Identify this unit at new house build?
- Thread starter bw77
- Start date
larry4406
Well-known member
E-One Environmental Grinder pump.
Gravity sewer at that site doesn’t work.
House gravity flows to that unit. There is a basin at bottom to receive effluent.
Grinder style pump (unique with cork screw like auger in a rubber boot) pumps effluent thru a 2” force main to ultimate discharge be it a municipal sewer or septic.
That’s also a man way (manhole).
Once connected to the house groundwork’s it’s cast in concrete (thus the corrugations to lock with the concrete) so can’t float out of the ground. Don’t quote me but I think 3-4 yards of concrete are required to ballast it in a hole with 6-12” radial gap to earth.
Fantastic unit. Will pump near a mile if I recall under right conditions.
These are often used in areas of rock where gravity sewers are cost prohibitive. Just get below frost and pump away.
There is a check valve on the discharge which is key. Don’t cheap out. I think today you have to use their check valve.
Gravity sewer at that site doesn’t work.
House gravity flows to that unit. There is a basin at bottom to receive effluent.
Grinder style pump (unique with cork screw like auger in a rubber boot) pumps effluent thru a 2” force main to ultimate discharge be it a municipal sewer or septic.
That’s also a man way (manhole).
Once connected to the house groundwork’s it’s cast in concrete (thus the corrugations to lock with the concrete) so can’t float out of the ground. Don’t quote me but I think 3-4 yards of concrete are required to ballast it in a hole with 6-12” radial gap to earth.
Fantastic unit. Will pump near a mile if I recall under right conditions.
These are often used in areas of rock where gravity sewers are cost prohibitive. Just get below frost and pump away.
There is a check valve on the discharge which is key. Don’t cheap out. I think today you have to use their check valve.
Last edited:
SVibs
Well-known member
I believe it's a sewage grinder pump
Very interesting.
The house was built in an area of deep sand between Albany and Schenectady.
The headquarters of Environment One is just a few miles away in Niskayuna.
I wonder if someone associated with the company bought that house and installed
the grinder pump, even though it is not needed.
Older houses on the street connect to the municipal sewer the old fashioned way.
The house was built in an area of deep sand between Albany and Schenectady.
The headquarters of Environment One is just a few miles away in Niskayuna.
I wonder if someone associated with the company bought that house and installed
the grinder pump, even though it is not needed.
Older houses on the street connect to the municipal sewer the old fashioned way.
Last edited:
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
larry4406
Well-known member
It could very well be that the basement slab is lower than the existing sewer.
Instead of a hung sewer and ejector pump for the basement, that someone may have decided to use an E-One for whole house.
I did a subdivision that had 5 homes lower than the gravity sewer. There was a force main at the street that ran uphill. Each house had an E-One with check valve. At top of hill, force main dumped into conventional gravity sewer. Each time a house pump ran, it pumped a slug uphill.
My first house was on rocky area. County has force main system that I had to connect to. County required “E-One or equal”. County would not accept an alternate. Plumber used POS check valve which failed and blew out the boot at the auger. Spendy repair.
Instead of a hung sewer and ejector pump for the basement, that someone may have decided to use an E-One for whole house.
I did a subdivision that had 5 homes lower than the gravity sewer. There was a force main at the street that ran uphill. Each house had an E-One with check valve. At top of hill, force main dumped into conventional gravity sewer. Each time a house pump ran, it pumped a slug uphill.
My first house was on rocky area. County has force main system that I had to connect to. County required “E-One or equal”. County would not accept an alternate. Plumber used POS check valve which failed and blew out the boot at the auger. Spendy repair.
ericm
Well-known member
I had no idea such a thing existed. It might be a solution to getting a bathroom in the shop I'm trying to get built.
Dumb question: how does it handle a small amount of water, like a small flush from a dual flush toilet?
Dumb question: how does it handle a small amount of water, like a small flush from a dual flush toilet?
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
My unit has a float in it that activates the pump when the fluid level rises to a certain point. It usually takes a couple of toilet flushes to hear the very light hum of the pump through the toilet plumbing. It runs a few seconds then shuts down. Mine also has an accessory maintenance alarm mounted on my restroom wall to let it signal any issue with the system. Both the pump system and the alarm plug into 120 volt receptacles. Small sensor wiring runs from the alarm to the pump unit.
i actually installed mine after the fact by cutting a hole in the concrete floor for the toilet flange, then digging under the slab about 2 feet from outside to install the drain. The pump sump container sits about 2 feet from the slab and is partially buried to allow access to the internals if needed by removing the lid. My sink drain comes out in a different location to outside and feeds to the pump. A 2” pvc runs to the septic tank across the yard.
Attachments
Larry knows his ****
Larry, if this unit fails or a power loss, is there any safeties provided to prevent sewer line in house from backing up?Larry knows his ****
Is this in lieu of a septic tank or is that still required to drop out solids?
larry4406
Well-known member
It’s simply a sump, pump, a check valve (out only), controls with float (on/off) and an alarm (hi-level).
No power, no pump, no alarm. So if municipal water still works then, yes you can overwhelm the sump and flood the house. I seem to recall a 50-60 gallon sump. No safety interlock that I’m aware of.
My first house I wanted to install a relay to drop out the well pump on high alarm. Never did. Honestly I think the control board should include contacts for this and dropping out municipal water service. No out, well then no in.
Most of the experience with these I have is pumping to municipal sewers.
I did have one project where the house gravity fed to an E-One which then pumped to a remote septic tank. About 30-40’ prior to the septic tank the 2” force main enlarged to 3-4” (I can’t remember) to slow velocity and proceed via gravity to the tank. The designer wanted the shredded solids to slow down to allow the solids tank to properly perform. After the solids tank there was a pump tank and then the field.