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Grinder Pump Tank Discharge Plumbing Issue

1,031 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Animal Eight 84
Nobody Knows My Name
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AG
Our neighborhood requires tank with grinder pump to push waste water to the street. We've been in our current house just over four years and the discharge pipe on the tank has broken three times already. We are south of Houston and the issue appears to be primarily due to the clay based soil shrinking in drought conditions. It is breaking right where the PVC threads into the tank.

After the first break, I put a compression fitting in-line that I hoped would have enough give to prevent it from breaking.


Broke about a year later and I complete redid a longer stretch of the assembly to line things up better.


It just failed again, and I put a flexible PVC coupling. These things are only rated for DWV so not sure if it is a good fit for this as I don't know what kind of pressure the discharge line sees. I can already see the coupling ballooning some.


My question is simple, is there a better way to plumb this section?
jt2hunt
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AG
Since it is a pump you can put in a loop to allow for contraction and expansion.

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=563116082&rlz=1CAVNCX_enUS1002&sxsrf=AB5stBipzk80kgjXthEJUPvBof_uyFWwVw:1694019020611&q=plumbing+discharge+pipe+expansion+loop&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP9NzPuJaBAxW4l2oFHevAAtYQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1300&bih=606&dpr=1.05#imgrc=MwTRkCOhST6JCM
sts7049
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AG
is it possible the discharge pressure is what is causing the failures?
Nobody Knows My Name
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AG
No it is most definitely the ground shifting. I had the pipe assembly coming out 100% level when I rebuilt it last. It shifted quite a bit downward due to soil shrinkage related to our extreme drought. Pipe split exactly where you would expect it too.
Diddler_44
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AG
Sioux Chief makes a 2" pvc x male adapter with brass threads.


sts7049
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AG
maybe digging out underneath the run and putting in a gravel bed would help
Furlock Bones
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AG
sts7049 said:

maybe digging out underneath the run and putting in a gravel bed would help
yea, it looks like the installer didn't do the appropriate fill.
Nobody Knows My Name
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AG
I dug it out further to give everyone a better idea of what I'm working with and to hopefully be on my way to a better solution. It is about 14" of 1-1/4" PVC out of the tank and adapts to 2" from there. The 2" PVC elbows down about 8-9" and then heads towards the street. So the line headed to the street is about or just under 2' below the ground. Realistically how far out on the 2" line should I put gravel underneath? And how far under the line should I go with gravel?
Animal Eight 84
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AG
Consider replacing with flexible schedule 40 PVC as far as you can. Backfill with very coarse sand and not clay so hose can move slightly to relieve tension.



https://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pipe-Fittings-Pipe-PVC-Pipe/2/Flexible/N-5yc1vZ1z18i41Z1z1b2ukZ1z1b40q?mtc=SEM-BF-APT-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-NA-DSA-NA-PRP-NA-NA-NBR-NA-PRO-NEW-ResPropertyMgmt_DSA&cm_mmc=SEM-BF-APT-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-NA-DSA-NA-PRP-NA-NA-NBR-NA-PRO-NEW-ResPropertyMgmt_DSA-71700000090119801-58700007645353923-39700069076561972&gclsrc=aw.ds&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UeRQd_fDTf5_TyJTpbn4iToQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6e6dzY5iSSQ8nn8sq-ctiPUu1a0Gvp83008HKkZdjgZukA1z01RhFIaAo2hEALw_wcB

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