The modern ejector pump isn’t one design, but many. It can be used with a triplex or duplex design to handle sewage or as a submersible solution too. Put simply, ejector pumps are utilized when the septic line or sewer is higher than the floor level of the pipes, necessitating a pump to push liquid and solid matter higher, against the gravity of the Earth, to reach its destination. Either gas or air is used to provide the pressure to push the material upwards.
There are a variety of problems that come up with ejector pumps and the ejector pit. We’ll explore a few of them here.
No Cycling
When the pump isn’t cycling at all, the tendency is to panic. In fact, there are a number of possible causes contributing to this problem and most do not indicate the issue is catastrophic. Quite often, it’s a fuse that’s tripped, the onboard switch has become faulty, or the float and rod could be jammed and unable to move high enough to activate the pump to begin cycling. None of these issues is difficult to resolve quickly when you know what you’re looking for.
Cycling Pump, But No Evacuation
You can hear the pump turning over, but nothing seems to be happening. What’s going on here? Well, there are several possible causes for this. The float rod could have gotten bent out of place, which is interrupting the normal cycling process and causing the issue. It’s possible that the inlet screen needs a good clean because the impeller has gotten clogged up; this one is a quite common occurrence. When you seem to have cleared the obstruction and still no wastewater is being moved properly, then you could have some damage to the internal components, like the shaft or impeller.
Cycling Is Heard, But Pit Isn’t Clearing Water
The most common cause when the pit isn’t getting cleared of water even though the pump is cycling successfully is because the check valve has problems. The flapper could be blocked up or it could have come off completely and be actively blocking the discharge line, preventing water from moving out of the pit. In this case, the pump is doing its job, but water is hitting the blockage and coming right back into the pit. Usually, replacing the short 2-inch check valve from the ejector is the easy solution here.
Resolving common problems with an ejector pump isn’t terribly difficult. The main thing is to be equipped with the right tools and the appropriate mindset. Working a problem with any pump is a matter of logically going through the issue to rule out what the cause could be, until reaching the actual reason for the problem. It’s not rocket science. It simply requires patience and a methodical approach, along with an eye for detail to work the problem in a professional manner to fully resolve it. Most household maintenance activities require a similar approach to be successful over time with home repairs.
