Learn What Makes The Sewage Ejector And Grinder Pump Different
Both Sewage Grinder And Ejector Sewage Pumps Remove Grey Water And Sewage, but they are different; It's all about how they handle sewage. A Grinder Pump can handle more than raw sewage. But not all grinder pumps work with all septic systems and not all ejector pumps work with all sewer systems. In fact grinder pumps are an overkill and cause unnecessary problems when used with the wrong septic system.
Getting the wrong pump causes 6 major problems. To avoid these major problems it is important to know the purpose of each pump type, when to use it, and problems to watch for. We will discuss all of this as well as answer FAQ.
The four major differences are manner of sewage handling, pump size and horse power, discharge port size, and cost.
1) Manner Of Sewage Handling
2) Motor Size And Power
3) Discharge Port Size
4) Cost
The six major problems with grinder pumps are caused by the additional features they have. 
1) They get clogged.
2) The blade becomes duller each time it is used.
Eventually it will not cut anymore and sewage begins to pile up and clog the pump.
3) The starter capacitor burns out
When material wraps around the blade it has no way of releasing but it keeps trying. Continuous pumping without waste movement causes heat to build up and burns up the capacitor.
4) One clog is too many.
Clogs place stress on the pumping mechanism and forever after more clogs happen.
5) The cost of operation is high.
It takes a lot of power to run the motor plus even more to slice and dice the sewage. This translate into four times as much electricity being used every flush.
6) The cost of a new pump is high.
The cost of a new grinder pump over one thousand dollars. Since their life span is said be three to seven years depending on usage, this is a big cash outlay every few years.
These major issues are enough problems to cause careful evaluation if a grinder pump is necessary or if just a plain sewage pump will do the job.
Here's the video version of grinder pump problems.
So those are the major differences between a grinder pump and an ejector sewage pump and the problems that can occur when a grinder pump is used.
So when is a grinder or ejector pump needed?
A sewage pump is necessary when raw sewage is located below the sewer line. If the distance the sewage must be pumped is under 750 feet and the head height is less than 75 feet, and the speed at which it must pump is less than 200 gallons a minute, and the raw sewage is limited to raw waste and toilet paper, this is the pump to install. Just because a pump plugs it not a reason to replace a sewage pump with a grinder pump.
A grinder pump is necessary when the sewage is located below the sewer line, must be pumped beyond a distance of 750 feet and several thousands of feet away, the head height is over 75 feet but less than 130 feet, the speed at which it must be pumps is less than 30 gallons a minute, and the pump is handling sewage from an uncontrolled environment, this is the pump to install. A low horse power grinder pump cannot handle tough material sewage such as feminine hygiene products or hand wipes, but a two horse power can handle really tough jobs.
♦ If a bathroom or waste water is located above the sewer line and gravity alone can move the wastewater, neither pump type is needed.
♦ If your single family home is located in a municipality and a bathroom shower, toilet or kitchen sink is located below the sewer line (i.e. in the basement) and can't drain into the city sewage pipes through gravity a sewage ejector pump is necessary. And if children or visitors are using the below grade toilet for more than raw sewage, a grinder pump is recommended.
♦ If your single family home is located in the country and using a septic tank, and there is below gravity sewage that needs removal, a sewage ejector pump will work fine as long as something other than raw sewage or toilet paper is not flushed and the distance to the septic tank is less than 750 feet away and the vertical pumping height is less than 75 feet. If something other than grey water or raw sewage and toilet paper is flushed, a grinder pump is better because it will avoid pump clogging.
♦ If you own an apartment complex with below ground level apartments that have toilets below the sewage line or the sewage needs to pump a long distance to a gravity drain sewer main or to a pressurized sewer main, installing a grinder pump will be essential because tenants often use a toilet for the disposal of feminine products and wipes. Such items do clog a sewage ejector pump. So rather than answer a call for help late at night or when you are on vacation, installing a grinder pump keeps both you and your tenants happier.
♦ If you own a business with a toilet located below the sewage line, it is important a grinder pump is used. Whenever a toilet is located in an uncontrolled environment and prone to flushing non flushable items, sooner or later it will become clogged. To remedy the situation, use a grinder pump. Eliminate the need to act as a plumber or worse yet, have to call a plumber to unclog the toilet and the piping.
In summary, the key things that determine which sewage pump type you need are: how high and far is the sewage pumped before reaching its final treatment location and what is the potential of flushing sewage other than raw sewage and toilet paper? The sewage ejector pump can only handle raw sewage and toilet paper without plugging. The grinder pump can handle vertical heights greater than 75 feet and a flowing distance of more than 750 feet and tough sewage if the horse power is great enough.
See how they differ.
The life expectancy of a sewage pump depends on how often it runs, the quality materials used to build it, the electrical supply running it, and the type of sewage it is expected to pump. Pump clogging causes the pump to fail quicker.
In general the life span of an ejector pump is between 8 and 15 years. For a Grinder pump it can be anywhere from 6 to 16 years. If the pump is kept clean and only pumps raw sewage and grey water, the life span can be as long as 30 years. The parts to fail first are the float switch, the bearings, and blade dullness for the grinder pump which cuts the sewage.
If you want your sewage pump to last longer, remember a sewage pump is not a trash pump. Never flush the following down the toilet.
A sewage pump works when sewage and grey water flow into a sewage basin and raise the pump float high enough to close the switch circuit and give the pump electricity to run. Its the raising and lowering of the sewage in the pit that causes the float to close and open the switch electric current which enables the pump motor to run. The pump motor causes the impeller to swirl the sewage 'as is' through the volute and discharge port to its intended destination.
A grinder pump works much the same way except that it has a larger motor with a blade to first cut and dice the sewage into slurry. Then it swirls the slurry out the discharge port to its intended location.
There are three common reasons why a grinder or sewage pump does not work. They are clogging, no power and bad float switch.
The quick answer is: most homes need a sewage pump that handles 2-inch solids, is one-half horsepower and can pump around 5,000 gallons per hour to the height of the main sewage line or septic tank.
Here's how you can do a quick check.
Following the above steps will indicate what size sewage or grinder pump is needced.
Both the ejector and grinder sewage pumps move sewage and grey water, but the key to deciding which one to use is based on your situation. The key is identifying what kind of sewage will be pumped , how frequently, how high it will be pumped to the sewage line and how far it will be pumped to the location where it is deposited.
A sewage pump is the simplest and can vertically pump up to 75 feet and a distance of up to 750 feet and 5000 gallons of sewage per hour. The greater the height and distance and frequency the more horse power is needed. The grinder pump is more powerful, requires more electricity and is more costly, but it can vertically pump sewage over 750 feet for a distance of well over 750 feet and cut through tough sewage.
So which one is best for your sewage needs? Review the most recommended ejector and grinder pumps and choose the one that best meets your sewage needs.
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