Sump pump removes water waste and prevents flooding whereas a sewage pump is there to remove water as well as solid waste. Both of these pumps are located at the lowest spot in the basement that acts as an indoor septic system. Read a detailed guide about Sump Pump vs Sewage Pump below.
Sump Pump vs Sewage Pump – Detailed Comparison
Sewage Pump
This is one of the most efficient pumps and acts like a garbage disposal that removes solid waste as well as wastewater from toilets and laundry. This pump can be installed in any building containing a bathroom.
For the proper functioning of the sewage pump, regular maintenance can improve its performance. The noteworthy feature of this pump is that it utilizes gravity to force the waste directly into the plumbing system.
Sewage Pump performance
The pump is fixed inside the pit that accumulates 30 gallons of wastewater. As grinder blades are absent in this pump, an impeller that is a rotating component increases the pressure of the liquid while mixing liquid as well as solid waste, turning it into a slurry. When the sewage and wastewater reach upto a certain height, the pump gets activated and forces the slurry into the sewer lines.
Importance of Sewage Pump
The installation of this sewage pump in the house becomes necessary when the sewer lines are placed higher than the fixtures. Furthermore, this appliance makes use of gravity to push the solid as well as liquid waste into the pipes. Basements with laundry and bathrooms should install this sewage pump to protect them from flooding.
Sewage Pump Failure
If the pump fails to push the waste into the septic tank, that waste will start accumulating which may lead to the sudden breakage of the pipes which may cause blockage of sewage disposal, the spread of bacteria, and a bad smell in the basement. Regular maintenance of the pump can prevent this failure.
Sump Pump
The basic function of the sump pump is that it removes the water waste from the basement and protects it from flooding (check out how sump pump works in a basement). During heavy rainstorms, this pump acts as a lifesaver as it is very common in flood areas.
This water pump cleans up all the stagnant wastewater before the damage is caused by heavy rain. The electric component of the sump pump prevents failure during power shortages.
Sump Pump Performance
The sump pit accumulates the wastewater from the basement and protects it from flooding due to heavy rain. When the level of water in the basin rises, the float switch activates the machine. This wastewater is expelled out of the house through the discharge pipes.
Furthermore, the spare parts of this pump including the check valve, an impeller, and discharge pipes play an important role in keeping the basement floor dry and protecting it from the rain and wastewater.
Sump Pump Importance
This sump pump is installed in houses that are located in flood-prone areas. It accumulates the wastewater in the sump pit and activates the float valve that expels the water out from the basement. Furthermore, it acts as an adequate waterproofing solution that removes wastewater and keeps the floor of the basement dry.
Sump Pump Failure
One of the most common causes of the failure of the sump pump is the stuck switch in which the pump gets stuck inside the basin, causing the blockage of the water waste. Moreover, an electrical power outage is another failure that is caused by bad weather or storms.
These failures can stop the sump pump from functioning which results in flooding of the basement. So make sure that you have the best quality sump pump.
Sump Pump Vs Sewage Pump
Both of these pumps are located at the lowest spot in the basement that acts as an indoor septic system. The best part of these pumps is that they are able to hold large canisters and tanks of the water but the sewage pump, in this case, has got an additional feature of an alarm system. As soon as a certain level of waste is accumulated in the basin, the alarm is activated that transports the waste into the sewer system.
While talking about the design, the sump pump is designed to remove the water waste from the basement whereas the sewage pump is designed to remove water as well as solid waste and other small materials from the basement or building and is transported to the sewage system. Sewage pumps are installed in the buildings that contain bathrooms. Moreover, the sump pump does not require regular maintenance whereas the sewage pump needs to be maintained periodically.
FAQs about Sump and Sewage Pump
What does a sewage pump do?
The function of the sewage pump is to remove the water waste as well as the solid waste. They are mostly installed in those areas of the building or basement where the bathroom is located at the lowest point.
Why would a house have a sewage pump?
A sewage pump is needed in the house in order to push the water waste and solid waste in the correct direction. With the help of the sewage pump, the waste is transferred directly to the main septic tank and sewer system.
What is a sump pump and what does it do?
Sump pump is installed in the basement that removes the water and protects it from flooding. The main function of this pump is that it stops the groundwater from reaching the basement level. Furthermore, this pump is also considered beneficial equipment for floor insurance.
How is a sump pump supposed to work?
The pit that is present beneath the basement floor accumulates the wastewater. When the water reaches a certain level the sump pump turns on automatically and the water is expelled out of the pit. Furthermore, the function of the sump pump depends upon the moisture.
Concluding Sump Pump and Sewage Pump Comparison
Sump pumps and sewage pumps both are highly beneficial for the removal of water as well as solid waste from the basement. The functions of both the pumps are different as the sump pump removes only water waste from the basement whereas the sewage pump removes water as well as solid waste from the bathrooms present in the basement.
Apart from the design, the pump capacities of both the pumps are also different. Also check out the difference between sump pump and ejector pump.
Adam Wilson is the plumbing products Editor for Mechanics Gear, covering everything related to plumbing. He have 15 years of experience as a plumber and written about plumbing gear for over two years and plans to continue writing for a long while to come. Since he started sharing his plumbing knowledge on Mechanics Gear, he loves nothing more than relaxing in his home and and writing his plumbing experiences. Adam Wilson likes finding new plumbing products and dive into, from manuals, forums and different plumbing groups.