The Benefits of Lift Stations and How We Keep Them Maintained

May 15, 2020

When your sewer line isn’t elevated enough to pump wastewater into the public sewer lines, you’ll likely need a wastewater lift station in Camden County, MO. A lift station pumps the wastewater from a lower elevation to a higher one, eliminating the need for you to either fix the elevation problem or install new equipment in a different location.

Wastewater lift stations are highly useful tools for “sunken” properties in the area, whether business or residential. Here’s a look into lift stations and how to properly maintain them.

What is a lift station and how does it work?

A lift station is comprised of a pump, valves and electrical equipment. It’s connected to the electricity on your property (so if there is a power outage, you’ll need a generator to power the lift station). Typically, a lift station is designed to be submersible in your other equipment, allowing you to seamlessly install the lift without having to carve out additional space for it.

In a typical pump installation, the lift wouldn’t be necessary because the pump could use gravity to move the wastewater into the sewer lines. However, when the property elevation is lower than the lines, you need extra power to move the wastewater along its way.

How to maintain a lift station

Typically, your lift station should last upwards of 20 years, give or take—that is, if you properly maintain your equipment. The more capacity your station has, the more often you will need to maintain and rebuild your lift station.

Your owner’s manual will have guidelines for basic maintenance and timing. Some companies suggest performing basic maintenance (such as cleaning, lubricating moving parts and listening for issues) every month, while others provide no guidance whatsoever. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide how often it makes sense to check your lift station, depending on the volume of wastewater you see.

As you can imagine, residential stations need far less maintenance than commercial ones, particularly those in commercial kitchens at and other businesses where food and waste product go down the drain just as much as water.

Here’s what to check when you’re working on your lift station maintenance:

  • Check valves: These valves prevent water from flowing back down into the lift station and holding tank. These need to be inspected to ensure they’re working properly.
  • Controls: The controls need maintenance, too—make sure to turn off the power before inspecting them to ensure they’re operating properly.
  • Float switches: Float switches help indicate when the pump and lift station need to be activated. When the water reaches a certain level, the float switches activate the pump and move the water up into the public sewer line.
  • Settings: Finally, check your settings like the manual and electronic switches and when they’re programmed to come on.

If you need advice about your wastewater lift station’s maintenance in Camden County, MO, contact the team at Enviro-Line Co., Inc. today—we can help guide you through your product’s suggested maintenance schedule and ensure your equipment is operating the way it should be

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Enviro-Line Co, Inc.