Can I use a regular sump pump???

CrawlnYota33

CrawlnYota33

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Location
Winston Salem
I have a septic tank with a pump in it to pump the water up and out, mine stopped working tonight can I just get a sump pump from Home Depot/ Lowes to replace it, are they the same or is there a special sump pump I have to get?? Thanx.
 
what you need is a lift pump. john is correct, there is a difference. a "normal" sump pump is just for taking away storm water, or whatever. a lift pump has the ability to grind/pump solid waste and is what you need assuming your toilets and/or disposal are on the septic/lift station system.

have fun replacing that, that's one thing i even as a plumber won't do.:flipoff2:
 
Yo,
If the sump pump has a inlet screen and you don't set it in the tank on top of the solids, it will work. Same principle as lift pump but I believe lift pumps can draw from heights that sump pumps don't do very well. Water is water and the pump should be on the other side of the solids tank if properly designed and built. Inlet screen keeps out the TP and floaters. Take a real deep breath before cracking that tank open.....

My $0.02
 
DONT use a sump pump. go and buy the correct sewage lift pump. I have done these!( I dont chew my nails on old work!)They suck! You dont want to have to do it again tomorrow when the wrong pump clogs on the first wad of toilet paper it encounters!:shaking:
If This is a lift type situation then It will have to pump solids and therefore will require to be the correct type for the application.
 
Thanx for the input guys, and it wasn't fun to put in either. The guy at the store told my dad that the one we got was for a septic tank and its working so far (knock on wood). My tank is configured like this, one tank for solids (holding tank) the other gets the water/liqud overflow from the holding tank (liquid tank) it gets pumpped out into the yard by the sump pump.
 
Back
Top