Grinder Pump Alarm: What does it Mean?

E/One grinder pump stations come with alarm panels that will alert you if something goes wrong with the pump. Depending on when your E/One grinder pump was installed, the alarm panel could be a black box with a red light on top; a gray box with a red light on top; the custom-designed E/One Sentry enclosure, with the E/One logo on the front and red light on top; or even a small switch plate inside your home (usually in the kitchen or hallway) with a red light.

What does the alarm mean? Let's look at two different scenarios:

The alarm turns on for a few minutes, then turns off. We refer to this as a "nuisance alarm." If this happens, consider what was happening when the alarm turned on. Do you have a large spa tub or another appliance that uses a lot of water? Emptying a spa tub can send a large inrush of water into the grinder pump station. If the water level in the tank was close to the "on" level, then the large volume of water came from the tub, the pump may not have turned on quickly enough and the pump was overwhelmed temporarily. This type of alarm should turn off after 15 minutes or so.

The alarm turns on for a few minutes, then turns off, but it happens often. Repeated nuisance alarms may be more than a nuisance; they may indicate the early stages of your pump needing service. When the pump is working properly, you shouldn't notice much sound from the pump and not from the alarm panel. But if you're using a typical or reasonable amount water in the house and you get repeated alarms, you may want to call for service.

The alarm turns on and stays on. Service is required because the pump has stopped working. Never, never, never silence the alarm and leave it be. Don't turn off the breakers in hopes of clearing the alarm. Stop using water (or use as little as possible) and call for service. If you continue to use water, you will cause a backup into your home or yard.

Finding a Service Provider

E/One recommends contacting an authorized service center for repair. Using a non-E/One plumber or other pump repair may not be covered by the warranty.

First, start with your town or HOA. Some localities have their own service people or contracts with local repair businesses. If you're responsible for your own service, contact your local E/One distributor or call our Service Link at 1-866-539-9803 (in the US). Some of our distributors have their own service departments, or they can recommend a service provider.

More Information

Visit our web site for more information about grinder pump service. Download and print our Owners Guide for reference; there is space on the back to fill out your local service provider's contact information. If you'd like a copy mailed to you, contact us at eone@eone.com.

Article Share: Upgrades on the Fly

"Upgrades on the Fly," in the July issue of Treatment Plant Operator, is about the sewer system in Cohasset, Mass. Not only has the treatment plant undergone extensive upgrades, the 400 grinder pumps are getting upgraded as well -- literally.

E/One Upgrade grinder pump

The system originally used centrifugal grinder pumps, but they just didn't cut the mustard -- er, disposable wipes, among other things. So the town is retrofitting those grinder pumps with the E/One Upgrade SPD grinder pump.

The E/One Upgrade was designed specifically to replace 2 hp centrifugal grinder pumps and offers quick, drop-in replacement into the existing wetwell tank.

Read the entire article.

Looking to solve your sewer system woes? Learn more about E/One Sewer Systems and find out how we can help.

Flushing, Part 2: The Toilet is Not a Trash Can

We can't say it any better than that.

We've blogged a few times about disposable wipes, and most recently about what not to flush. It's really not about the grinder pump -- many things that people flush aren't supposed to be put into ANY sewer system, septic tank or cesspool.

The only things that should go down a drain are water, human waste and toilet paper.

Many people will read the above statement and say, "well, of course ... what else WOULD you flush?" There is no limit to the number of answers. We have seen:

• Aquarium gravel
• Kitty litter
• Coffee grounds
• Paint -- not just rinsing a paintbrush, but half a gallon of leftover paint
• Underwear
• A beach towel
• Pens/pencils
• Pagers
• Cell phones
• Disposable wipes (cleaning wipes, baby wipes, personal care) -- 1, 2 or a continuous "string" of 6 or more

Source: King County, Washington, web site, www.kingcounty.gov

WEF, the Water Environment Federation, American Public Works Association (APWA), and municipalities around the country are campaigning about what not to flush. Besides equipment failures, chemicals that are flushed can end up in the watershed.

We also like this document from the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority.

A quick Google search of "what not to put into a sewer" returns 23.4 million results, including:

• http://www.nacwa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1581&Itemid=335
• http://www.tyngsboroughma.gov/government/departments/sewer/what-not-to-flush-online-guide/
• http://www.centennialutilities.com/Sewer.html
• http://www.mysanibel.com/Departments/Public-Works-Including-Utility-and-Parks-Maintenance/Utility-Sewer-Information/What-Not-to-Flush
• http://www.fairviewok.org/id66.html
• http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/Attachments/publicworks/PDFs/Brochure-English.pdf

Questions about you grinder pump? Contact us at eone@eone.com, or check out the Homeowner Information section of our web site. Our YouTube channel also has a collection of Likes that feature "what not to flush."

(Note: All of the links and documents in this post belong to municipalities that may or may not have an affiliation with E/One. We selected them from Google searches based on the quality of their content.)