# Dedicated circuit for Residential Sewage Pumps



## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Looks like most regular sized residential sewage pumps are 12-13amps at 120v. 
I've run into 2 recently that were on a 15 Amp circuit, is this legit? I thought a 20 Amp breaker was the standard?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

MHElectric said:


> Looks like most regular sized residential sewage pumps are 12-13amps at 120v.
> I've run into 2 recently that were on a 15 Amp circuit, is this legit? I thought a 20 Amp breaker was the standard?


Are they DC drive? Probably don't draw much over 7 amps


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

No, not DC, just standard 120v grinder/sewage pumps. One actually had a tag on the cord that I was still able to read and it had 12.5 amps on it. The other is buried in the pit and I can't find any nameplate numbers. 

I would think to run a dedicated 20amp circuit for this on a new install, however both of these are existing job where the pump is being replaced. I need to know if the existing 15amp circuit is compliant and will handle the load.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

correction - name tag says 13 amps 120v.


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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

If you are replacing with a like grinder pump with similar amperage I don't see an issue. On a new install I would always run 12


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Is one a back-up pump?

See them all the time with two pumps, primary and back-up, all on a single circuit.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Single pumps. 

Both on a 15amp circuit.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

2 different jobs BTW. Just happened to be within a few days of each other.


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

Those are alternating pumps most likely. Use what's there. They are less than 15A/120V


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

I assume it has a 15A plug end on it ... 15A circuit


If it's hardwired, you can upsize the breaker, but rarely needed on fractional HP motors


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## Willie B (Jan 31, 2020)

You could argue they are motors. Wire size is 125% of duty cycle amps. I don't believe code addresses a 15 amp breaker. 

On the practical side, an effluent pump pumps for a few minutes, then rests for days. A 15 amp circuit will not overheat at 15 amp load.


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

I'll almost guarantee you the factory cord cap you cut off the end is a Nema 5-15. I don't need to read the nameplate much beyond that. If the cord fits in a 15a receptacle, it will run just fine on a 15a circuit. 
On a new install, I would run #12. That is partially because I don't stock 14 thhn in the truck for the underground.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

MHElectric said:


> Looks like most regular sized residential sewage pumps are 12-13amps at 120v.
> I've run into 2 recently that were on a 15 Amp circuit, is this legit? I thought a 20 Amp breaker was the standard?


Its a 2" grinder pump designed to be plugged into a float then into a receptacle.
It can be used for sewage but it can also be used anywhere a 2" submersible pump is required which is why it was designed to run under 15 amps.

If the pump required 20 amps it would have a twisted pin that makes it impossible to plug into a 15 amp receptacle.

The receptacle should be designated which would allow a 20 amp breaker on 15 amp wire as the load is a motor (motor should have built in thermal protection) but why go there unless you have a problem with the pump starting.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Sometimes the tags or labels have the 125% included and they do not tell you. So a label for a 10 amp FLA motor would say 12.5 amp.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

I appreciate all the responses. 

If it's been working off an existing 15amp circuit, then I'm just gonna leave it alone. We used to run a dedicated 20amp when we did new homes, but whatever. Hopefully this works fine and I'll have learned something new.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Actual you should take the fla and multiply by 125% so 13 amps would require a 20 amp circuit however the reality is that the motor and circuit will probably run fine on a 15 amp circuit since the pump is rarely running continuously. 

If there is a spring or constant water running in it then you may consider changing it o 20 amps

I thnk 210.23(A) would apply



> (1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in
> Place. The rating of any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization
> equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed
> 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

MHElectric said:


> I appreciate all the responses.
> 
> If it's been working off an existing 15amp circuit, then I'm just gonna leave it alone. We used to run a dedicated 20amp when we did new homes, but whatever. Hopefully this works fine and I'll have learned something new.


We require a dedicated 30 amp 2 pole breaker including neutral and ground to a outside disconnect on new homes. Always good to double check the prints before installing.


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## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

gpop said:


> We require a dedicated 30 amp 2 pole breaker including neutral and ground to a outside disconnect on new homes. Always good to double check the prints before installing.


I don't think OP is referring to a septic tank pump. I think he is referring to a sewage pump for a sewer pit in a basement that is below the sewer drain... but I could be wrong.

Good advice either way.

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Kevin_Essiambre said:


> I don't think OP is referring to a septic tank pump. I think he is referring to a sewage pump for a sewer pit in a basement that is below the sewer drain... but I could be wrong.
> 
> Good advice either way.
> 
> Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


Oh my bad. 

We don't have basement in florida so ignore anything i posted.

Sewage in the UK is the same as septic. Im guessing it has a different meaning here?


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## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

gpop said:


> Oh my bad.
> 
> We don't have basement in florida so ignore anything i posted.
> 
> Sewage in the UK is the same as septic. Im guessing it has a different meaning here?


Septic (system) is a term used to describe a holding tank and a weeping field for sewage.

Sewage is what goes through the pipes and into the septic.

A town or city will have a municipal sewage treatment facility. A house in the country side will have a septic system because there's no municipal sewage.

So a sewage pump is similar to that of a sump pump, except it's a sealed pit for sewage only. They're used where the pipe for sewage out of a house is lower, most commonly in a house with a septic. Obviously a sump pump puts water outside and a sewage pump sends it to the sewage system, whether the sewage system is a septic or municipal sewage.

Does this make sense for you?

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Kevin_Essiambre said:


> Septic (system) is a term used to describe a holding tank and a weeping field for sewage.
> 
> Sewage is what goes through the pipes and into the septic.
> 
> ...


I had to google it as i didn't believe people had sewer pits in there basements.

Due to the high water table here we have sewer pits/small septic tanks but they are outside. From there we pump to either gravity main, forced main or a septic tank/drain field. 

I learnt something. glad i only do the electrical work for the utility company.


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## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

gpop said:


> I had to google it as i didn't believe people had sewer pits in there basements.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I'm not a plumber, so I will refuse sewage pit/pump work of any kind unless it's new installations. 

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

Kevin_Essiambre said:


> Yeah, I'm not a plumber, so I will refuse sewage pit/pump work of any kind unless it's new installations.
> 
> Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


I'm in agreement about turd holes. Unfortunately I have had to go down into a sewage lift station a few times and it really sucks. Takes time just to set up for the job. You need a hoist with a safety harness, a good sniffer to check for methane gas and a 2nd man up on top just in case. The pay was good but I'm just glad I will never have to do it again.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Easy said:


> I'm in agreement about turd holes. Unfortunately I have had to go down into a sewage lift station a few times and it really sucks. Takes time just to set up for the job. You need a hoist with a safety harness, a good sniffer to check for methane gas and a 2nd man up on top just in case. The pay was good but I'm just glad I will never have to do it again.


You're screwed. You said "NEVER".


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## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

Easy said:


> I'm in agreement about turd holes. Unfortunately I have had to go down into a sewage lift station a few times and it really sucks. Takes time just to set up for the job. You need a hoist with a safety harness, a good sniffer to check for methane gas and a 2nd man up on top just in case. The pay was good but I'm just glad I will never have to do it again.


Confined space? No worries, I don't have confined space training. Problem solved.

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

Switched said:


> You're screwed. You said "NEVER".


At the time I was in the union and in our contract we were each put on a rotational wheel for working weekends. They called it "Standby duty". We mostly sat in the shop with a radio and were available for any emergencies that came up. I would always pray that the lift station ran smoothly and it most always did. The few times it had trouble it was usually a control problem or bad pump. Unfortunately all that stuff was 20 feet below grade. The pay was great and if you had trouble you could call in a plumber and let them go down the hole and clear a float or even transfer to a backup pump. If it got real bad leave it for the day shift. :smile:


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Easy said:


> At the time I was in the union and in our contract we were each put on a rotational wheel for working weekends. They called it "Standby duty". We mostly sat in the shop with a radio and were available for any emergencies that came up. I would always pray that the lift station ran smoothly and it most always did. The few times it had trouble it was usually a control problem or bad pump. Unfortunately all that stuff was 20 feet below grade. The pay was great and if you had trouble you could call in a plumber and let them go down the hole and clear a float or even transfer to a backup pump. If it got real bad leave it for the day shift. :smile:


Over 50 Lift stations and ive never had to go inside one. Everything in ours can be reached from the lid and removed or hooked to the crane and pulled up the rails. We also have a 1" water hose at every station and spray on soap so we clean stuff before it come out.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Filtered systems are most common in my area and they have a particular control box that can be wired with up to three circuits - one 20 amp for each pump (recirculation and discharge) and one 15 amp circuit for the control and alarm circuit. However, 99% of the time they are wired with two circuits.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

gpop said:


> Over 50 Lift stations and ive never had to go inside one. Everything in ours can be reached from the lid and removed or hooked to the crane and pulled up the rails. We also have a 1" water hose at every station and spray on soap so we clean stuff before it come out.


Lucky you. 

I think our lift station was designed by cave men. 2 large pumps and a control panel all located at the bottom of the pit. It had a beacon and horn on top if the water & crap level got too high. After about 30 years of service it finally had a catastrophic malfunction and they had a contractor rebuild it and put the controls top side. The pumps were 30 hp if I can remember correctly and it was feed from a 200 amp disco. It served all the waist that left a Mc Donnel Douglas site in Huntington Beach. I think the plant was like 5 ft above sea level.


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