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Serving
all of Metro Atlanta
678.318.3624
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Ejector Pumps.
Basement
additions are becoming more and more popular as
homeowners make the decision to finish and transform
this otherwise dull area of the home, facilitating
the need for another bathroom. When finishing a
basement, it often ends up like an entire other
home, featuring bedrooms, a kitchen, and living
spaces. Installing a bathroom only makes sense to
complete the transformation. Adding a bathroom in
a basement requires some additional planning however,
and some extra work and prior thought is necessary
to ensure proper operation of the new facilities.
When adding a bathroom in a basement, it is crucial
to consider the location of the sewer piping in
the area. Homes built on a basement typically have
the sewer pipes run along the ceiling of the basement,
locating them HIGHER than the potential bathroom.
Due to this arrangement, gravity drainage, which
is standard draining |
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operation, will not work. It is
now necessary somehow transfer the waste water generated
by use of the new bathroom approximately ten feet overhead
to the sewer lines. To accomplish this, it is necessary
to install a sewage ejector pump system.
An ejector pump system is made up of several components;
the pump basin, the pump itself, and the discharge and
vent lines. In order to install one of these systems,
the first step is to determine the location for the pump
based on the fixtures it will service (toilets, sinks,
etc.). Then the slab material is removed, and a hole is
dug about three feet deep and 2 feet wide. In this hole
goes the pump basin, a large heavy-duty plastic "bucket"
in which the pump will sit. Then drain lines are routed
underneath the slab from the fixtures to the basin via
a 4' diameter hole in the side. The pump is set in the
basin and the discharge line (the drain line which carries
the sewage out of the basin) is connected to it. The electrical
line is run out the top of the basin, and the lid is secured
on with bolts. This discharge line must, by code, have
a check valve and a ball valve installed on it near the
pump. A check valve stop any excess sewage from draining
back into the basin after a discharge cycle is complete,
while a ball valve is a maintenance piece designed to
stop the discharge completely. The discharge line is then
piped up and over to the home's main sewer piping and
connected. The pump basin's vent line must be piped to
a vent line near the area.
When the finished bathroom is used, the waste water drains
into the pump basin. When the water level reaches a determined
depth in the basin, normally about twenty inches deep,
a float on the pump becomes inverted, activating the pump's
motor. The pump simultaneously sucks and chops up the
basin's contents, sending the sewage up and out of the
basin through the discharge line. A brief, 5-second hum
is heard during this process, followed by a quiet "bang,"
indicating the pump's completed cycle. A small dripping
sound may sometimes be heard after the pump's cycle. This
comes from a small hole that is supposed to be drilled
six inches above the pump's discharge port in the discharge
line. Called a weep hole, small, seemingly insignificant
hole prevents the pump's motor from locking up due to
negative pressure following a cycle.
Ejector pumps generally last several years if used properly.
They are, however, very susceptible to misuse and improper
operation. The pump is meant to handle ONLY waste and
toilet paper. Many homeowners dispose of dental floss,
q-tips, paper towels, and feminine products in the toilet.
These items WILL bind up the pump's fragile impeller (the
small, bladed part that chops up and extracts the sewage)
and cause the motor to lock up. This in turn will cause
the pump's basin to overflow, possibly damaging expensive
flooring and surrounding items. If this problem occurs,
a technician will inspect the pump to look for any evidence
of misuse. If any is found, all warranties are void. SO
it pays to use the ejector pump properly and flush only
safe items.
Ejector pumps come with a standard 1-year warranty, but
generally last for much longer. Common signs of a failing
pump are (of course) flooding, bad odors, odd noises,
etc.
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Save More Money
Take Advantage of This Special Offer When Fixing Your
Home Water Line
or Sewer Line.
678.318.3624
Send Us Any
Written Estimate.
We can usually match or beat any written estimate. Send an estimate from any other plumbing services company and let us see what we can do for you.
Give us a try! |
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