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Author:
sum (FL)
I have been having a lot of problems (many unforseen) with this rental investment property. The previous guy had done a lot of crazy and totally unsound plumbing improvements. Long story short, I took possession last month and have to clear all the violations, which involves the demolition of two outdoor gazebos.
The gazebos were erected within the setback area (zoning violation), has walls and roofs (structural violations), has a toilet in it (plumbing violations) and has air conditioning and lighting in it (electrical violations). In order to secure a permit to totally demolish the gazebos, I first need to secure a plumbing disconnect permit and an electric disconnect permit.
There are more details about all this in this thread when I first discovered the sump pump:
[www.plbg.com]
I started the plumbing disconnect permit which requires a sewer and water capping.
Today the plumber came and perform the water and sewer capping.
For water, this is not a big deal. I already dug down on the main shutoff and located where he teed off a line for the supply to the toilet. I showed it to the plumber, he verified the water source of the toilet came from there, so he turned water off, cut off the branch, capped it and that's that. I don't anticipate any issues.
For sewer, it's complicated. Here is a aerial of the property, showing the gazebo has a sewer line that runs north, then east across the entire backside of the property, then turns south and connects to a sewage pump in a pit.
The reason for the pit, is because by the time the pipe travels over 120' from the gazebo, it is too low an elevation to tie into the rest of the house. So he uses a sewage pump to bring the payload to the proper elevation. Here is a picture of the pit where the sump pump is.
What the plumber did, was he made three cuts.
He first made a cut at the north west corner of the property. Next he went to the north east corner where the line makes a south turn, and made a cut, and glued a cap on it. Last he went inside the pit and made a cut where the pipe comes up vertically and turns horizonal, and capped it.
So far so good. HOWEVER, he told me when the plumbing inspector comes tomorrow, they might ask me to excavate and remove the sewage pump, insteading of letting me abandon it in place and fill up that pit. I asked what are the chances of that, and he said it depends on the individual inspector, and their mood of the day or hour.
Now I am worried. That is a concrete deck, the pump is way deep, I can't even see the top of it, I am guessing the top is 4' or more below. There is no way I can dig this up.
So I guess what I am asking the pros here, what is your opinion of me having to remove the pump? I know it depends on code and local practices, but I am just looking for advice here, what I can say to the plumbing inspector that may be helpful to sway him/her one way or another?
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
I can see the lid to the sewage basin. Remove a few bolts and the pump should pull up. I don't think you would have to do any digging to get it out. If worse comes to worse the lid can be cut to make the pump removal easier. I'd burst that well cover, back fill with some washed stone and pour concrete back in.
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Author:
sum (FL)
North Carolina Plumber, is there a way to know how bug this thing is? The plumber said the bottom can be as deep as 8'. That means it is something like a drum 3' diameter 4' deep?
Is there somewhere I can find a brand or model number to know what it looks like?
When the plumber made the cut in the pit, sewage water spilled out from the house side, which made sense since we know that pipe pitched up to tie in through a branch and that part is full of water.
Now the pit is wet and filled with dirty water, not only that the pump is full of dirty water too. It has to be heavier than hell.
If he insists that I remove it, would an alternative be to removing the lid, somehow break the bottom of it, and let the content infiltrate to the ground below, then fill it up? Although I don't know how one would break the bottom when the thing is full.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
Pry open that rubber grommet that's around the electrical wires and stick a rod down in there. I'm guessing its about 36" down to the pump.
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Author:
sum (FL)
If I get a septic tank guy out, can he go down there, open the lid, and use the septic tank truck to suck the stuff out of it?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
The pump would normally be about 2' below the pipe going in to the pit. It is heavy, but not "extremely" heavy.
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Author:
sum (FL)
Ok, the inspector just left, no mention of extracting the pump. So that's good.
Now I can deal with the pit.
Do I throw the cord down into the hole and fill it up with gravel and concrete patch?
Or should I open the lid? and pour stones, sand into the container that's filled with sewage water, then fill the whole pit?
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Author:
m & m (MD)
I wouldn't do anything more than throw gravel in and concrete it over and be done with it....You could toss in a couple of quarter sticks first.
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Author:
sum (FL)
That's what I am tempted to do, but filling in gravel and sand there will put a lot of weight on that sewage container.
I have never seen a sewage container pump, so that's why I am asking, what does it look like? What is the construction material? Is the lid plastic, like the lid of a trash bin? Will it collapse if I pour gravel down it? Or is it a metal cap strong and not going anywhere?
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Author:
m & m (MD)
The only container I am familiar with is a fiberglass or poly basin and top. I would guess they are made of steel also.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
quote; there will put a lot of weight on that sewage container.
Who cares? IF the container is in the ground you are just filling the hole in the ground with MORE "ground". The lid should be metal but tap it and see for yourself what it is made of.
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Author:
sum (FL)
Ok, I need to wrap this messy thing up.
First, the way it was capped, the sewage container side is not capped. I see mosquitoes and noseeums buzzing around there because that pipe is open.
I should cap that pipe too right? It was cut too close to the fitting. Is there a plug or cap I can put into inside of pipe or outside a 3" fitting to close it?
Second, should I turn on the pump to have it pump out the dirty stuff into the well, or leave it in the sewage container?
Third, I think North Carolina Plumber suggested this at the very beginning, but I couldn't do it due to permit process called for a cap. Is to reach down, cut that cap out, glue in a long sweep 90, and install a cleanout.
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