Bathrooms Located Below Water Main Line, Need Ejection Pump
Some homes, bathrooms, and toilets are built or installed in such a way that they are placed below the water main line. This means that gravity alone cannot clear out sewage.
Sewer ejection pumps, or sewer injection pumps, are pumps that work to move sewage to a point where gravity can take over and eliminate waste. Sewer injection pumps often work in collaboration with sump pumps to clear sewage and unnecessary water from basements and crawlspaces.
How Do I Maintain My Sewer Ejection Pump?
Proper maintenance is the key to success with all plumbing systems, particularly sewer ejection pumps that are exposed to especially harsh elements. Sewer ejection pumps are perhaps more important than most other plumbing systems because of the possible contamination and even health risks that can occur if and when the system fails.
Here are a few things you can do to help prevent a sewer emergency:
- Alarm installation: A good preventative action is to have an alarm installed into your sewer ejection pump. The intent is that the alarm will sound when there is a problem (and hopefully when you are home to hear it in time). Unfortunately, even alarms are not entirely failsafe.
- Make sure it is correctly sized: If your ejector system is straining, it could be that it has been improperly sized to fit the space or household size. To be safe, we recommend basing sewer injection pump size on full capacity usage. This means that simultaneously the toilet is flushing, the shower is on, and both laundry and dishes are being washed.
- Proper installation and maintenance: Proper maintenance means maintenance performed by a fully licensed journeyman plumber. Remember that 3 Mountains Plumbing provides a one-year warranty on all parts and services in addition to up-front, fixed pricing. It is always worth having an experienced professional manage your household plumbing needs, particularly when it comes to the possible health risks associated with sewage.
Your best bet is to have a professionally licensed plumber install your sewer ejection pump to avoid sizing and other potentially hazardous problems, and then schedule at least annual maintenance appointments.
Please give 3 Mountains Plumbing a call if you have additional questions regarding sewer injection pumps and the safety of your Portland home.
