# How "not" to install a sewage ejector!



## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

Customer called this morning wanting service on her sewage ejector, said it went out this weekend when her son was home with some of his friends.
I arrived and plugged the pump in, bypassing the float and it pumped right out. Turns out it was just a stopped up toilet. :thumbup:
Anyway, I took a look at her set-up and found this......








No shut off valve, the crooked pipe in the vent with a AAV? Wait, it gets better.








This is the 2" drain coming from the pump going into the bottom of the 4" horizontal drain with a 2x4 san tee.......
I asked her who did this shiot job, she said when they finished the basement her contractor had the plumbing done. They also used a Little Giant plastic pump.
Bad thing is, I see this kinda stuff all the time!


----------



## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

Thought you were going to say not while plugged in... Seen that more than once with sumps - not an ejector yet but, one can hope.

Nicely sealed lid too. Jeez.


----------



## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

That's just how we do them. 

All joking aside, that is a nice specimen you found there. I especially like that shiotcicle hanging off that tee.


----------



## Mobeoner (Dec 31, 2011)

wholy crap man, Not even hung over on a sunday morning and working for free could i do some **** like that :blink:


----------



## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

That.is.awesome.


There are plenty of "finished basements" with crap effluent pumps being installed and run to sewers just like that.

I have one customer who said her basement bathroom would back up a lot into the shower and then would go back to working. I checked and the pump was working fine, then I'd get another call and I'd get there and it would go back to working before I got there, so I was thinking circuit overload and then it would cool down or something. Nope. It was wired to the three way switch on the stairway lights and also to the outside back yard lights.

I was running the sink and tub and I could hear the pump go through it's cycle and shut off, then the customer's husband came down the stairs and he turned the stairwell lights off and the pump quit. Figuring this out also explained why their outside motion lights would come an go in operation.


----------



## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

ChrisConnor said:


> ... Nope. It was wired to the three way switch on the stairway lights and also to the outside back yard lights.
> 
> I was running the sink and tub and I could hear the pump go through it's cycle and shut off, then the customer's husband came down the stairs and he turned the stairwell lights off and the pump quit. Figuring this out also explained why their outside motion lights would come an go in operation.


I just recently did a electric water tank change in a fairly nice, relatively new house. The downstairs plumbing is all on a sewage pump, installed when house was built. Of course I didn't know this when I started the tank change... So I'm draining the old tank into the floor drain by the furnace while I disconnect things and prep for the new tank. Suddenly I notice I'm standing in water! And the carpet is getting wet! Oh no! The floor drain has backed up! Panic and mopping ensued. After much confusion we found that the sewage pump was on the same circuit as the water heater, and the upstairs kitchen and powder room lights. :laughing: Stupid electricians. :furious:


----------



## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

futz said:


> I just recently did a electric water tank change in a fairly nice, relatively new house. The downstairs plumbing is all on a sewage pump, installed when house was built. Of course I didn't know this when I started the tank change... So I'm draining the old tank into the floor drain by the furnace while I disconnect things and prep for the new tank. Suddenly I notice I'm standing in water! And the carpet is getting wet! Oh no! The floor drain has backed up! Panic and mopping ensued. After much confusion we found that the sewage pump was on the same circuit as the water heater, and the upstairs kitchen and powder room lights. :laughing: Stupid electricians. :furious:


That would be a code violation according to the NEC.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Plumber Geek, that's terrible. I wonder how much poop just minding its own business while traveling down the 4" horizontal line drops down the 2" vertical line.....:laughing:


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> That would be a code violation according to the NEC.


 




Yeah, but Futz is up in Canada, they don't have to follow the Nat'l Elec Code......:laughing:


----------



## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Mississippiplum said:


> That would be a code violation according to the NEC.


It's a code violation here too. The electricians in that house were incompetent slobs.


----------



## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Yeah, but Futz is up in Canada, they don't have to follow the Nat'l Elec Code......:laughing:


Yeah I know :laughing:


----------



## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

Plumbergeek said:


> Anyway, I took a look at her set-up and found this......
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## tungsten plumb (Apr 15, 2010)

Did I mention how much I hate how pvc looks :laughing:


----------



## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> Plumbergeek said:
> 
> 
> > Anyway, I took a look at her set-up and found this......
> ...


----------



## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

futz said:


> It's a code violation here too. The electricians in that house were incompetent *slobs*.


Now that's not very nice Mr. Futz. For all we know they may have been dressed very well and combed their hair too. :laughing:


----------



## studmaster1 (Dec 10, 2011)

Plumbergeek said:


> Customer called this morning wanting service on her sewage ejector, said it went out this weekend when her son was home with some of his friends.
> I arrived and plugged the pump in, bypassing the float and it pumped right out. Turns out it was just a stopped up toilet. :thumbup:
> Anyway, I took a look at her set-up and found this......
> 
> ...


I was in a rush, sorry.


----------



## studmaster1 (Dec 10, 2011)

futz said:


> It's a code violation here too. The electricians in that house were incompetent slobs.


House Chepot, you can do it, we can help.


----------



## Mobeoner (Dec 31, 2011)

Check out what i found today under a kitchen sink cabbinet:


----------



## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Mobeoner said:


> Check out what i found today under a kitchen sink cabinet:


Wow... That's ugly.


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Mobeoner said:


> Check out what i found today under a kitchen sink cabbinet:
> 
> 
> Wow! I see everything but a cabinet!:laughing:


----------



## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks for finding my gloves!


----------



## Mobeoner (Dec 31, 2011)

89plumbum said:


> Mobeoner said:
> 
> 
> > Check out what i found today under a kitchen sink cabbinet:
> ...


----------



## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Mobeoner said:


> Check out what i found today under a kitchen sink cabbinet:


WTF is that a centrifugal pump being used as a ejector pump? Lol

Sent from my roof using smoke signals


----------

