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Author:
matchone (MD)
So my grinding pump alarm went off the other day. Long story short, the local water company came out and said that the pump was clogged with two tampons and a condom. I was shocked when they said condom because I haven't used one in years. Me and my wife have lived in the house for a year. My question is, is there some magical way that a condom could have just now got sucked up, a year later after the previous tenants left or should I get the divorce papers ready? Any input would be helpful. I know they can sit for years in a septic system, but I have a pump in my yard that goes to city sewer. Thanks
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Author:
KCRoto (MO)
No offense, but I'm not touching this one.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
Both objects are 'floaters' and tend to stay on the surface so they could be old news. You probably do not have a grinder pump (very expensive) but rather just a sewage pump. A grinder would have chewed both items up without blinking.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
Both objects are 'floaters' and tend to stay on the surface so they could be old news. You probably do not have a grinder pump (very expensive) but rather just a sewage pump. A grinder would have chewed both items up without blinking. In the future, a sewage pump should only receive human waste and toilet paper.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
My septic pumper told me that on one ocassion a tank was full of condoms. When he told the husband that they should not be flushed down the toilet, he said he had had a vasectomy so had not needed condoms for many years. In that instance there were divorce papers.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
Even a grinder pump has a small opening into the volute so things can get caught there before they reach the grinder.
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Author:
matchone (MD)
Thanks for the input guys. Another thing I was wondering is, do pump holding tanks also have a floating layer or is everything pumped out?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
If the pumped removed "everything" it would probably fail because of ruined bearings and seals. They ALWAYS leave some liquid in the tank and therefore, anything that is floating will stay on top of that layer.
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Author:
matchone (MD)
Got ya, thanks for the help. Not trying to sound paranoid, I'm pretty sure any guy in my shoes would have raised their eyebrows at the situation.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
m & m (MD)
The volute opening on a grinder would be no smaller than a sewage pump- maybe larger. That is the problem with flushing non-degradables into a sewage pump. It can pull them into the volute where they will lodge and jam the impeller.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
They can also jam in the opening to the volute before they enter the pump.
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