Why Retrofitting for a Factory-Built Lift Station Is Important

Wondering if retrofitting for factory-built lift stations is right for your applications? If you’re tired of dealing with frequent emergency calls at your lift stations, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Here’s why retrofitting is important, as well as the basics on how to retrofit a lift station.

How to tell if a retrofit is right for your facility

Every municipality is a great candidate for a retrofit, since it seems like there’s always a problem pump station that can use an upgrade. What makes a pump station an ideal candidate for a retrofit? You may have an older lift station that just can’t handle higher solids loading, or you may have outdated grinding equipment. In some cases, you might be dealing with plugs in the pumps that require manual cleaning time and again. A retrofit can rectify any of these situations, especially if you upgrade to a two-shafted grinder.

Retrofitting with a grinder is a smart idea because most lift stations still in use today weren’t originally designed to deal with the high solids content—especially disposable wipes—found in today’s wastewater. Disposable wipes in particular can overwhelm old pumps, even those that are specially made for handling solids. In fact, most operators working today deal with clogging and failing pumps due entirely to wipe-related clogging.

Adding a grinder can maximize your pump efficiency, handling items found in today’s sewage. The grinder eats through waste, including disposable wipes, before it gets to the pumps, preventing damage and eliminating the time and effort associated with unclogging.

How to retrofit a lift station

If you’ve decided to retrofit your lift station, avoid the impulse to purchase a new pump that matches the specs of your current unit. Look for a good pump service provider to facilitate the retrofit and follow all maintenance procedures for your new grinder following installation.

As you plan your retrofit, choose the new pump carefully. Spend time evaluating the performance of your current pump and try to pinpoint problems outside of general lifecycle wear to make sure you can avoid them with your new installation. Determine whether the latest breakdown was a one-time occurrence or just the latest in a string of failures. Look at the entire history of the pump to determine possible pain points and solutions.

You should play an active role in every step of the retrofit. During planning, take notes about flow expectations, as they’ll be used to size the grinder. You should also work with suppliers to detail expectations for the retrofit so you can avoid any unwelcome surprises during the process.

Once you’ve settled on a retrofit strategy with your pump service provider, installation is quick—replacing the old pump with the new one typically takes one workday. You’ll enjoy reduced maintenance and improved efficiency and, most importantly, fewer clogs in the system.

Retrofitting for factory-built lift stations can improve operations at your facility. To learn more about the retrofitting process, contact Enviro-Line Co., Inc. today. We offer high-quality treatment products and exceptional customer service for wastewater pumping and treatment equipment.

Categorised in: Lift Stations