We install pump stations for private houses and small buildings and carry out their maintenance. A station costs from €1,650.
When you need a pump station
- The mains sewer or septic tank inlet is higher than the house outlet.
- The distance to the treatment plant is so great that a gravity pipe would end up too deep.
- There is a toilet, shower or washing machine in the basement, below the level of the street sewer.
- Treated water from a BIO plant has to be lifted to a ditch or an infiltration area that lies higher.
- Several houses connect to a shared pressure main.
If a fall can be created, a gravity sewer is simpler, because it needs no electricity and no pump maintenance. That is why we first check whether a station is really needed. Gravity solutions: sewer installation.
How a sewage pump station is built
A station is an underground tank in which wastewater collects up to a set level. Then the pump switches on and pumps it through a pressure main (a narrow pressure pipe) to a manhole, septic tank or network that is higher up or further away.
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| Tank (plastic or fibreglass) | Collects wastewater and provides a reserve if the pump is out of action for a while |
| Sewage pump with a grinder or a free-flow impeller | Grinds solids or lets them pass, and pumps the wastewater on |
| Float switches or a level sensor | Switch the pump on and off and trigger the alarm |
| Non-return valve and gate valve | Stop water flowing back and allow the pump to be replaced |
| Control unit and alarm | Warns of a high level or a pump failure |
In a twin-pump station the pumps take turns, and one takes over if the other fails. This type is chosen when several houses depend on the station or when a stoppage is not acceptable.
Sewage pump: how to choose
A sewage pump is chosen on two values: how high and how far the water has to be pumped (the lift height plus the pipe friction losses) and how much water arrives at once. Both are compared with the pump curve in the manufacturer's documentation.
A grinder pump breaks up solids and allows a narrow pressure main to be used over long distances. A free-flow (vortex) impeller lets solids through without grinding them, so it needs a wider pressure main.
For a single toilet or shower in the basement, a compact lifting unit installed indoors is suitable; for the whole house you need an underground station.
Pump station installation
- Calculation We determine the lift height, the pressure main length, the flow and the location for the power supply.
- Pit and tank We dig the pit and make a base; where groundwater is high, we anchor the tank so that it cannot float up.
- Pressure main We lay the pressure main in a trench below frost depth or insulate it; we bring the outlet into a manhole where the flow calms down.
- Electricity and alarm The station gets a dedicated power supply line and an alarm that can be seen or heard in the house.
- Testing We test-pump with water, set the floats and check the non-return valve and the alarm.
Maintenance and common problems
- Wet wipes, rags and hygiene products wrap around the impeller and block the pump.
- Grease hardens on the walls and floats; a float gets stuck, and the pump does not switch on or off.
- Power cut: the tank can only take its reserve volume, so during a longer outage water use must be limited.
- Leaking non-return valve: water flows back, and the pump switches on too often.
- Smell: there is no ventilation, or the station has not been cleaned for a long time.
Maintenance includes pumping out and flushing the tank, checking the floats and the non-return valve, and inspecting the pump. If the pump has already stopped working: sewage pump repair.
How much a pump station costs
A sewage pump station (the unit) costs from €1,650. We price the installation work based on the tank depth, the pressure main length, the soil and the power supply; laying a pressure main or gravity pipe costs from €25/m. Pumping out and cleaning a station is charged at septic tank pumping prices (from €75).
All prices: prices.