What does this sewage ejector pump quarterly checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering gas and access, basin seal and venting, operation, float and alarm. 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 plumbing or maintenance tech on the quarterly round, gassing the pit before working near it.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Every quarter, kept as a light-touch check so the sealed basin is only fully opened at the annual when the space can be ventilated and cleared.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

11 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 ejector pump quarterly inspection?

Ejector runs but solids don't clear because a wipe or rag has bridged the discharge and it's grinding the same charge over and over. Cover gasket left loose or a bolt missing after the last service, so sewer gas seeps into the room and the float tree isn't sealed. Vent line assumed open when it's actually blocked, so the basin can't breathe and the pump labors against a vacuum on every cycle.

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 ejector pump quarterly maintenance checklist

A quarterly sewage ejector round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against IPC / UPC plumbing codes, 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.

Gas and access

Air at the basin cover read on a gas monitor
Gas monitor read at the cover, vent and cord penetrations before work starts, no hydrogen sulfide or low-oxygen alarm, and the room door or exhaust open for air.
Work kept to the rim with the basin left sealed
Quarterly checks done from outside the basin with the cover bolted, gloves worn for anything wet with sewage, and any entry left for the site's confined-space permit.
No photo

Basin seal and venting

Sealed cover, gasket and bolts intact
Cover gasket seated all the way around, all bolts present and snug, no sewage odor at the lid and cord and vent penetrations sealed.
Vent line open to atmosphere
Vent connection clear and unobstructed so the basin breathes as it fills and empties, no whistling or gurgling at the cover on a cycle.
Vent piping from the cover sound along its exposed run
Vent pipe followed from the basin cover as far as it can be seen, joints sealed and supported, no cracked, sagging or disconnected section and no odor along the run.
Cord grips at the cover and panel sealed against gas
Pump and float cords pass through tight cord grips or seals at the cover and the panel entry, so sewer gas can't travel the conduit and corrode the controls.

Operation

Ejector cycles and clears the basin on a test
Inflow or a test volume brings the pump on, the level drops and stays down, no laboring or repeated re-start that says solids aren't clearing.
Check valve holding against back-flow
No run-back down the discharge after cut-out and no short-cycling from waste draining back into the basin.
Discharge gate valve found fully open
Isolation valve above the check valve found fully open with its handle or stem position visible, no weeping at the packing or bonnet.
Discharge piping and unions dry through a pump cycle
No weeping at the unions, flanges or wall penetration while the ejector runs, hangers tight, and no hammer in the riser when the check valve closes.

Float and alarm

Float tree operating cleanly
Floats swing free on the tree without tangling on the cords or discharge pipe, start and stop points sound and not fouled with grease.
High-water alarm proven where fitted
Alarm float lifted to confirm the horn and any remote annunciation actually sound, since a flooded ejector pit backs up into fixtures fast.
No photo
Alarm signal confirmed at the BAS or monitoring desk
BAS operator or monitoring company told before the float is lifted, confirms the high-water signal arrived, and the point reads normal again before leaving.
No photo
Duplex lead indicator shows pumps trading turns where fitted
On a duplex basin, the lead indicator or run-hour counters show both ejectors have taken the lead since the last round rather than one doing all the work.
No photo
Control panel lights normal and selector in automatic
Panel powered, run and alarm lights in their normal state, each hand-off-auto selector in auto and the alarm silence reset so the next high water sounds.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Ejector runs but solids don't clear because a wipe or rag has bridged the discharge and it's grinding the same charge over and over.
Cover gasket left loose or a bolt missing after the last service, so sewer gas seeps into the room and the float tree isn't sealed.
Vent line assumed open when it's actually blocked, so the basin can't breathe and the pump labors against a vacuum on every cycle.

Verified against

IPC / UPC plumbing codes

Common questions

6 answers

What does this sewage ejector pump quarterly checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering gas and access, basin seal and venting, operation, float and alarm. 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 plumbing or maintenance tech on the quarterly round, gassing the pit before working near it.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Every quarter, kept as a light-touch check so the sealed basin is only fully opened at the annual when the space can be ventilated and cleared.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 11 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 ejector pump quarterly inspection?: Ejector runs but solids don't clear because a wipe or rag has bridged the discharge and it's grinding the same charge over and over. Cover gasket left loose or a bolt missing after the last service, so sewer gas seeps into the room and the float tree isn't sealed. Vent line assumed open when it's actually blocked, so the basin can't breathe and the pump labors against a vacuum on every cycle.
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.

Related checklists

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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.