Finishing a Basement Bathroom Part 9

Basement, Bathroom, Plumbing, Remodeling

The sewage ejector pump and sewer plumbing connections are made in this exciting episode of the
project! Actually, I wasnt looking forward to cutting open the sewer line to install the Tee-fitting for
basement bathroom sewer hookup. As it were, it turned out to be a pleasant dirty job.

Liberty Sewage Pump

I bought a new Liberty 3/4 HP sewage on eBay.com for just $299.00 (the economy is bad and there
were no other bidders) compare this price to $753.00 for the same item at Grainger. I could have
gotten by with 1/2 HP pump, but opted for the 3/4 HP model for added reliability because I never want
to open the sewage basin and pull the pump that would be a dirty job. Consult the pump
manufacturers Engineering Specifications to size a pump for your particular needs.
In the photo below, the pump is shown with the gray mechanical float switch and white 2-inch threaded
PVC pipe adapter on the discharge outlet. As the water level rises, the metal ball in the float switch
rolls and closes the on/off switch contact to turn on the pump.
The water level should never rise more than half-way up the side of pump housing before the pump
turns on. This pump is rated at 60 gallons per minute at 20 feet of head for my situation. Head is the
vertical number of feet, including friction losses for plumbing elbows, that the pump must lift the
sewage. Given that I only have a shower that uses ~7 gallons per minute, 1.6 gallon per flush toilet and
sink, it will be impossible for the inflow to exceed more than 10 to 15 gallons per minute worst case.

Liberty Sewage Pump - Model LE71A2

The intake opening is shown here on the bottom of the pump. A cast iron impeller rotates at 1725 RPM
inside the housing. It runs vibration free and whisper quite.

Liberty Sewage Pump - Bottom View

Preparing the Sewage Basin

I cleaned the dirt and cement splatters off the 2-part metal cover to the sewage basin, revealing several
rust blisters under the paint. The rust spots were sanded down with a wire brush drill attachment and
treated with Naval Jelly rust killer. Four coats of Rust-Oleum black enamel spray were then applied.

Sewage Basin 2-Part Metal Cover

The metal cover is secured to the perimeter of the sewage basin by mirror mount nuts and bolts. The
old ones were rusted (left items) and replaced with six new assemblies. Mirror mount nuts splay out in

star pattern when tightened to fasten the nut securely to the plastic rim of the basin.

Mirror Mount Nuts, Bolts and Washers

I also removed the rim from the inside of the sewage inlet with a Roto-Zip tool as I felt this lip would
only serve as a catch point another contractor quality oversight in my opinion. If you look
carefully, you can see the black plastic rim at the bottom of the basin.

Roto-Zipping the Sewage Inlet Rim

Sewage Pump Installation

The following sewage pump installation diagram will be helpful to understand the following

installation steps.

Sewage Pump Installation Diagram (C) Liberty Pumps, Inc.

The sewage pump is lowered into the basin and aligned with the plumbing holes in the metal cover.
The rubber grommets for the sewer pipe, vent pipe and electrical connections are laying to the left.
Also notice the new mirror mounts nuts installed in the rim of the basin (gray circles).

Sewage Pump in the Basin

The combination check and ball valve is dry fitted to a 36 inch length of 2 inch PVC pipe to begin the
sewage line connections. I purchased mine from Grainger, part #4RG93, the item in the Grainger
catalog looks a little different than the one here. The purpose of the check valve is to prevent backflow
and the ball valve allows me to shutoff the sewer pipe for maintenance without backflow problems. Its
also required by the building code.
If I ever need to pull the pump, the check/ball valve has a slip union threaded joint to disconnect the
pipe.

Combo Check- and Ball Valve

The stem pipe is pushed down to the sewage pump through the rubber grommet in the basin lid. Im
still dry-fitting the piping and havent glued any connections.

Ball/Check Valve Stem Pipe and Pump

Closeup of the 2 inch PVC sewer pipe connection and pump inside the basin.

Sewage Pump and Stem Pipe

Splicing the Tee Fitting into the Main Sewer Line

The main 3 inch PVC sewer line must be cut to install the Fernco QT-300 Tee connector for the sewage
pump line. The installed Tee is shown below.

Sewer Line Ell Fitting by Fernco, Inc.

Sanitizing the Sewer Line
The 3 inch PVC sewer line in the photo above serves the master bathroom. In anticipation of cutting
the sewer line, I poured 1/2 gallon of bleach down the toilet in the master bath and flushed several
times to sanitize the PVC sewer pipe. The master bathroom was off-limits for 24 hours to allow the
sewer line to fully drain as I didnt want to get dripped on when I cut open the PVC line.
Installing the Flexible Tee Fitting
The section to be cut out from the main 3 inch PVC sewer line was marked as shown using the Fernco
QT-300 Tee as a reference. I removed one of the steel bands from the Tee and snugged it around the
PVC pipe to mark a perfect circle.

Fernco QT-300 Flexible Tee - 3 inch

The section to be cut out is shown in the next photo. This view is looking up directly overhead.

Main Sewer Line Marked and Ready for Cutting

I was concerned over what might spill out of the sewer line when I cut it open. I didnt know if it would
be dripping or filled with sludge or ??? I also dont like cleaning up messes. I therefore suspended a
plastic bin from the floor joist with wires as shown under the section of the sewer pipe to be cut out.
This would catch the saw dust, drips and section of PVC pipe.

Plastic Storage Bin for Catching the Debris

I used a Milwaukee Sawzall to make the cuts on the PVC sewer line.

Sawzall, Safety Glasses and Latex Gloves

The Sawzall cut the PVC pipe like butter in just seconds. The plastic bin caught the PVC shavings and
the section of pipe. To my surprise, the sewer line was bone dry and odor free! Next, I deburred the
PVC pipe ends by smoothing off the shavings with my gloved fingers.

Main Sewer Line Cuts

A closeup of the Fernco flexible Tee fitting installed on the main sewer line. I had considered using a
rigid PVC fitting and was happy I didnt because there was almost no give in the main sewer line
ends to install a rigid fitting. I had to partially fold the Fernco fitting to squeeze it between the two
pipe ends. All said and done, it took only a minute to fit it on the sewer pipe.

Fernco QT-300 Tee Fitting Installed

Another view of the installed Tee:

Flexible Tee Fitting Installed on Sewer Line

Working from the ground up, I completed the 2 inch PVC sewer pipe connections and cemented the
joints together. Remember the bottom of the check/ball valve is slip union connection for a quick
disconnect in case I ever need to pull the sewer pump.

Sewage Pump Pipe and Check/Ball Valve Connections

2 inch PVC riser pipe is installed to carry the waste water up to the main sewer line. The sewage is
pumped upward as indicated by the red arrows.

Sewer Line Riser Piping

The sewage pump discharge lines must empty into the main line from above, hence the 45 degree
elbows to clear the existing feeder line and floor joist. Red arrows indicate the direction of flow.
Hanger straps are called out by the blue arrows.

Overhead Connections to the Main Sewer Line

I was very happy with how this job went. In part 10 of this project, Ill connect the exterior vent line to
the sewage basin and install the high water alarm. Then Ill be ready to test the system for leaks. After
that, the only thing left to do is set the toilet and vanity! The finish line is within sight!