Sewage Ejector Pump Installation and Repair in Des Plaines
A failing sewage ejector pump can back raw sewage into a basement, which is a health hazard as well as a plumbing problem. If you see or smell sewage at a basement floor drain or fixture, stop using the below-grade bathroom, laundry and sinks and call for service. Right Away diagnoses, repairs, replaces and installs sewage ejector pumps for homes in Des Plaines, Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
Tell us what the system is doing when you call — that decides which truck and which parts head to your address.
Safety first if sewage is backing up
Sewage carries bacteria and can release gases into an enclosed basement. If waste water is rising at a floor drain or a below-grade fixture, keep people and pets away from the area, stop running water into anything that drains below grade, and do not attempt to open a sealed ejector basin. The seal on that pit is there to hold gas in.
If you smell gas or sewer gas strongly, ventilate if you can do so safely and call for service. Call 847-550-3322 in the suburbs or 773-250-6060 in Chicago and describe what you are seeing, which tells us what to bring.
- Stop using below-grade toilets, showers, sinks and laundry
- Keep people and pets out of the affected area
- Do not open a sealed ejector basin lid
- Do not stand in standing sewage water near electrical equipment
- Call and describe the smell, the sound and where the water appears
Sewage ejector pump versus sump pump
The two pumps look similar in a basement and do completely different jobs. A sump pump moves clean groundwater out of a drainage pit and away from the foundation. A sewage ejector pump moves waste water and solids from below-grade fixtures up to the main sewer or septic line, which is why it sits in a sealed, vented basin.
Because it handles solids, an ejector pump has a different impeller design, a heavier motor and a vent connection, and it must not be replaced with a sump pump. If you are not sure which one you have, the sealed lid with a vent pipe is the ejector; the open or loosely covered pit with groundwater in it is the sump.
If the pump you are trying to identify handles groundwater rather than waste, our sump pump installation and repair page covers that system instead.
- Sump pump: clean groundwater, open pit, discharges outside
- Ejector pump: waste and solids, sealed and vented basin
- Ejector basins require a vent to the outside
- Ejector pumps discharge into the sewer or septic line
- The two are not interchangeable equipment
Signs a sewage ejector pump is failing
Ejector pumps usually give warning before they quit entirely. These are the symptoms worth a diagnosis:
- Sewage odor in the basement
- Slow or backing-up basement toilet, shower or laundry
- Pump runs constantly or will not shut off
- Pump hums but does not move waste
- Loud grinding, rattling or gurgling from the basin
- Water or waste seeping around the basin lid
- Alarm sounding or a repeatedly tripped breaker
- Pump age near or past the 7 to 10 year mark
Diagnosis, repair and replacement
The technician checks the pump, the float switch, the check valve, the discharge piping, the basin seal and vent, and the electrical supply. Many ejector failures are a float switch that has tangled or failed, a check valve that lets waste fall back into the basin, a clogged impeller from wipes or other items that should not have gone down the drain, or a basin seal that has degraded and is letting odor out.
Repair makes sense when the pump body and motor are sound and the fault is a switch, a valve, a seal or a blockage. Replacement is usually the better answer when the motor is failing, the impeller is damaged, the pump is at or past its service life, or the unit was undersized for the fixtures it serves. We quote both when both are viable.
A replacement includes removing the old pump and clearing the basin, confirming the basin and vent condition, setting the new pump and float, reconnecting the check valve and discharge, resealing the lid and testing the full cycle with water.
- Float switch condition and travel
- Check valve operation
- Impeller and inlet blockage
- Basin seal and vent integrity
- Discharge line and connection to the sewer
- Dedicated circuit, breaker and alarm
What affects the price of ejector pump work
We price after diagnosis, in writing, before work begins. There is no single installed price because the basin, the fixtures served and the existing piping vary from house to house.
- Repair versus full pump replacement
- Pump horsepower and solids-handling capacity required
- Basin condition, depth and whether the seal or lid needs replacing
- Condition of the discharge piping and check valve
- Vent work required to meet code
- Electrical work or alarm installation
- Access to the basin and the amount of cleanup involved
Lifetime Parts & Labor Warranty
Lifetime Parts & Labor Warranty on Qualifying Installations. Terms and eligibility apply. Lifetime warranty also applies to fittings installed by Right Away under the written warranty terms.
What qualifies, and what is excluded, is set out in the written warranty terms. Consumable and wear items, customer-supplied pumps and damage caused by items flushed into the basin are not automatically covered. We review the written terms with you before scheduling the work.
Service Areas
Right Away Plumbing & HVAC is based at 2093 Rand Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016. We install, repair and replace sewage ejector pumps in Des Plaines, Chicago, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, Glenview, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Palatine, Schaumburg and surrounding communities.
Call 847-550-3322 for suburban properties. Call 773-250-6060 for Chicago properties. Right Away Plumbing & HVAC is licensed, bonded and insured.
Where we do this work
We work from 2093 Rand Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016 and cover Cook and DuPage county communities plus Chicago. Every community is listed on our service areas page, or start with one of these:
Questions we are asked about this service
What is the difference between a sewage ejector pump and a sump pump?
A sump pump moves clean groundwater from an open pit to the outside. A sewage ejector pump moves waste water and solids from below-grade fixtures up into the sewer or septic line and sits in a sealed, vented basin. They use different equipment and are not interchangeable.
Why does my basement smell like sewage?
Common causes are a degraded basin seal or lid gasket, a vent problem, a dry trap on a below-grade fixture, or a pump that is not clearing the basin. Odor in the basement is worth diagnosing promptly because it can indicate sewer gas entering the living space.
How long does a sewage ejector pump last?
Roughly 7 to 10 years is typical, though a pump serving a heavily used basement bathroom or one that has handled wipes and other non-flushable items can fail sooner. If you do not know the age of yours, treat that as a reason to have it tested.
Can a sewage ejector pump be repaired instead of replaced?
Often yes. A failed float switch, a bad check valve, a degraded seal or a blocked impeller on a pump with a sound motor is a repair. When the motor is failing, the impeller is damaged or the pump is past its service life, replacement is usually the better value, and we quote both when both make sense.
What should not go into a sewage ejector basin?
Wipes of any kind including those labeled flushable, paper towels, feminine products, grease, cat litter and dental floss. Those items wrap the impeller or block the inlet and are one of the most common reasons an otherwise healthy ejector pump fails early.
Is a new ejector pump installation covered by a warranty?
Lifetime Parts & Labor Warranty on Qualifying Installations. Terms and eligibility apply. Lifetime warranty also applies to fittings installed by Right Away under the written warranty terms. Consumables, wear items and customer-supplied equipment are handled separately under those terms.
Related services
Guides worth reading
Every article is on our plumbing and HVAC guides page.
Schedule this service
Call 847-550-3322 for Des Plaines and the suburbs, or 773-250-6060 in Chicago. You can also request service online.