# Septic Tank Pump



## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

I have a customer that had his pump replaced twice in 7 months.
Not a problem in the previous 6 years.
Two different companies, and both said the reason for the pump failure was moisture inside the receptacle.

The second company pulls the receptacle from the tank, mounts it to a board above the tank and brings the cord from the tank to plug it in.

The customer is wanting to sell, so he asked if the receptacle can be moved into the flower bed.
I get there and find the receptacle is fed with black so cord.
I look where the fed is coming and find the box, and inside is an orange extension cord buried to the tank.

The manhole cover for the tank is 3' underground.
I was going to trench a new line from a dead front gfci, and put the receptacle back into the tank.

Is this the way to do it, or am I missing something.

Pictures to follow with the 12X12 plastic box that was underground and filled, not with scotchcote, but with spray foam!


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I never, ever, ever mount a j box or receptacle in the wet well :no::no: trust me, one or two late nights hanging over the well fixing the flooded or f'ed up box will have you thinking the same way. Lop the plug off and run it through a sleeve to a j box top side same with the floats. Run a new line and forget the GFCI.


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

Jlarson said:


> I never, ever, ever mount a j box or receptacle in the wet well :no::no: trust me, one or two late nights hanging over the well fixing the flooded or f'ed up box will have you thinking the same way. Lop the plug off and run it through a sleeve to a j box top side same with the floats. Run a new line and forget the GFCI.


Thanks... One of the goals is to eliminate the topside j box.
Would you install a handhole box at ground level to do this?

I understand about the gfci.

Would I need a switch as a disconnecting means, or just use the breaker?


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

PLEASE I do not want to hear it.

My pump went out two years in a row on Thanksgiving, both times we had a house full of guest. Try finding a sewage injector pump on Thanksgiving, luckily I keep a sump pump for such occasions. With 10 acres a little grey water goes a long way. Located a pump Friday, but had trouble finding a new foot valve.

Last summer with a house full of guest, floats go bad.

The number of times I have climbed into that pit of SH*T. New floats, built my own controller and good for another 30 days?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

You better check with the health department. Around here the box must be mounted 18" above ground and install in a 12x12 PVC box. We then use a 2" PVC to sleeve the pump, alarm and float wires into the box from the tank. 

The newer systems are a self contained alarm box and pump controller but the install is basically the same.

We usually mount two 4x4 posts to mount the box on.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

I fixed some sewer eject pumps that kept failing because the way the float switch was bouncing on the churning 'water' the pump contractors where bonding, killing the motors.

Some genius had change it from a high and low float to one float only. That may work for a small sump pump but not so well for this application.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Bob Badger said:


> I fixed some sewer eject pumps that kept failing because the way the float switch was bouncing on the churning 'water' the pump contractors where bonding, killing the motors.
> 
> Some genius had change it from a high and low float to one float only. That may work for a small sump pump but not so well for this application.


I hate that. I put an delay on w/power timer on those a lot.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

jbfan said:


> Thanks... One of the goals is to eliminate the topside j box.
> Would you install a handhole box at ground level to do this?
> 
> I understand about the gfci.
> ...


I would use a non fused pull out next to the jbox(good place to put the lightning protector you can try to up sell them to). I would not use a hand hole, you can't put the disco down there anyway so Just throw a post in the ground and mount a jbox to it too.


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## electservant (Aug 3, 2011)

*Electric for septic*

Is there a NEC article dealing with septic systems specifically ?

If not since many of you have dealt with them can you give me a list of NEC requirements dealing with the septic installer's electrical circuits and the electricians from control panel to loadcenter?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

electservant said:


> Is there a NEC article dealing with septic systems specifically ?
> 
> If not since many of you have dealt with them can you give me a list of NEC requirements dealing with the septic installer's electrical circuits and the electricians from control panel to loadcenter?


Wow this thread is 4 years old---

The NEC does not have anything to do with the septic tank/pump install other than to wire it to code. Around here the equipment is dictated by the health dept. Oriiginally they were allowing the receptacle inside the tank and they just rotted away so now we install a 4x4 post about a foot from the tank and we mount either the specified control box with alarm or we install a large PVC box with a receptacle mounted in a jb inside the enclosure

We then run a short piece of 2" PVC from the large JB into the side of the tank and run the cords from the pump, float switch & alarm thru the pipe into the jb. The pvc must be sealed to prevent gases from getting into the jb.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Our state (Wis.) has their own code. You might want to check your state or local codes.


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## electservant (Aug 3, 2011)

Thank for the replies, I am in Texas and the state adopts the NEC. I have never ran circuits past the controller. All I have ever done is hardwire a circuit or two circuits to the controller and thats been years ago. I heard someone on the thread say about running a 30 amp 120v circuit and also running separate ckts for pump and alarm. A septic contractor said they normally have a 30 amp/120 v circuit brought to the controller and the controller has two I think 20 amp breakers inside. So what I have gathered here is your running 2 ckts out to tanks mounting a receptacle inside 12 x 12 pvc with 2" 90 into tank for pumps and float cords to plug into power.


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## kevint (Jan 19, 2012)

How I do it is run 2" pvc from tank 90 up to a pvc box pull in all your cables. From box explosion proof fitting into control panel. Do all slicing in jbox. Install a extra set of float and pump wires into jbox before sealing. That way there is no connections inside of wet well so later in life when things go wrong you don't have sewage to deal with or a confined space. Also pull a extra set of wires back to your power source chances are they will want a remote alarm later.


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## 2dogs (Feb 7, 2014)




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## 2dogs (Feb 7, 2014)

Its a little hard to read but good info.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Is that the '14?

~CS~


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