The Basics of a Lift Station

R and R offers a variety of lift station services for homeowners and commercial establishments, both for emergency and non-emergency situations. To give you an idea of what the kind of business we have, here are some basic information about lift stations.

What is a Lift Station?

A lift station, also known as sewage or pump station, provides for the mechanism necessary to pump out wastewater out of your house. It is chiefly important for houses where the use of gravity to convey wastewater from a higher to a lower place is either very costly, or technically infeasible.

The station is comprised of two main parts — the wet well and the “control.” All wastewater produced around your house is discharged into the wet well. The pump that sits inside the wet well then pumps out the wastewater into the town sewer. The pump has a shut-off valve that helps prevent wastewater from flowing back into the wet well. The “control” is comprised by various sensors and devices. It tells the valves when to open and to shut. Level-sensing devices provide the signals that determines what action the “control” performs. The wet well, along with the pump and the control usually requires regular lift station service maintenance.

Lift Station Service Maintenance

The electronic and electrical components of the lift station are constantly exposed to a highly corrosive environment. In order to minimize the ill effects of its environment and prolong the service lifespan of the pump and the controls, preventive and corrective maintenance must be regularly performed. Here are a few lift station service maintenance tips:

1. Clean out the wet well not less than twice every year. The wet-well will accumulate sludge and grease, which can become solids and damage the pump once caused by the propeller.
2. Perform quarterly pump check-ups. A lift station is hardly useful if the pump is broken. Repairing a damaged pump takes much longer than turning it off and checking it out every once and a while. The latter is the more practical choice, obviously.
3. Inspect the level-sensing sensors at least once a month. These sensors provide the “intelligence” to the pump and its valves. Even with a functioning pump, your lift station is pretty much useless without the sensors.

R and R wants to establish a lasting relationship with you; we want to be your partner in keeping your lift station is sound condition all throughout its service life. Give us a call at 813 986 1007 today.