Portable electric pump to move grey water

S

Snagglefoot

Joined
Dec 31, 2017
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Location
SE British Columbia, Canada
I have a place where my visitors sometime park a travel trailer. I also have an auxillary inlet into my septic line that leads to the tank and septic field. Unfortunately the inlet is about 6 higher in elevation and about 100 ft from the trailer location. Has anyone rigged up a good pump and hose system they’d like to describe. I’ve already seen Robin Williams in RV so there will not be a any sewage allowed. If they fill their sewage tank it’s time for them to go. Don’t mind the pun. Thanks.
 
Look up Macerator Pumps for RVs. While meant to chop up some solid material they will pump grey water with ease to the aux inlet.
Flojet and Jabsco make ones that will work.
 
How much water are you looking to move (volume) and how fast do you want to move it (GPM)? I have two utility pumps, I have two different brands both being puddle suckers that pump to within a fraction of an inch off the ground. One is a Wayne Waterbug using a 3/4” hose line and the other, a Tsurumi pump which is also 3/4” but a real workhorse with a low-level switch so I don’t have to babysit it.

The Wayne is 1/6 HP and the Tsurumi is 2/3 HP.
 
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I have pumps, but they are meant to be submerged; they’ll overheat otherwise.
One sits in a buried holding tank and pumps wastewater from laundry and sink in a detached garage across a yard and into a sewer pipe. About a 6 foot lift. Buy an anti-drain back valve for the outlet so all your liquid doesn’t flow back into the holding tank as soon as the pump shuts off. I got 20 years life out of the last one before the float switch broke. New one is a Zoeller M63.

The other pump I used to change water in a fountain with. Just a 10’ hose to dump it onto the grass.

Both pumps move water faster than a fully open water hose can source it. Of course, pumping through a hundred feet of 5/8” hose is going to add resistance.

You probably want that Wayne 1/6HP. I’m thinking 100’ extension cord and voltage drop.
 
Regarding rate, the next question is for septic tank experts. A normal septic system accepts rates that are pretty low for longer times ( such a with long shower) or high rate for a short time such as flushing a toilet. A normal grey water tank in a 30 ft travel trailer might be 30 gallons. I’m wondering if pumping 30 gallons at say 3 gallons per minute might be over welming for the septic system. My tank and field was installed by a previous owner and I’m not sure how large it is. I should be able to get that info from when it was registered with the Regional District ( sort of like the county) office. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks for the opinions.
 
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Snagglefoot said:
Regarding rate, the next question is for septic tank experts. A normal septic system accepts rates that are pretty low for longer times ( such a with long shower) or high rate for a short time such as flushing a toilet. A normal grey water tank in a 30 ft travel trailer might be 30 gallons. I’m wondering if pumping 30 gallons at say 3 gallons per minute might be over welming for the septic system. My tank and field was installed by a previous owner and I’m not sure how large it is. I should be able to get that info from when it was registered with the Regional District ( sort of like the county) office. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks for the opinions.
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I would think taking a bath and filling the tub part way would easily be 40-50gal. Not that this volume of water over a few minutes is ideal for an old septic system, it should be able to handle it on occasion.

In terms of pumping grey water, I use a plastic submersible utility pump I bought from harbor freight tools years ago to move about 80gal of fish tank water weekly. I thread a standard garden hose on the pump discharge and pump route it out the door and onto the lawn. Over 10yrs on the same pump.
 
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