# Wiring for a Sewer Pump



## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

When wiring a 120V sewer pump with alarm, how many wires do you need to run?
I guess my question is how many wires for the alarm?

I was asked to quote for wiring one and don't know how the alarm wires. I do know it has to be on a separate circuit from the pump and from what little I know has to be plugged in at the house.

Is it just a single signal wire or what?


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## Whidbey (Aug 17, 2013)

Do you know how many floats there are? It also depends on how the system is set up. Sometimes the floats are wired in series so you wouldn't need as many wires going down to the pump chamber.


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## T&K (Jun 18, 2012)

The systems that I have worked on have been fairly simple. There is a circuit for the pump that the "start" float switch is plugged into, and the pump plug is "piggybacked" onto the float plug. It's the same for the alarm. The alarm initiate float is plugged into a receptacle, and the alarm plug is piggybacked into the float plug. The alarm can be whatever type, audible or visual, or both.


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## rewire (Jul 2, 2013)

a basic setup is one float turns pump on, one float turns pump off and one float is high level alarm.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

A Little Short said:


> When wiring a 120V sewer pump with alarm, how many wires do you need to run? I guess my question is how many wires for the alarm? I was asked to quote for wiring one and don't know how the alarm wires. I do know it has to be on a separate circuit from the pump and from what little I know has to be plugged in at the house. Is it just a single signal wire or what?


You really need to know what the control set up is. As re wire said the more complicated ones can have up to 4 floats in my experience . And a basic set up may just have 2 . One to start stop the pump and one for high level alarm.
I have done controls with two pumps that alternate operation every cycle as well.
All depends on control box if any.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

I can't seem to find a sample of a neat all in one control I did once , but you get the idea I'm sure


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## josh5879 (Sep 21, 2009)

Agreed every system is different you really need to have this planned out before you bid.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Well this was just from a phone conversation with a plumber. He just needed something to put in his quote. I told him that I would just be guessing without knowing what pump he was putting in.

He wants me to wire everything, but for now he was just needing some idea of what it would run.


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

A Little Short said:


> Well this was just from a phone conversation with a plumber. He just needed something to put in his quote. I told him that I would just be guessing without knowing what pump he was putting in. He wants me to wire everything, but for now he was just needing some idea of what it would run.[/QUOTE
> 
> If he is supplying pump and controls .
> Days labour x 2 , should cover your ass


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## josh5879 (Sep 21, 2009)

Just clarifying what does sewer pump mean would help. Is this for a residential basement? For an outdoor pump tank pumping towards a septic? Something else?


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

josh5879 said:


> Just clarifying what does sewer pump mean would help. Is this for a residential basement? For an outdoor pump tank pumping towards a septic? Something else?


Shredder pump , it chews up schitt and paper and such . Could be in house in a sewage tank or outside in a pumping chamber pushing out to tile bed or up to street level sewer line


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## Hmacanada (Jan 16, 2014)

josh5879 said:


> Just clarifying what does sewer pump mean would help. Is this for a residential basement? For an outdoor pump tank pumping towards a septic? Something else?


Sorry , just caught on . You were asking for more info.
Getting tired I guess.


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## woodchuck2 (Sep 18, 2009)

rewire said:


> a basic setup is one float turns pump on, one float turns pump off and one float is high level alarm.


This is the most common i have worked with although i have done a couple where one float turns the pump on and off depending on level and the 2nd float is for the high level alarm/light.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

josh5879 said:


> Just clarifying what does sewer pump mean would help. Is this for a residential basement? For an outdoor pump tank pumping towards a septic? Something else?



Well I wasn't listening very good when I was talking with him as this wasn't the main reason we were speaking.

I think he said he was putting in a new septic tank and field line at a small rural Church. He just said it was about 40' from the building where the panel is to the pedestal for the control box. 
So I'm guessing the tank is probably up hill from the building and needs a pump to get it to the tank.


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## josh5879 (Sep 21, 2009)

Ok so it sounds like your question is regards to having an alarm in the church building in addition to the audible/visible alarm on the control box. The standard I've seen is a a NO relay in the control box triggered by the alarm. 
As I said u gotta plan the specifics for yourself, a start would be googling Rhombus pump down controllers, or looking on usabluebook.com .


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## woodchuck2 (Sep 18, 2009)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *josh5879* 
_Just clarifying what does sewer pump mean would help. Is this for a residential basement? For an outdoor pump tank pumping towards a septic? Something else?_

Shredder pump , it chews up schitt and paper and such . Could be in house in a sewage tank or outside in a pumping chamber pushing out to tile bed or up to street level sewer line


X2 or as we see around here next to lakes the Town/County enforce that the septic be placed up the hill away from the home if not at least to the side. I do not know what the set back is from the water though. I have also seen where the ground has severe water saturation due to springs and the property needs to be built up above grade so a pump station will need to be installed to push up to the infiltrators.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

A Little Short said:


> When wiring a 120V sewer pump with alarm, how many wires do you need to run?
> I guess my question is how many wires for the alarm?
> 
> I was asked to quote for wiring one and don't know how the alarm wires. I do know it has to be on a separate circuit from the pump and from what little I know has to be plugged in at the house.
> ...


Four conductors w a ground. Alarm is only two conductors. Many guys just run two runs of 2 wire UF.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Here it could be anyone who wires a tank, plumber, excavator, septic company, OR sparky

My personal pet peeve is a splice in a methane atmosphere

Don't do it

Just say NO

~CS~


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Thankfully all the septic installers hack their own wiring in around here. We just bring a 12/3 to their control box and call it done.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

12-2 UF for the pump and 14-2 UF for the alarm. Our state code requires separate circuits for the pump and alarm.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

wendon said:


> 12-2 UF for the pump and 14-2 UF for the alarm. Our state code requires separate circuits for the pump and alarm.


I just run two runs of 12/2 UF.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

backstay said:


> I just run two runs of 12/2 UF.


The advantage of two different sizes is that you know what goes where. Out here the septic installers generally run the wires into the house and connect them to the floats in the pumping chamber.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

wendon said:


> The advantage of two different sizes is that you know what goes where. Out here the septic installers generally run the wires into the house and connect them to the floats in the pumping chamber.


Our control is at the lift station, so the pump and floats come to there. I wire both up, turn one breaker on and see if its alarm or pump. Then mark it in the panel.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

backstay said:


> Our control is at the lift station, so the pump and floats come to there. I wire both up, turn one breaker on and see if its alarm or pump. Then mark it in the panel.


I see. Most of the mound systems here use the float to switch line voltage to the pump. One float for the pump and one for the alarm. Some of the connections at the pumping chamber are hack from what I've seen but then they're plumbers, not electricians!:laughing:


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

wendon said:


> I see. Most of the mound systems here use the float to switch line voltage to the pump. One float for the pump and one for the alarm. Some of the connections at the pumping chamber are hack from what I've seen but then they're plumbers, not electricians!:laughing:


Most now are time dose setups. Some with a PLC , some with a timer relay.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Interesting they _aren't_ required gfci yet......~CS~


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> Interesting they aren't required gfci yet......~CS~


Interesting nuisance tripping would be a concern.here but not with the inside freezer or refrigerator. This is why I have lost respect for the nec.


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