Ejector Pit

Ejector Pump

One of the most fearful among all technicians, is a equipment called Ejector pump. Yup, it is a pump alright. But what does it pump, is all technician’s nightmare. This is especially so when it breaks down, or even burst.

Location.
Ejector pump, together with ejector pit, can be found in any buildings who have a basement, or below sea level.

Function
The function of Ejector pump, is to pump all waste water to the government pipeline on surface from the basement. These water will then flows to the processing plant, where they are to be process. And after they are processed, they either go back to reclamation plant, or to the sea.


Usually, the water from all buildings flow automatically to the waste pipeline. However, when buildings have a basement, they requires to have a pump to pump the waste water out to the surface through a special pipe calls ejector pipe.

Ejector pipes are to withstand high pressure, because when the pump starts, the pipe is usually under high pressure. The pressure is even higher when the building is even deep into the ground.

Waste water in basement follows the waste pipe and soil waste into a ejector pit. When the ejector pit is full, it will starts up the ejector pump, which pumps the waste water up to the surface.

Ejector are usually hot and stuffy, because it is a extreme low place, where high humidity exist, and makes anyone perspires. It is smelly because you know, it have some poos and pees. Occasionally, there is some “BUNS” in it.

Removing Strainer

Today, I have the honor to dismantle one of the manhole to carry up a strainer to empty it. It have a lot of sands, as it is a corrosion from some places, where the sand falls in.

If you do not know about it, any underground have a special wall calls diaphragm wall. These walls are special walls that stops the outside sand from collapse. Without the diaphragm wall, a heavy rainfall will add pressure on cement wall, and collapse.

Occasionally, some water managed to sip through the diaphragm wall, and goes to the manhole. It is then channeled through the waste pipe, and goes into the ejector pit.

As the water sip through, it carries some sand, and they are trapped by the strainer. This is because when large sand goes to the ejector pump, it can damage the vane of the pump, lowering the efficiency.

Very few technicians are willing to goes into the manhole, because it is always smelly, and have a lot of residents such as cockroach and centipedes. I see to it as a challenge, so that when it fails next time, I would know what to do, and how to handle the crisis.

Oh yes, Ejector pit and ejector pump, are not accessible to the public, so don’t bother to keep a look out for it. They are usually kept in deep places, and locked up, and even air tight, so the smell would not go out.

Of course, after crawling into the ejector pit, we gotta hit the showers before returning home. Otherwise, we will be stink all the way.