What do you know about grinder pumps?

[John Clark]

We are under contract on 3 lots and the city told us that the sewer is very shallow in this neighborhood and since the lots drop about 8' from the street our options are either build up or install grinder pumps on all three lots. Two of the lots will be rental units and the third will be my personal house. I've never had to deal with pumps before, are they a long term maintenance issue? And do they need replaced often? Seems like in the long term it may be cheaper to build up but I'd like to explore all of my options.

[Aaron Poling]

Grinder pumps are very common and shouldn't scare you. They do add another component to your home that would need maintenance and eventually replaced just like any appliance or hvac unit but if installed correctly they shouldn't be problematic. 

For whole house use it should be a pump outside your house. In some cases you just need them for a basement bathroom and only a small one in a crock similar to a sump pump crock needs installed, but I wouldn't recommend the small one for an entire home. 

I would suggest speaking to a septic installer in your area that installs and maintains these to explain them in detail, and give you a better understanding of them. 

Good Luck! Aaron