ServicePro Plumbing provides a wide variety of Michigan plumbing repair and services for commercial customers. Lift stations are something you never worry about, until they aren’t working correctly! Lift stations are critical devices and an important part of your commercial sewage and drainage systems. If you’re lift station components break for even a couple of hours, the consequences can be disastrous. Understanding the lift station components and operation can help you keep this equipment running smoothly.
Follow ServicePro Plumbing’s lift station maintenance suggestions to significantly reduce the chance of emergency situations.
There are two main elements to a lift station; the wet well and the controls.
The wet well is a basin where inflow is discharged and where the pumps are located. This basin can be made out of steel but is more commonly made of fiberglass or concrete. There are generally two pumps in the wet well and each has its own check valve and shut off valve.
Lift Station Components
Check valves stop the pumped water flow from going back into the wet well when the pumps shut off. A shut off valve allows for the isolation of each pump. Pumps usually sit on disconnects mounted to the floor which have guide rails. These guard rails extend the full depth of the station which allow for individual pumps to be removed and serviced. Most stations have a level-sensing device such as a mechanical float switch, transducer, or both. There are multiple float switches for each lift station. The purpose of the floats is to allow the pumps switch back and forth after each pumping cycle.
The control panel of your lift station contains high voltage and phases, so its important that a qualified professional does inspections and repairs. The overload can be tripped, causing the pump to turn off, if too much power is drawn by the pump. This overload can be caused by a dead short, a locked pump, water in the motor, or an object caught in the impeller.
This is a way for the pumps to back each other up in case a problem occurs. A transducer works by varying the amount of DC voltage it sends back to the control panel in relation to the water level in the wet-well. Triggering the pumps is most commonly handled through a transducer level controller. The control panel is the brain of the equipment. It contains the circuit breakers, motor starter, overloads, pump controller software (if applicable), and communication devices (if applicable).
Preventive Maintenance by a qualified professional is the best way to avoid lift station emergencies. ServicePro Plumbing provides lift station maintenance services to ensure your equipment, and all of its components, are running properly. If you have any questions about your lift station components and operation, please give ServicePro a call today.
