problem running pipes up to the roof but unfortunately building codes will not allow any other choice. For your own health and safety any other way is not advised.

New Construction-- Below Ground

Installation is little easier with an in ground ejector sump pump, the Zoeller sump pump is an ideal unit as the entire unit sits under the floor and is flush with the top surface out of the way with no new construction needed. The pump and can for the sewage ejector pump need to be installed into the ground before the basement slab is poured.  The can is shaped like a garbage can, but a little smaller. It is important that when the basement slab is being poured that there are forms around the can itself.  When the concrete cures, you will have an attractive square in which the can fits. All out lines can then be easily installed along with all necessary hardware for the system.

Submersible Sewage Pumps

Submersible applications include dewatering, effluent waste, wastewater and sewage handling where such materials must be moved upward from a collection area to sewer or septic lines, or drainage areas. Match the size of the unit to the amount of effluent to be pumped and the height of the discharge to drain. See Zoeller sump pump for information about the Zoeller line of sumps.

This type of sewage ejector pumps can be used in residential applications, ideal for agricultural use and more specialized industrial usage. The efficiency of the unit has to be matched to the amount of lift required to eject the effluent. The size of the pump has a direct bearing on the efficiency of the unit.  For instance a 4/10 hp unit with a 28 foot lift with a 120 gph rating will only discharge about 30 gph, at less than 5ft. the unit is capable of 100 gph.