mud pump blows all 3 swabs supplier

Check valves are used to isolate well-servicing equipment from high-pressure treating fluids during fracturing applications. Offered in three primary models, these rugged valves seal against a complete range of well-servicing fluids at pressures to 20,000 psi. Valves are available in 1-1/2 to 4-inch bore sizes for standard and reverse flow. Sour gas models available. Consult factory for configurations. Like all pressure containing products, Weco check valves require special handling.

The 8-station manifold skid with Safety Iron connections provides users with a manifold system utilizing many of the design features of manifold trailers in a more compact footprint for use in regions where transport of larger manifold trailers is challenging. The manifold skid can be transported and loaded/unloaded from a flatbed trailer utilizing a winch. The modular design of the skid, coupled with the high pressure iron mounted above the low pressure manifold greatly enhances the serviceability of the high pressure system during maintenance cycles. The lower profile of the high pressure iron also increases safety for the user as actuating the isolation valves can be achieved more efficiently.

Cementing and circulating hoses can handle a complete range of standard and sour gas fluids at cold working pressures up to 15,000 psi. These rugged, all-steel hoses are available in 1 to 3-inch sizes and configurations to meet virtually any need. All materials meet ASTM or AISI standards.

Canam offers a full line of high-pressure integral union connections in a broad range of configurations and sizes from 2” through 4” and in pressure ratings to 15,000 psi NSCWP. Manufactured from high strength alloy steel forgings, integral union connections are available in lateral, tee, wyes, elbows, longsweep elbows and cross configurations.

Plug valves feature quality components for dependability, minimum weight, and maximum strength.The plug valves act as quarter-turn isolation valves, allowing operators to isolate portions of their flow line or specific pumping units from the entire pumping system in order to address pumping, operational or maintenance requirements.

In the pressure pumping industry, there is an inherent level of danger surrounding treating lines operating at high pressures. The potential for over pressure events exists, which could result in catastrophic failure of the treating line and result in SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, DEATH, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. In order to avoid this type of failure, relief valves are commonly used on pressure pumping sites. Relief valves function by relying on the system’s hydraulic pressure to overcome a preset force in the valve, which then expels fluid through an outlet. Weir offers a variety of relief valve styles to help protect against over pressurization.

Swivel joints are available in nine basic styles or configurations. These styles permit 360-degree rotation and movement in one, two, or three planes. They can be combined in an unlimited variety of ways to suit practically any installation. All swivel joints are assembled using two or more standard pieces. Available in all grades.

Mud pump is one of the most critical equipment on the rig; therefore personnel on the rig must have good understanding about it. We’ve tried to find the good training about it but it is very difficult to find until we’ve seen this VDO training and it is a fantastic VDO training about the basic of mud pumps used in the oilfield. Total length of this VDO is about thirteen minutes and it is worth to watch it. You will learn about it so quickly. Additionally, we also add the full detailed transcripts which will acceleate the learning curve of learners.

Powerful mud pumps pick up mud from the suction tank and circulate the mud down hole, out the bit and back to the surface. Although rigs usually have two mud pumps and sometimes three or four, normally they use only one at a time. The others are mainly used as backup just in case one fails. Sometimes however the rig crew may compound the pumps, that is, they may use three or four pumps at the same time to move large volumes of mud when required.

Rigs use one of two types of mud pumps, Triplex pumps or Duplex pumps. Triplex pumps have three pistons that move back-and-forth in liners. Duplex pumps have two pistons move back and forth in liners.

Triplex pumps have many advantages they weight 30% less than a duplex of equal horsepower or kilowatts. The lighter weight parts are easier to handle and therefore easier to maintain. The other advantages include;

• One of the more important advantages of triplex over duplex pumps, is that they can move large volumes of mud at the higher pressure is required for modern deep hole drilling.

Triplex pumps are gradually phasing out duplex units. In a triplex pump, the pistons discharge mud only when they move forward in the liner. Then, when they moved back they draw in mud on the same side of the piston. Because of this, they are also called “single acting.” Single acting triplex pumps, pump mud at a relatively high speeds. Input horsepower ranges from 220 to 2200 or 164 to 1641 kW. Large pumps can pump over 1100 gallons per minute, over 4000 L per minute. Some big pumps have a maximum rated pressure of over 7000 psi over 50,000 kPa with 5 inch/127 mm liners.

Here is a schematic of a triplex pump. It has three pistons each moving in its own liner. It also has three intake valves and three discharge valves. It also has a pulsation dampener in the discharge line.

Look at the piston at left, it has just completed pushing mud out of the liner through the open discharge valve. The piston is at its maximum point of forward travel. The other two pistons are at other positions in their travel and are also pumping mud. But for now, concentrate on the left one to understand how the pump works. The left piston has completed its backstroke drawing in mud through the open intake valve. As the piston moved back it instead of the intake valve off its seat and drew mud in. A strong spring holds the discharge above closed. The left piston has moved forward pushing mud through the now open discharge valve. A strong spring holds the intake valve closed. They left piston has completed its forward stroke they form the length of the liner completely discharging the mud from it. All three pistons work together to keep a continuous flow of mud coming into and out of the pump.

Crewmembers can change the liners and pistons. Not only can they replace worn out ones, they can also install different sizes. Generally they use large liners and pistons when the pump needs to move large volumes of mud at relatively low pressure. They use a small liners and pistons when the pump needs to move smaller volumes of mud at a relatively high pressure.

In a duplex pump, pistons discharge mud on one side of the piston and at the same time, take in mud on the other side. Notice the top piston and the liner. As the piston moves forward, it discharges mud on one side as it draws in mud on the other then as it moves back, it discharges mud on the other side and draws in mud on the side it at had earlier discharge it. Duplex pumps are therefore double acting.

Double acting pumps move more mud on a single stroke than a triplex. However, because of they are double acting they have a seal around the piston rod. This seal keeps them from moving as fast as a triplex. Input horsepower ranges from 190 to 1790 hp or from 142 to 1335 kW. The largest pumps maximum rated working pressure is about 5000 psi, almost 35,000 kPa with 6 inch/152 mm linings.

A mud pump has a fluid end, our end and intake and the discharge valves. The fluid end of the pump contains the pistons with liners which take in or discharge the fluid or mud. The pump pistons draw in mud through the intake valves and push mud out through the discharge valves.

The power end houses the large crankshaft and gear assembly that moves the piston assemblies on the fluid end. Pumps are powered by a pump motor. Large modern diesel/electric rigs use powerful electric motors to drive the pump. Mechanical rigs use chain drives or power bands (belts) from the rig’s engines and compounds to drive the pump.

A pulsation dampener connected to the pump’s discharge line smooths out surges created by the pistons as they discharge mud. This is a standard bladder type dampener. The bladder and the dampener body, separates pressurized nitrogen gas above from mud below. The bladder is made from synthetic rubber and is flexible. When mud discharge pressure presses against the bottom of the bladder, nitrogen pressure above the bladder resists it. This resistance smoothes out the surges of mud leaving the pump.

Here is the latest type of pulsation dampener, it does not have a bladder. It is a sphere about 4 feet or 1.2 m in diameter. It is built into the mud pump’s discharge line. The large chamber is form of mud. It has no moving parts so it does not need maintenance. The mud in the large volume sphere, absorbs this surges of mud leaving the pump.

A suction dampener smooths out the flow of mud entering into the pump. Crewmembers mount it on the triplex mud pump’s suction line. Inside the steel chamber is a air charged rubber bladder or diaphragm. The crew charges of the bladder about 10 to 15 psi/50 to 100 kPa. The suction dampener absorbs surges in the mud pump’s suction line caused by the fast-moving pump pistons. The pistons, constantly starts and stops the mud’s flow through the pump. At the other end of the charging line a suction pumps sends a smooth flow of mud to the pump’s intake. When the smooth flow meets the surging flow, the impact is absorbed by the dampener.

Workers always install a discharge pressure relief valve. They install it on the pump’s discharge side in or near the discharge line. If for some reason too much pressure builds up in the discharge line, perhaps the drill bit or annulus gets plugged, the relief valve opens. That opened above protects the mud pump and system damage from over pressure.

Some rig owners install a suction line relief valve. They install it on top of the suction line near the suction dampener. They mount it on top so that it won’t clog up with mud when the system is shut down. A suction relief valve protects the charging pump and the suction line dampener. A suction relief valve usually has a 2 inch or 50 mm seat opening. The installer normally adjusts it to 70 psi or 500 kPa relieving pressure. If both the suction and the discharged valves failed on the same side of the pump, high back flow or a pressure surge would occur. The high backflow could damage the charging pump or the suction line dampener. The discharge line is a high-pressure line through which the pump moves mud. From the discharge line, the mud goes through the stand pipe and rotary hose to the drill string equipment.

Positive displacements pumps are generally used on drilling rigs to pump high pressure and high volume of drilling fluids throughout a drilling system. There are several reasons why the positive displacement mud pumps are used on the rigs.

The duplex pumps (Figure 1) have two cylinders with double acting. It means that pistons move back and take in drilling mud through open intake valve and other sides of the same pistons, the pistons push mud out through the discharge valves.

When the piston rod is moved forward, one of intake valves is lift to allow fluid to come in and one of the discharge valve is pushed up therefore the drilling mud is pumped out of the pump (Figure 2).

On the other hand, when the piston rod is moved backward drilling fluid is still pumped. The other intake and discharge valve will be opened (Figure 3).

The triplex pumps have three cylinders with single acting. The pistons are moved back and pull in drilling mud through open intake valves. When the pistons are moved forward and the drilling fluid is pushed out through open discharge valves.

When the piston rods are moved forward, the intake valves are in close position and the discharge valves are in open position allowing fluid to discharge (Figure 5).

On the contrary when the piston rods are moved backward, the intake valve are opened allowing drilling fluid coming into the pump (Figure 6). This video below shows how a triplex mud pump works.

Because each pump has power rating limit as 1600 hp, this will limit capability of pump. It means that you cannot pump at high rate and high pressure over what the pump can do. Use of a small liner will increase discharge pressure however the flow rate is reduces. Conversely, if a bigger liner is used to deliver more flow rate, maximum pump pressure will decrease.

As you can see, you can have 7500 psi with 4.5” liner but the maximum flow rate is only 297 GPM. If the biggest size of liner (7.25”) is used, the pump pressure is only 3200 psi.

Finally, we hope that this article would give you more understanding about the general idea of drilling mud pumps. Please feel free to add more comments.

Important Buyers Notice: All items are Sold"As-Is" with "No Warranty" expressed or implied. Items offered for sale may be damaged, inoperable and/or missing parts. You are strongly urged to carefully review each photo and video as well as personally inspect the item before making a decision to purchase. Free Oilfield Quote is not responsible for any missing or damaged equipment, part, item or accessory and shall not be held liable for any damage prior to or during the removal and/or delivery of the equipment. Any and all agreements contrary to the above disclaimer must be in writing and agreed upon up front and prior to any transaction.

This article describes the causes of and steps to prevent clogging and/or damage to septic pumps, grinder pumps, and sewage ejector pumps. We include excerpts from sewage or septic grinder pump manufacturers" installation manuals that describe sewage pump diagnosis & repair procedures.

This article series also lists septic and grinder pump types, brands, and will identify pumps that are resistant to damage from debris or objects that may enter the toilet, sewer line, or septic tank.

InspectAPedia.com readers report troubles with several types of septic pumps, sewage pumps, and grinder pumps, both for sewage ejector pumps located in the home (such as to pump a basement toilet waste line up to a higher main drain) and for pumps that operate septic or graywater tanks.

Septic pump damage may occur from certain objects that enter building drains regardless of where and how the pump is used, including in-building sewage ejector pumps (shown at left) or pumps used in septic tanks or septic effluent tanks.

Some of the items in this list won"t damage the septic tank itself as their volume is small and they don"t usually block the septic piping or baffles, but if your septic system or even public sewer connection use a septic pump, grinder pump, or sewage ejector pump, the items listed here can clog and damage or even destroy a sewage pump, leading to costly repairs.

Watch out for the following conditions that cause clogging and even burn up of various types of sewage pumps, grinder pumps, ejector pumps, and septic pumps:

Cigarette butts are not biodegradable and should not be flushed into the septic system. And the filters on cigarette butts can clog and destroy septic pumps.

Condoms won"t clog a pipe but like some other debris, because they are of modest size and are quite flexible, but condoms are (usually) not bio degradable. So we listed condoms, or other latex products such as latex gloves above as "never flush".

A condom in the septic tank will probably join other debris in the tank"s floating scum layer, and will be removed at the next tank pump-out. Of course, if the septic tank outlet tee baffles are missing, the condom will join other floating debris on its way out to clog the drainfield, so ask your septic pumper to check the condition of the septic tank baffles when the septic tank is next pumped.

BUT if your system uses a septic pump or grinder pump or sewage ejector pump, this material can clog the pump impeller and cause expensive pump damage or motor burnout.

Cotton swabs (Q-tips®) have been known to clog a drain or two - cotton is not readily biodegradable, though cotton swabs are trivial in volume and are not important in the septic tank itself.

BUT if your system uses a septic pump or grinder pump or sewage ejector pump, this material can clog the pump impeller and cause expensive pump damage or motor burnout.

Disposable wipes - such as baby wipes or personal hygiene wipes, even products described as "biodegradable" or "OK for use in septic systems" may NOT be OK: if your system uses a septic pump or grinder pump or sewage ejector pump, this material can clog the pump impeller and cause expensive pump damage or motor burnout. S

The following Common Sewage / Septic Pump Problems and sewage pump (septic grinder pump) diagnosis & repair advice is adapted from installation manuals from manufacturers & from other sources.

Vent opening at check valve: Zoeller Pump provides a combined union/check valve, the "Unicheck". The company notes that with this valve is installed, the installer must drill a 3/16" (5mm) vent opening in the discharge line at a height even with the top of the pump.

Zoeller Pump Company, "Installation & Service Instructions, 803/805/807 Grinder Pumps", [PDF] Zoeller Pump Co., P.O. BOX 16347 • Louisville, KY 40256-0347, Website: Zoeller.com Retrieved 2016/04/05, original source: http://www.zoellerpumps.com/en-na/product/1242-#documents

Zoeller Pump Company, "Installation Instructions, Recommended Models, Effluent/Sump/DeWatering & Sewage[pumps]", [PDF] Zoeller Pump Co., P.O. BOX 16347 • Louisville, KY 40256-0347, Website: Zoeller.com Retrieved 2016/04/05, original source: http://www.deanbennett.com/53-install-inst.pdf

Nearly all authorities warn that acids or other chemicals might harm a septic system (I agree), and some chemicals may harm the seals in the grinder pump system as well.

However, a review of seven most-widely cited grinder pump and sewage pump advisory papers or instruction sets found that not one of them specified the actual level of acidity that would or would not be harmful to the pumping system.

That leaves us to make a reasonable guess at the answer: sufficiently diluted, an acid-based toilet cleaner should not harm either the pump or the septic system.

I pose that occasional use of a toilet stain remover (often including acids), used as directed, will be diluted enough to avoid such harm. You can reduce the risk of grinder or effluent pump damage further by additional dilution of the acid-based cleaner: try 2 or three additional flushes to dilute and then remove the acidic cleaner from the grinder pump reservoir.

Subsequent normal daily use of the sinks, showers, tubs, and toilets connected to the septic or sewage pump will further dilute any acidic content in the pump reservoir to a harmless level.

Watch out:flushing any acid into a residential sewage grinder pump or septic effluent pump that subsequently remains un-used for days, weeks, or longer, might risk damage to the pump components because in that case the acidic solution may remain in contact with pump parts for a prolonged interval.

At that level of usage and when further diluted by water as the toilet is flushed, even in the first flush the 6 oz. of solution (hazardous acidic) is diluted in 1-2 gallons of water or more (depending on toilet design and flush quantity).

In three flushes or 3 gallons total, you have diluted the original acidic CLR cleaner to 1% of its original strength. Even without knowing the actual level of acidity of the product as sold in the container, this is likely to be so dilute as to be harmless to the pump.

Emergency Overview: WARNING: EYE IRRITATANT. GHS Toxicity Category 2A Causes eye irritation and possible SKIN IRRITATANT GHS Category 3 – on sensitive skin.

which helps eliminate condensation and freezing. - GRINDER PUMP FAQS for CT [PDF] Groton Connecticut Department of Public Works, retrieved 20178/06/19, original source: http://www.groton-ct.gov/depts/pubwks/docs/Grinder%20Pump%20Website%20info%20the%20hurricane.pdf

Heather, sewage ejector pumps normally are operated by a float control switch. As wastewater rises in the holding tank when the level is high enough the float switch turns the pump on.

So if your sewage pump never turns off, presuming it"s properly wired, the float switch is either stuck on debris in the holding tank, or the switch needs to be replaced.

The green arrow in our sewer pump float switch example is the actual switch assembly that turns the motor on and off as the float, on its shaft, rises and falls vertically. Image source: plumbingsupply.com [4]

Take a look at the two most common sewage float switch types in our Little Giant™ sketch above and the Zoeller™ sewage pump and control switch image at left. Your switch probably looks like one of these two types.

In a few rare instances I have found homes at which the ejector pump float switch had failed and the owners, rather than replacing the switch, just hard-wired the pump to turn on and off by a manual switch.

This is a bad idea for obvious reasons including inconvenience and the risk that either the pump is left on longer than necessary or left off leading to a sewage backup.

Watch out: in addition to obvious bacterial hazards at sewage pumping stations there are methane gas hazards of explosion and asphyxiation - don"t work alone. Also see our list above of things that can clog up or damage a sewage ejector pump.

Is your sewage ejector pump already damaged? Maybe not. Some sewage pump models indicate in the installation and maintenance manual that the pump can tolerate being run "dry". But best practice is to set the float control switch so that the liquid level does not drop below the pump body.

The Little Giant™ remote float control switch (left) can be used as an auxiliary control / warning device on sewage and sump pump ejector installations to control an alarm.

By mounting this switch at an activation position higher than the normal float switch that controls pump operation, this remote control switch can activate a light or audible alarm to warn building occupants that the sewage system is not being emptied.

I don"t like the idea of these sewer ejection pumps as they suck electricity, i feel my builder dug the foundation too deep and therefore stuck me with this annoyance on my new home.

Dave you can figure out just how much electricity your ejector pump is using either by some careful examining of the electric meter itself or by looking up the specs on your motor.

Normally these motors run only intermittently. I"d be surprised if the ejector pump was using as much overall electricity in watt-hours as your refrigerator, freezer, or air conditioner.

The septic pump float switch at left describes a common sewage pump control method used on Little Giant™ and many other submersible sewage grinder pumps.

This type of sewage pump float switch, also used on lots of sump pumps, swings in an arc between its high and low positions. It"s a simple, reliable electric switch, but debris in the holding tank or improper tethering can lead to switch jamming.

Note that by moving the tether position of the float wire in the pumping chamber you can adjust the pump cut-in and cut-out wastewater levels in the holding tank. Sketch courtesy of plumbingsupply.com [4]

What do you suppose was the large white waxy clumpy substance that I found recently in my septic pump container? The sticky substance was stuck to the sides of the tank (where it was several inches thick).

It was also stuck all over the septic pump, and stuck all over the float switch - .which of course was the problem and the reason for opening the tank.

[Click to enlarge any image] Photo: white waxy deposit clogging the inlet of a sewage ejector pump - InspectApedia.com photo from an anonymous reader.

Eboigbodin (2008), and McBain (2003) as well as many other researchers cite the role of bacteria and fungi in the formation of biofilm slimy deposits in water supply and drain piping systems.

Common among the biofilm organisms are the fungus Fusarium sp. often detected in plumbing drains (Short 2011), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, other bacteria, as well as yeasts such as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (usually red or orange) or Exophiala dermatidis (a black yeast) spread from dishwashers to kitchen. - Zupančič 2016

Bacterial growth clogging in a drain line, drain trap, or in an ejector pump or sewage pump can be aggravated by extra sources of bacteria such as bacteria forming in air conditioning condensage dispensed-of by dripping it through the condensate drain system into a seldom-used trap or sewage pump chamber.

A good guess is that your sewage ejector tank or septic tank that uses a septic pump was clogged by someone who used too much powdered detergents in a clothes washer or dishwasher.

It"s well established that using excessive amounts of powdered detergent in a dishwasher or clothes washer can lead to accumulation of a gooey mess that clogs drains or even septic drainfields. Some bar soaps can also form waxy clogs or blockages in plumbing systems and sewage or effluent pumps.

You have provided another important example: excessive detergent use OR using a budget detergent that contains large amounts of clay fillers can clog the pump float control switch or the pump intake in a sewage ejector pump or sewer pump as well.

Soaps produced using sodium hydroxide are referred to as "hard" soaps that are more-difficult to dissolve in water, while soaps produced using potassium hydroxide tend to be more-easily soluble and are thus called "soft" soaps.

Yep it"s true, some fools dump plaster or drywall dust and debris down toilets or other drains while cleaning up after a plastering or drywall installation or repair job.

Don"t do that. Both plaster and drywall dust will form a hard-to-remove drain blockage in nearby traps or drain lines. While acid-based drain cleaners might remove such blockages more-likely you"ll need to use a power snake or other mechanical drain cleaning system.

Other waxy clogging can be traced to soaps and detergents: this second common cause of waxy deposits that clog pumping chambers or piping are fats and oils that were flushed down drains.

For residential drains and pump suffering from fat or oil clogging waxy deposits, plumbing drain FOG (Fat Oil Grease) degreasers (such as Cloroben PT-4) may help dissolve the clog.

Some Hercules products such as Hercules PT-GIO1™ combine grease solvents and "waste digesting bacteria" while Hercules PT-4 (or Cloroben PT-4) is a formula designed to rapidly dissolve FOG (Fats Oils and Grease) using a non-acidic, non-caustic formula that is described as "safe on all types of piping materials when used as directed"

If your water is "hard" or high in calcium or magnesium that condition, combined with those types of soap particularly invites the formation of waxy white blobs that clog drains, traps, and septic pumps.

Her plumber cut-out and replaced the clogged trap as well as the most-clogged nearby PVC drain lines and physically removed wax deposits in the downstream drain opening.

You may need to replace the worn, corroded anode rod in your water heater and you may need to have your water tested and if it"s sufficiently alkaline, you may need to install a water treatment system.

Bédard, Emilie, Michèle Prévost, and Eric Déziel. "Pseudomonas aeruginosa in premise plumbing of large buildings." MicrobiologyOpen 5, no. 6 (2016): 937-956.

Eboigbodin, Kevin E., Allyson Seth, and Catherine A. Biggs. "A review of biofilms in domestic plumbing." Journal‐American Water Works Association 100, no. 10 (2008): 131-138.

However, drinking water should also meet the necessary quality requirements at the point of consumption even though domestic plumbing systems are usually not constructed from the same materials that are used to construct distribution systems.

Fleming, I. R., and R. K. Rowe. "Laboratory studies of clogging of landfill leachate collection and drainage systems." Canadian Geotechnical Journal 41, no. 1 (2004): 134-153.

McBain, Andrew J., Robert G. Bartolo, Carl E. Catrenich, Duane Charbonneau, Ruth G. Ledder, Alexander H. Rickard, Sharon A. Symmons, and Peter Gilbert. "Microbial characterization of biofilms in domestic drains and the establishment of stable biofilm microcosms." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69, no. 1 (2003): 177-185.

Drain biofilms harbored 9.8 to 11.3 log10 cells of viable enteric species and pseudomonads/g, while CDFF-grown biofilms harbored 10.6 to 11.4 log10 cells/g.

Since live-dead direct staining revealed various efficiencies of recovery by culture, samples were analyzed by DGGE, utilizing primers specific for the V2-V3 region of eubacterial 16S rDNA. These analyses showed that the major PCR amplicons from in situ material were represented in the microcosms and maintained there over extended periods.

Sequencing of amplicons resolved by DGGE revealed that the biofilms were dominated by a small number of genera, which were also isolated by culture. One drain sample harbored the protozoan Colpoda maupasi, together with rhabtidid nematodes and bdelloid rotifers.

Zupančič, Jerneja, Monika Novak Babič, Polona Zalar, and Nina Gunde-Cimerman. "The black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis and other selected opportunistic human fungal pathogens spread from dishwashers to kitchens." [PDF] PLoS One 11, no. 2 (2016): e0148166. Retrieved 2018/07/04, original source: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148166 Creative Commons Lic.

We investigated the diversity and distribution of fungi in nine different sites inside 30 residential dishwashers. In total, 503 fungal strains were isolated, which belong to 10 genera and 84 species. Irrespective of the sampled site, 83% of the dishwashers were positive for fungi.

Comparison of fungal contamination of kitchens without and with dishwashers revealed that virtually all were contaminated with fungi. In both cases, the most contaminated sites were the kitchen drain and the dish drying rack.

We have a Zoelner grinder lift pump that recently clogged with toilet paper when to wrapped around the impeller. Are there any recommendations for what type of TP is best to prevent these types of problems?

Thomas I"ve been testing toilet paper breakdown rates for almost a decade - one experiment is long-going; my OPINION is that all toilet papers break down just fine in a septic tank itself - changing the paper brand won"t reliably fix the problem you encountered.

So I suspect there"s a different problem: the grinder - tampons, or some other stuff can clog up sewage pumps. (Dental floss is one of the worst offenders and it"s hard to keep that out of the pump).

But Zoeller indicates quite clearly that their residential sewage grinder pumps, such as the Zoeller Shark 803/805/807 Residential Grinders can handle "all flushable wastes" - to me that means feces and toilet paper but not tampons and probably not dental floss.

Are we sure you have the right pump type and model installed. Sometimes people install a de-watering sump pump or a simple effluent lift pump where a grinder pump is needed.

Zoeller"s sewer pump instructions also point out that a role of the pump chamber cover is to prevent debris from entering the pumping chamber from that direction as well.

Watch out: at SEPTIC & SEWAGE PUMPS we explain that choosing the wrong type of pump, such as installing a simple basin pump or effluent pump (designed to handle primarily liquid waste) on a system where blackwater (toilet waste) is entering the system is likely to lead to pump clogging and failure.

I"m glad you recognize that all we have is an opinion since we"re not on site and there may be important details that we can"t see and don"t know about this problem.

I would be tempted to try to fish with a small hooked wire, working very carefully so it"s not to push the broken off brush tip further down the drain but to see if I could hook it and drag it back out.

I let water run in the tub several times and flushed toilet few times with pump working. Only option is to call sewer service contractor to inspect the sump pit while flushing to see any thing comes or look inside. Your expert opinion is much appreciated.

I have 3 year old Ashland Sewage pump model SW50 working well . I attempted to clean the tub drain which is connected to the sewage pump along with toilet. I was using Sink Wizard with specially hardened bristle tips, when it apparently got broken and bristle tip is gone, it is about 3/4" long.

Because there is no way to get access to p tap if any , will get in the sewer pump and give any problem?. Should I call plumber and sewer service to inspect the sewer tank to retrieve the piece or if it is stuck in the p tap, should I continue use the bath tube so that it will be flushed in to the sewer tank and pumped out without causing any damage to the pump?

I am puzzled too as I don"t know exactly how leaving the pump powered off for a time would cause a banging noise when it"s plugged back in. I would probably start by visual inspection including looking at how the pump is secured and looking for loose components

My grinder pump alarm went off yesterday and the light was red I went out and noticed that one of the plugs had been unplugged by a contractor working at my property I immediately plugged it back in and the light went off 10 seconds later but now I have a banging noise that"s coming from right underneath with a grinder is I have no idea what it is...

You need a grinder pump to move wastewater, including solids, out of your in-home pumping chamber out to your septic tank. That 50 gallon pumping station cannot work if all solids remained in such a small space. (Seems obvious; I"m not a sanitary engineer).

I have a septic mound system with a two compartment concrete 1000 gallon tank and my home is below the tank as the property is uphill. All the drains collect into a 50 gallon fiberglass holding tank in the basement and is ejected by a Weil brand single phase 1 hp 230v 1750 rpm grinder pump (yes, grinder pump) the run (I think called total dead head)including all horizontal and vertical distance is approx 60 feet .

My question is, was it appropriate for the builder to install a grinder pump when it seems grinder pump use is almost universally frowned upon in septic systems due to the slurry the grinder makes being difficult to separate into solids and liquid components that septics need to operate effectively without clogging the field.

Should I pull the grinder pump and install a comparably spec’d sewage ejector pump or is there certain situations that might require or benefit from the grinder pump. I can’t get a straight answer from anyone, please help with some advice if you can.

It might be if it"s the wrong pump for the application. For example if you need a grinder pump and you don"t have one with the capacity then it may be clogged and destroyed

I have been using sewage pump for lower portion of the property for 3 years. This pump generally takes care of regular use of one kitchen and bathroom. In the last year and a half, it started to have deposits coagulate at the bottom of the sewage pump and every 5 to 6 months, we have to clean it to avoid clogging. What could be the reason?

If the unfortunate event of a few non-flushable wipes going down the toilet drain has *already occurred*... will pumping the septic tank resolve the potential problems and remove the unwanted material?

I am sorry to have to offer what"s an annoying guess but I suspect that if toilet paper is accumulating at all in the sewage ejector pump basin then the wrong type of pump may be installed.

I live in a basement with a sumppump sending waste up to the sewer. Toilet paper hardens on the ball if I am gone for a few days. What can I use to keep waste soft and flowable

The number of companies selling septic additives and "cleaners" is nearly equal to the population of Indonesia; at SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Treatments.php we describe some of these and explain that they are generally not needed for proper septic TANK maintenance.

However there may be reasons to clean the sewage ejector pump and pumping chamber. Narrowing the search to those products gives some suggestions such as Core Biologic"s Ejector Tank Treatment https://www.corebiologic.com/ejectortanktreatmenthh

We had our system alarm "go off" about a week ago on our detached dwelling unit (with grinder pump) it turned off after about 3 minutes and after some testing it appears to be in working order. I did a light snaking off the drains and surprisingly a bunch of dental floss came up (disgusting and concerning all in one) along with some of the "grey matter" you wrote about above. So I am wondering if there is a product or substance that I can put down the drain periodically that will help keep the system "clean"?

If you"re referring to the aerator pump on an aerobic septic system most of those are designed to run continuously occasionally there"s some designs that use a timer. If you leave it off your system is going to a backup or you"ll damage the drain field.

You can remove some grease type sludges with non-caustic treatments such as the Clorben PT product series. I"d check for a sticking control float that is not switching the pump on when it should.

A yellow sludge builds up on the float and won"t let it ride up to make the switch located on top of cover come on. I have to take out one of the infeed pipes and blasg it off with hot water from our water heater. It"s located in the basement and puts out an odor. I"d like to know what I could treat it with to dissolve this sludge without damaging the pump.

I have a cajun air septic system and the high water alarm is on and the pump is running but not pumping and i looked inside and the water inside the tank isn"t high enough to pump water

the pump impeller may be damaged or partly clogged. Sometimes a clog will separate itself when power is off, the pump can run for a time, then the clog is drawn back.

Over the summer we noticed an odor outside, opened the cover of the pit to see the water/sewage level almost to the top of the pit about 3 feet deep. The pump was running but not ejecting the sewage.

The pump worked fine and ejected the wast and shut off. Have been keeping and eye on it and now almost daily the container is full, pump is running but not ejecting and I simply unplug it, lift pump couple times and plug it back in, it ejects until pit empty and turns off like it should, however next day it is the same thing, full and running but not ejecting.

No question that tampons and the like can clog ejector and sewage pumps. Besides posting "Don"t flush" signs, which are never 100% effective, one might need to install a pump whose manufacturer says can handle those obstructions. Screens clog.

We have a small business with several toilets and sinks. Our sewer line runs to a jointly owned pump vault (our sewage and our neighbor"s). We have a dual-pump (ejector) system in the vault that pushes the sewage up and down a pressure line (down a side street) to the City"s main in a major cross street.

A new business took occupancy of the neighbor building a year ago (we"ve been here for more than 25 years), and over the past year we"ve had nothing but trouble with clogged pumps

Typically feminine products and other debris. If this were solely the neighbor"s problem, we"d let them suffer through it, but they"ve made it our problem. Do you have any suggestions of a macerator/grinder that we could place in-line and up-stream from the pumps? And/or is there another solution you would recommend? All suggestions appreciated. Thanks

The pump shut off last night so I just did a load of laundry now it looks like the pump isn"t working at all as the downstairs toilet bowl is complete full. We still cannot figure out how to get the lid off this thing and my husband knows a lot about plumbing but not this sewage pump.

So we are still wondering how to get the lid off this thing. It look similar to the hand drawn picture above which says Basic Environment One Grinder pump.

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