What does this sewage grinder pump annual checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering notice, gas and lockout, pump and cutters, basin and controls, performance and record. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The pump service tech on the annual service, pulling and inspecting the pump, cleaning the basin and floats, and rechecking the full cycle.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, the pass that pulls the pump to look at the cutter, impeller and seals, which the quarterly cycle-and-listen check can't see inside a sealed basin.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a sewage grinder pump annual inspection?

Basin pumped down but never cleaned, so grease and grit build back onto the floats within weeks and the short-cycling returns. Cutter and impeller wear noted but not measured against the manufacturer's limits, so a pump grinding to failure is signed off as serviceable.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Sewage grinder pump annual maintenance checklist

The annual sewage grinder pump service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against the applicable plumbing code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Notice, gas and lockout

Occupants asked to hold water use while the grinder is down
Owner and occupants told the grinder is off for service and to hold off flushing, laundry and showers until the tech says it's back, with any off-site alarm monitor told too.
No photo
Every circuit feeding the pump and panel locked and tagged
Every pump, control and alarm circuit locked and tried dead; discharge valve shut and line pressure relieved before unseating. Test runs: pump seated, valve open, locks off by whoever hung them.
Gas meter kept at the open basin and no one enters it
Meter reading clear at the opening before and during the pull, pump lifted from grade by its handle or rail, and any entry only under the site's confined-space permit with an attendant.

Pump and cutters

Wrap and debris cleared from the cutter and cause reported
Hair, wipe and rag wrap cut from the cutter and grinding ring and packed grease cleared at the inlet, photographed for the owner as a closer look than the quarterly surface check.
Cutter, impeller and seals inspected against wear limits
Pump pulled, cutter and impeller inspected and measured against the manufacturer's wear limits, mechanical seal and oil chamber checked, no water in the oil suggesting a failing seal.
Power cord jacket and strain relief checked end to end
Cord free of cuts, abrasion, kinks and swelling along its length, strain relief at the pump and at the panel sound, and the cord re-hung so it can't foul the floats.

Basin and controls

Basin, floats and level controls cleaned and serviced
Basin cleaned of grease and grit, floats and level sensor cleaned and re-hung, guide rails and cords sound, cover gasket sealing so odor and gas stay in.
Inlet grommet, seams and shell checked for groundwater entry
Empty basin's inlet grommet, shell seams and lid frame checked for cracks and seepage, any groundwater leak reported since it keeps the pump running on clean water.
Discharge check valve serviced
Check valve opened and cleaned, flapper and seat sound, valve reinstalled holding against drain-back, isolation valves returned to open.
Pressure sewer curb stop exercised and redundant check tested
On a pressure sewer service, curb stop turned through its travel and left open, redundant check valve inspected or tested as the utility requires, beyond the quarterly found-open look.
No photo
Panel interior checked dead: terminals, contactor and float leads
With the panel locked out, terminals checked tight and re-torqued only where loose, contactor, relay and float leads sound, no moisture, corrosion or gas staining inside.

Performance and record

Locks removed by whoever hung them and panel in automatic
Pump reseated and cords secured, each worker's lock and tag removed by that worker, and the panel set back to automatic ahead of the final pump-down.
Full pump-down and alarm re-verified after service
After reassembly, a full pump-down cycle run and timed, running amps noted, the high-level alarm re-tested, results logged with a photo and a date.
Lid bolted down and occupants told the station is back
Lid gasket seated and bolted or locked down, and the owner and occupants told normal water use can resume, with any off-site alarm monitor told the station is back.
Year of run hours trended against the service interval
Quarterly run-hour or cycle readings compared across the year and with the manufacturer's service interval, a rising trend flagged as infiltration, drain-back or cutter wear.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Basin pumped down but never cleaned, so grease and grit build back onto the floats within weeks and the short-cycling returns.
Cutter and impeller wear noted but not measured against the manufacturer's limits, so a pump grinding to failure is signed off as serviceable.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this sewage grinder pump annual checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering notice, gas and lockout, pump and cutters, basin and controls, performance and record. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The pump service tech on the annual service, pulling and inspecting the pump, cleaning the basin and floats, and rechecking the full cycle.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, the pass that pulls the pump to look at the cutter, impeller and seals, which the quarterly cycle-and-listen check can't see inside a sealed basin.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a sewage grinder pump annual inspection?: Basin pumped down but never cleaned, so grease and grit build back onto the floats within weeks and the short-cycling returns. Cutter and impeller wear noted but not measured against the manufacturer's limits, so a pump grinding to failure is signed off as serviceable.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Sewage grinder pump QuarterlySewage grinder pump quarterly maintenance checklistPump-down cycle, level-control operation, check-valve behavior and the high-level alarm observed at the grinder pump station each quarter15 items12 photos

Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.