Basement Sewer Pump Replacement in North Adelaide

Programmed inspections and testing of the sewer pump are highly recommended, as a sewer pump failure can be catastrophic to a building's operation. Imagine a hotel with a grinder pump in the basement failing within a couple of hours; the basement would be overflowing with sewer and a major pump emergency would be developing.

You would then need vacuum trucks and a very responsive plumbing company to replace the failed pump. What regular testing does is ensure that if a pump is starting to fail, we can replace it prior to the failure.

That is what we do for many of our clients, and that is what managed to help prevent a disaster in North Adelaide this week, just off Melbourne Street.

How We Found a Failing Pump in North Adelaide

Below street level, our client has a spare bedroom which also has an ensuite attached. To get the sewer to the SA Water street connection, a submersible sewer macerator pump is used.

It is housed in a below-ground airtight chamber with high-level alarm monitoring. Programmed maintenance has saved the day on this site.

We attend every 6 months and check the complete operation of this system, and it was this time around that we found that this pump was approximately 95% failed. We offered the client either to wait till the system completely fails or replace the pump before it fails.

In this case, the customer made the sensible decision and requested we replace the failed pump with a new pump.

Same-day Stock for Cutter and Grinder Pumps

Due to our large client base across all of South Australia (metropolitan, coastal and rural), we stock a huge range of different pumps for all occasions. Cutter and grinder pump systems such as the one in North Adelaide are common for residential applications, so we have many of these in our workshop. This gives us the ability to change over pumps the same day, avoiding any type of emergency if required. For broader pump repairs across Adelaide, that stockholding is a major advantage.

Preparing a Bedroom Pump Changeover

Changing over a pump such as the cutter pump inside a bedroom involves very careful preparation to avoid spillage onto carpets and furniture, so a lot of time is spent at the start prepping the room. Once the room is prepared, it's time to take the lid off the chamber and get the pump out.

Ventilation with a fan is always a good idea as the odour can certainly be offensive and most changeovers take a few hours minimum.

To safely perform a pump changeover such as this, the services of a licensed plumber and an electrician. This type of work is extremely specialised, so a standard plumber and electrician typically cannot perform this task; it requires many years of experience.

Setting Float Switches Correctly

Removing and replacing the pump with 2 people is not too hard. It is when the new pump is in the pit that the careful setting up of the float switches can be tricky.

You need to find the perfect spot to turn the pump on so as not to cause the sewer drain to gurgle but also so as not to set off the high-level alarm. The smaller the pit, the harder this is to get right, and it can take some time to get it right, as you need to keep filling the chamber up each time to test it.

Replacing the Non-return Valve

As a precaution, we always change over the non-return valve, which in this case is 40mm; you certainly would not want to go any smaller, as the pump is pushing quite dense matter through the non-return check valve. There are 2 types of these valves on the market; one is spring-loaded, and the other is a swing check.

The swing check is the only way to go, as it allows for maximum flow without debris getting caught in the spring of a spring-loaded check valve. If the outlet on the pump will allow, you can install a 50mm swing check in brass or stainless-steel material, allowing for better flow and a lower likelihood of a blockage, which can cause electrical fusion of the pump's motor.

Commissioning and Cleanup

When the new pump is fully commissioned, it's time to clean up and recycle the old pump. Scrap metal merchants will take pumps and often give you $10 to $15 for the scrap due to the weight of the pump itself.

Need Sewer Pump Help in Adelaide?

If you are unsure whether you need a sewer pump or a sump pump for below-grade plumbing, see our guide on sewer pumps versus sump pumps. Call 0429 361 819 or request a quote for sewer pump replacement in Adelaide.