The sewage grid in towns and cities across the United States are intricately planned so that human waste can flow at appropriate speeds to ensure safety and security. When waste is not flowing properly, it can cause clogs or bursts along the lines. While gravity may do most of the work when allowing sewage to travel through pipes within the community, there is also a system of pumps to help push waste along the path, especially when waste needs to travel upwards.
Sewage Pumps
For example, sewage pumps in NYC often need to travel at various angles from a place of residence to where the sewage is collected. This is most often the case for apartments or dwellings that are below street-level. However, sometimes these systems can fail, which would cause your toilet, shower, or sink to fill with waste at the bottom of the drain. These leaks or system failures can be avoided, however, and it is important to understand how.
Sewage System
Sewage systems are not terribly difficult, even when talking about sewage pumps. They are essentially a basin where waste can collect over time. Within the basin, there is a set of flotation devices, which are connected to a control switch. While the basin fills with waste and certain thresholds for the floats are reached, the switch flips and the pumps are engaged in order to empty the basin.
System Alarms
More often than not, these systems are equipped with an alarm that will engage when sewage reaches a level higher than the threshold. When this happens, it will signal to the homeowner that there is an issue and generally allows the homeowner some amount of time to fix the problem before there are any serious leaks or bursts in the flow of the waste.
Each device is slightly different, so it is important for homeowners to understand the mechanics of their devices as well as the sound of the alarm. If you are curious to know more about how you can be cautious, be sure to reach out to a professional who can come to your home and help you understand a little more.
