Septic Tank Sump Pumps

Not every application will require a heavy-duty solids pump. Sump pumps are ideal for moving clear water a short distance. Where an effluent pump may be able to handle ¾’’ solids, a sump pump usually only handles ¼’’ solids. That makes them ideal for ejecting water from a basement.

Sump pumps can also come as manual, with a wide-angle float, or with a vertical float switch. Manual pumps will simply activate when they are plugged into a power source. There are no switches on the pump that prevent it from activating. These are great when the pump is not used often and is easily accessible.

It may become tiresome or inconvenient to manually activate the pump every time it is needed. Wide-angle float switches and vertical float switches allow the pump to monitor the fluid level and activate the pump without a person continuously monitoring the system. These float switches float in the fluid surrounding the pump. A switch inside the float switch will close when the fluid level is high and will activate the pump. When the fluid level drops, the float switch will deactivate the pump.

Wide angle float switches have a larger range of motion than vertical float switches. They are often tethered to the pump and left to float around the pump. Wide angle float switches often have a piggy back plug. That plug allows the pump to be easily connected to the float switch and plugged into an outlet.

Vertical float switches are usually built into the pump and are not removeable. This style of float switch only moves up and down. The limited range of motion of the float switch makes it useful when the space around the pump is limited.