How do I Install a Sewage Treatment Pump?
A sewage treatment pump is a smart addition to any home. This pump sits in a sewage basin and is a method of removing waste from the home. Installing the pump yourself rather than hiring a professional can save you money. With the right permits, tools, and a few hours of your time, this straightforward job can be completed. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Obtain the correct permits. Call your city or town hall to connect with the building permits department in relation to city or town sewage connection and ask for permit applications to connect or reconnect your home to the public sewer lines.
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Turn off the power at the source where you plan to attach the new pump. If an old pump exists, remove it by unplugging it from the power source and placing it to the side. Cut the power at the circuit box.
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Check the labels of the circuit breakers and fuses of the power source and your new pump. Each will be labeled with voltage. Consult with the owner's manual and labels on the pump to determine the voltage requirements of the pump. Be sure that you are not supplying your new pump with too much or not enough power. This will negatively affect the performance of the pump.
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Dig a hole that will hold the sewer basin and pump. This hole is where the sewage is released from your home's drains and toilets and where the pump will rest. It is a large metal bin that will collect the sewage for removal. The hole that will hold the basin must be dug at least ten feet away from any obstructions. The hole also needs to be two feet wider on each side of the basin. The hole, basin and pump must also be above the water table.
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Fill the hole with pea stone to a depth of one foot.
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Place the sewer basin on top of the pea stone and center within the hole.
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Fill the space around the sewer basin with more pea stone. The stone should be compacted and fill the hole almost to the surface. Leave a few inches near the top empty to avoid too much stone from escaping.
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Place the pump in the sewer basin. It should be centered within the basin.
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Connect the cord of the pump to the electrical conduit or outlet. This will supply the pump with power.
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Connect the discharge pipe of the pump to your homes sewage discharge pipe. Follow manufacturer's instructions for the specific connection of your pump.
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Test the pump. Fill the basin with a few inches of water. Turn on the pump. The pump should remove the water from the basin and send it to the discharge pump. The amount of water removed will depend on your pump and its settings.
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Close the top of the sewer basin.
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Tips & Warnings
Set your pump to "Automatic" so that it will automatically start when the basin becomes filled with sewage and turn off when the basin is empty or close to empty.
References
- Photo Credit new york city sewer image by BigDog from Fotolia.com
