Water Pumps

[RaceFan1]

Hi all!
Does anyone have any experience with these water pumps that you install under sinks, laundry tubs etc..where the drain is too high for gravity to take the waste water? The water drains into the sink into this pump then the pump kicks on and pumps it up into the water drain into the swewer or in my case the septic tank piping. I just installed a sink withg counter etc in my garage , and the guy that installed it had to put the sink up basically to my chest in order for the drain to go into the drain pipe. Hope that makes sense, sorry for the long exlanation [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Howard <font color="yellow">

[Pat]

Howard, I'm familiar with the general concept as I have an automatic system that pumps the output of the basement's 500 ga; septic tank uphill to the output of the house's 1000 gal tank to share a single leach field. It uses about a 20 gal holding tank on the output of the 500 gal septic tank. There is am aneroid diaphram controlled switch that senses the pressure due to the depth of the liquid in the holding tank and that turns the pump on and off. There are similar systems to get basement toilets to flush uphill.

I have never seen or heard of a system that doesn't have at least a small "holding" tank to buffer the demand on the pump. Of course, I'm not a professional plumber and there might be systems that work fine without a holding tank.

I'm sure I could cobble something together to "git 'er done." I have bought clear water pumps pretty cheap from Harbor Freight that would do the job fine if you weren't dumping much in the way of solids down the drain. There are "dirty water" pumps available too. If you didn't want even a small holding tank then you'd need a sensor system to detect when the depth of the water in the "under sink" plumbing was deep enougn to warrant turning the pump on. I'd probably opt for a small holding tank down stream of the "P" trap.

If you didn't mind pressing a momentary contact switch to pump out the tank you wouldn't need a sensor system. The pump in question at Harbor Freight was on sale for a tad under $30 if, I recall correctly, but you could get by with a much smaller pump. The problem is that a smaller pump from aother source may cost significantly more.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[RaceFan1]

Pat
Thx for your input... I did a lil' homework and found a pump made by a co called Hartell(Milton Roy) model LTA online. Hartell.com
The model i bought, although not cheap @ $290, seemed to be the best bet for my application. it is a direct mounted pup to the sink, thus saving cabinet space. The pump kicks on from water pressure (I hope!) when you turn the faucet on.
Other pumps with a resevoir were around the same price, but would have taken up what lil' space I would have in the cabinet.

All in all, if this pump works like it's supposed to, this is definitely a more eye pleasing alternative than having my counter top and sink as high as my chest in order for the water to drain. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
H

[Pat]

RaceFan1, If you are happy I am tickled. I don't "get" the water pressure turn on comment. Can you amplify? My first "take" was something to turn on the drain assist pump whenever the faucet was turned on but believe this is likely not the case. I think I understand your expectation to be that the pump somehow turns on when there is water in the drain. If that is the case it is a very simple fix for you and worth some expense.

I like the solution with no holding tank a lot better even whough you would have had a trap between the sink and the tank.

Let us know what you end up doing and how it works.

I have a sink to install in my shop bathroom and a couple more utility sinks to install, one on both floors of the shop. Luckily it is DOWNHILL from all of them to the main drain line so even a non-pro like me can git 'er done. I only have 5-6 jobs higher on the priority list... So many tasks, so little time.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] One final note on "pumped drains": Years ago, when I worked for a factory-operated pump dealership, we had a client who needed repair work almost every year on his sewage ejector system that lifted sewage from the restroom in his downstairs "party room" up to main floor sewer pipe level. The repairs involved carrying a poop-encrusted pump through the living room of his mansion and out the front door; not a "good thing". In just one year's time, the shaft driven sewage pump was usually corroded to where it needed an overhaul. Somewhere around 1970, I fell heir to this awful problem and as such was the designated fix-it-somehow man. What I found was that the homeowner and his wife did not have enough parties, and because of that, there was not enough flow through the sump to keep things from just sitting there and corroding. We did two things: (1) we replaced his shaft driven unit with one of the new, compact, stainless steel, submersible sewage ejector pumps; and (2) we set up a weekly flush cycle to get at least a minumum flow through the sump. We also encouraged the man and his wife to have a lot more parties. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Dave, You forgot to mention that you VOLUNTEERED to attend the parties to check on the operation of the system during the higher use mode.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] And.....I hasten to add that when all that took place I was still well into my "boozin' days" and would have been an ardent user of his downstairs restroom as my body strained alcohol out of the booze and jettisoned the water. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[RaceFan1]

Guys:

Sorry for the long delay. I did not end up getting the Hartell pump that attaches like a disposal to the bottom of the sink, it seems Hartell misplaced my order and credit card info online and asked me to call them via phone. When i did to get the order processed, they never returned my call! I guess they have enough business and are too wealthy to take more orders. Anyway, I ended up ordering a Gould SDS-1 pump.
Bit large for the job but fully enclosed sump and pump with float etc.. I'll let you know what happens!
Howard