Grinder Pump Installation: Location, Location, Location

In the April 2013 issue of Onsite Installer magazine, the Basic Training article is about site evaluation and its importance for a successful installation. The article uses septic tanks in its example, but good site evaluation is also important for grinder pump stations.

Following E/One's installation instructions is important because installation problems will void the warranty. E/One specifies proper ballast, back fill, burial depth and finished grade.

WH101F grinder pump station

"Site Evaluation: The First Steps" makes the following points, which are also good points to keep in mind when installing grinder pump stations:

On the Property
The grinder pump station should not be installed in a low-lying area where excess water normally collects, swales, or traffic areas. If the station is installed in a low-lying area where water collects, this excess water can enter the station through the vent in the lid and cause the pump to run unnecessarily. Sand and small stones could also enter the station and cause excess wear to the pump stator. E/One's standard station is not traffic rated and should be installed out of the way of traffic.

E/One offers different lid options for floodplain and high flood areas — see the model WH101F grinder pump station (at right) as an example.



Panel Placement 
The alarm panel should be installed where it can be seen and heard easily by the homeowner. After all, the alarm panel's job is to alert the homeowner if the pump experiences any problems.

Incorrect panel location

The photo at right shows an example of where not to install an alarm panel — the panel is completely out of view from the homeowner.

If the panel must be installed in an area that is not easily seen or heard, E/One's Remote Sentry can be installed inside the building.


E/One Installation Instructions
Installation instructions for each model of E/One's grinder pump stations are available on the web site. We also have a video tutorial on our YouTube channel.

Questions about E/One grinder pump installation? Contact us via email or 518.346.6161, or contact your local distributor. We're here to help!

"You Can't Flush ANYTHING when You have a Grinder Pump"

(Notice that the headline is in quotes -- you'll learn why.)

As we've discussed on the blog before, new grinder pump owners feel incredibly limited by what they can pour or flush down the drain. They didn't have restrictions when they had septic tanks or gravity sewer systems, they say.

Are you sure?

We added a few video "Likes" to our YouTube channel last week about what not to flush and why. You may be saying, "Thanks for another reason to dislike a grinder pump ..."

Not so fast.

What's interesting about these videos is, not one of them ever mentions a grinder pump! Each video explains what what you should not be putting into the sewer system.


Still not convinced? Check out these links, found during a quick Google search (and have no obvious affiliation to E/One Sewer Systems):

• Village Requests Residents to Refrain from Flushing Baby Wipes -- Goreville, IL
• A kit by Goldstreet Designs, an agency that designs communications for the public utilities sector 
• The Septic Tank Maintenance entry on Inspectapedia.com (very similar list to the grinder pump)

Personal/cleaning wipes are a favorite topic: they're popular consumer items, yet problematic to the wastewater systems (equipment repairs, overtime, etc). Could it be true that people will pay for the convenience of wipes, even pay a plumber to clear a clog, but complain when their taxes go up because of increased sewer rates?

Of course, wipes aren't the only reason we are paying more for sewer. ASCE's Infrastructure Report Card was released a few weeks ago. We'll discuss the D grade that America's wastewater infrastructure received.

We've already started on our Facebook page (you don't need to be a member to view our page, only to add comments).

ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Released

ASCE released its Infrastructure Report Card a few weeks ago. Wastewater improved slightly, from a D- in 2009 to a D this year.

"Capital investment needs for the nation's wastewater and stormwater systems are estimated to total $298 billion over the next twenty years," according to the Report's web site. Stormwater is a relatively small, though increasing, piece of the spending, but included in the wastewater section.

The largest percentage of the "need" is for expanding and fixing pipes in order to address sanitary sewer overflows and combined sewer overflows.

From the report:

"In 2008, EPA reported that the U.S. 20-year investment needs for aging wastewater treatment totaled just over $298 billion, or almost $15 billion annually. The total represented a 17% increase over the 2004 Clean Watershed Needs Survey (CWNS) results. Meanwhile, annual appropriations for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) totaled $9 billion over the five years from 2008 to 2012, an average of slightly more than $1.8 billion annually, well short of the annual need. Congressional appropriations totaled approximately $10.5 billion between 2008 and 2012—about $2.1 billion annually or $42 billion over 20 years, 14% of the 20-year needs.


"Of the total needs, over $202 billion in the CWNS was the nationwide capital investment needed to control wastewater pollution for up to a 20-year period. The 2008 report included estimates of $134 billion for wastewater treatment and collection systems, $55 billion for combined sewer overflow corrections, and $9 billion for storm-water management."

Get the full report at www.infrastructurereportcard.org.