If the home you're buying has plumbing below the sewer line, you'll need a grinder pump or an ejector pump to move the wastewater out of the home. They're also less prone to clogs than grinder pumps because the blades on a grinder pump can dull over time or get caught on items like tampons or wipes. Ejector pumps are cheaper and pump higher volumes than grinder pumps, so they're more common in residential homes. What's an ejector pump?Īn ejector pump is another type of sewage pump - but it doesn't use blades. Grinder pumps are more common in commercial properties, though they can be used in either residential or commercial buildings. So you're most likely to see a pump when it's being installed or serviced. Grinder pumps are approximately two feet in diameter and height, and they're usually installed underground or in a hole in your foundation. Think of them as garbage disposals for sewage. It collects wastewater in a basin, and then blades spin to liquify waste before it's pumped out of the house through the plumbing system. Ejector pumps, for example, often operate at least as well and without a grinding mechanism.Ī grinder pump is a type of sewage pump. Not all properties that have a grinder pump need one. Avoiding houses with grinder pumps will eliminate the possibility of a pump-caused backup, but not the possibility of a backup in general. You can't afford to risk pump-caused sewage backupsĪ broken-down grinder pump could lead to sewage backups - however, so can a traditional gravity-based sewer system. Pumps create a slurry that causes the septic tank to work improperly. Grinder pumps shouldn't be combined with septic tank systems. » LEARN: How Much Does a Sewer Inspection Cost? You should AVOID buying a house with a grinder pump if… The house has a septic tank Consult an inspector or plumber when purchasing a home to ensure the grinder pump makes sense for that specific property.

If the vertical distance is more than 75 feet, you'll need a grinder pump to achieve the necessary pressure to pump the sewage that high. Let’s say your potential house is downhill from the sewer line. The sewage needs to be pumped more than 75 feet vertically When a property is that far away from the sewer, a grinder pump will have the pressure necessary to pump the sewage that distance. The house is more than 750 feet from the city sewer line The maintenance and costs shouldn’t be significantly more frequent or expensive than your HVAC or other household systems. If the grinder pump is operating properly, you shouldn’t even notice it most of the time. You probably DO want a house with a grinder pump if… You really like the house Are you a top realtor? Join Clever’s networkĭo you want to close more loans? Join Clever's partnership program

Residential sewage ejector pump system