Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
OT - plumbing/septic question
Robert R Clough - Thorncraft
>we live in SE Wisc where septic systems require a mound. Yesterday morning the sewage pump which pumps the outflow liquid from the tank into the mound failed. My question is to any plumbers, why should the pump and switch be nearly $800 when it appears to be a beefed up sump pump - and they are several hundred dollars less. The entire cost including pumping the septic tank came to about $1,100. Happy New Year!
Re: OT - plumbing/septic question
Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey
>Steve,
You will find the same difference in price between clear-water pumps and mudsuckers. Any septic lift pump must be able handle sludge even though it shouldn't have to if your tank is properly maintained. My FIL (a master plumber, retired) has a lift pump out to his sewer connection. Had to have it replaced this year and it cost him $900.
Re: OT - plumbing/septic reply, sorta long
Gary Camp - Bend, Oregon
>Robert
It may depend on whether or not your pump was an "engineered" pump or not, (that is a term I only have a passing aquintance with). Many waste water pump are built for a specific set of parameters and not quite an off the shelf item. Ten days before we opened this fall I had a waste water pump fail, the pump was 6 to 8 weeks away and thousands of dollars. The second pump in the sytem checked out as failing so while we were in the tank we did both pumps. I have a good relationship with a local motor / pump shopand they were able to repair / rewind the two pumps and get me back in buisness the day before we opened. Total bill, tank pumping, rebuild, removal and reinstallation, $8,800, that did not count the use of my staff and equipment. They are 200 gpm pumps but with virtully no lift.
glc
I thought $54 a month for water and sewer was bad!
David Sparks
>
Re: OT - plumbing/septic reply, sorta long
Malcolm Timbers
>$8,800.00 just to move a bit of poop???!!!!
What ever happened to the never-fail system of the backyard out house?
Re: OT - plumbing/septic reply, sorta long
Gary Camp - Bend, Oregon
>Well, the system is kinda big. The drain field is permited for 60,000 gallons per day and it is over a mile away. It would take an awful lot of Nessecary Houses to handle that kinda traffic. On a big day each of the two pumps will run 1.5 to 1.8 hrs. time that by 200 gallons per minute = A LOT OF POO and they were about 18 years old so I guess that's not to bad.
glc
Re: OT - plumbing/septic question
Robert R Clough - Thorncraft
>Thanks, people. I never thought it through - that solids might be there as well. I have checked the 2ndary well over the last 12 years and found only "water", therefore, . . .
Re: OT - plumbing/septic question
Matt Robinette, Mt Juliet Tn
>I don't have a mound but I do have a septic tank that overflows into a leach tank with an elecrtic pump and one way valve. I pump to a leach field that is 50 feet from the pump and about 6 foot higher. I use a 1/2 horse pump with mercury switch. The pump sits 1 cement block off the bottom of the tank. Mine is a trash rated pump cast iron body with bronze impeller. 2" in and out,I belive I paid close to $200 for it about 7 years ago. I bought mine at Lowes but if they or the borg doesn't carry one I know Norther Tool does.
My pump is VERY strong. It is hooked to a gfi breaker and after a few days of strong rains I noticed the breaker was triped so I flip the breaker back on. Walk out side and notice a growing mound at the end of the leach field run. It looked like it was about 1 foot high and about 12 foot in diameter. Fearing a poo water explosion I ran back and flipped the breaker off. Visions of effluent fueled chunks of earth landing in my neighbors pool was a source of humor.
Holy cow!
Johanna
>Why in the world is the drain field so far away? And how big is this business? 60,000 gallons is enormous!
Re: Holy cow!
Gary Camp, Bend, Oregon
>Hi Johanna. Terrain and soil type dictated the location of that drain field. We have about 500,000 guest visits from mid November to Memorial Day. Our record crowd is over 13,000. The health department, for Drinking water regulations, averages things out. I follow the rules for a city of about 2,500
glc