Banish basement backlogs and bad smells
You can’t fight gravity—unless you have a sewage ejector pump. When you have a basement bathroom or laundry room, sewage ejector pumps do the hard work of pumping waste up, up, and away to your main sewage line. Without sewage ejector pump installation, sewage can back up into your taps and drains, causing smelly, expensive overflows and extensive damage to your basement. Learn how sewage ejector pump installation works in your basement, how much you can expect to pay, and when it might make sense to hire a professional, instead.
If you know how to clear a main sewer line clog yourself, you may have the baseline plumbing skills necessary to perform this installation. Keep in mind, however, that in addition to plumbing skills, you may need to perform some concrete and electrical work, as well, to get the unit positioned and connected properly. Read the manual for your new ejector pump unit to make sure you have what you need for your specific make and model.
You’ll also want to check local building codes; depending on your location, you may need to make some adjustments to ensure you have the proper venting, pipe sizes, and permits to complete the job. As always, before starting, put on your personal protective equipment, including safety goggles, gloves, and a face mask.
If you’re replacing an existing sewage ejector pump, you’ll want to remove the old unit first. Disconnect the vent and discharge pipes coming up from the sewage basin cover. You may need to cut them with a hacksaw.
Then, remove the basin cover by unscrewing the fasteners and slicing through the silicone to break the seal. Remove the check valve, being careful to dodge any wastewater that falls back down as a result. Lift out the old pump and set it on a pan or in a bucket to contain the inevitable drips and mess.
For ejector pump replacements, the pump basin will already be in place. If it’s in good condition, you can simply reuse it. However, if you’re performing a new install, you’ll need to drill out a hole—commonly 18 inches in diameter and 30 inches deep—to place a new pump basin in. The inlet pipe usually runs under the concrete slab and into this basin.
Use PVC glue to attach a male-threaded adapter to the ejector pump. Then, you can attach the discharge pipe to the adapter. Tighten with a pipe wrench.
With the discharge pipe attached, lower the pump into the basin. Position it far away from the inlet pipe so that the float switch can’t operate properly. When the pump is in place, you can use zip ties to secure the electrical cord to the discharge pipe. That stops the cords from twisting up and falling back into the basin. (You’ll want to hire a pro later to connect the pump to your home’s electrical system, as this can be very dangerous for a DIYer, leading to potential electrical shock.)
You can set the self-adhesive gasket material all around the lip of the pump basin. The cover will rest on this gasket to form a tight seal and keep smelly sewer gases from floating throughout your house and ruining everyone’s appetite.
Place the check valve on top of the discharge pipe. The check valve lets water travel one way: up. You can use PVC primer and PVC glue to secure the check valve to the discharge pipe and tighten the clamps.
It’s not strictly necessary (unless required by basic finished basement codes in your area), but it is a good idea to add a ball valve above the check valve. The ball valve will completely stop the downward flow of waste if you need to repair or replace the ejector pump in the future.
With the pump in place and the discharge pipe attached, you can attach the basin lid. Run a bead of silicone caulk around the lip of the basin and use the included fasteners to bolt the lid in place. You can add a touch of anti-seize lubricant to the bolts to prevent them from rusting.
Don’t forget to place the donut gaskets around the discharge and vent pipes, plus the gasket that holds the electrical cords in place. These are critical for putting a damper on sewer gasses.
Speaking of sewer gases, the last step is to run the vent pipe from inside the basin to the vent. You might connect the vent pipe to your main plumbing stack or to a dedicated vent to the outdoors, depending on local codes. Give the pipes a final seal using a bead of silicone caulk around the hole in the lid and pat yourself on the back: You’re going to eject so much sewage now.
Although the process for installing a sewage ejector pump is fairly straightforward, it does involve some plumbing skills that might be more complex than you’re used to. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is my kitchen sink connected to my bathroom sewage pipe?” then feel free to hire a professional for this one.
After all, if you get it wrong, you’ll have an expensive (and stinky) mess on your hands. Plus, for new installations, you’ll need to drill into the concrete of your basement floor to place the pump basin. That can turn a “straightforward” job into a loud, dusty, multi-day project requiring additional tools and skills.
Fortunately, you can hire a local sewer service to take care of the whole project for you, ensuring that your new ejector pump is installed safely, properly, and according to code.
Mary Beth Eastman contributed to this piece.
Yes, you should plan on annual maintenance for your sewage ejector pump. Maintenance tasks include checking and cleaning the filter, clearing debris, and inspecting for any damage. Not keeping up with maintenance tasks or having frequent inspections can make you susceptible to major sewage issues down the road from clogs or malfunctioning pump parts.
An ejector pump will last about 7 to 10 years on average—as long as you keep up with maintenance. Properly maintained, it’s not unheard of to get decades of use out of an ejector pump. On a similar note, it’s important to repair or replace the pump right away if you note any damage. Put it off, and you could experience the horror of a sewer line backup.
If you hire a professional, installing a new sewage ejector pump costs $850 to $3,500, or an average of $2,300. Otherwise, if you handle the installation yourself, you can expect to pay $500 to $1,000 for the sewage ejector pump, permits, and other supplies required for this DIY project.
Local building codes sometimes require sewer ejector pumps to have their own vents. If so, these dedicated vents run upward through the home and exit through the roof. Otherwise, the pump’s vent pipe can connect to an existing vent stack. Regardless of which method you use, venting is an important part of installing a sewer ejector pump because it helps equalize pressure and prevents gases from building up inside your home.
Yes, it’s possible to install a sewage ejector pump outside rather than in a basement. However, there may be some extra steps involved, including running pipes from the inside to the outside of your home and digging (and re-filling) a hole for the basin. If you aren’t comfortable with this type of work, contact a plumbing pro to handle it for you.
Ejector pumps can only push sewage 750 feet or less. That’s because their purpose is to move waste from your home to your sewer line—which is a relatively short distance. Grinder pumps can transport sewage further, but they manage lower volumes of waste than ejector pumps (and they don’t work with septic systems).
