This is probably the best instructional video I've EVER seen on KZfaq. Right to the point...no horrible music bed... good solid steady video work without a bunch of zooming and effects....AND a great east coast accent, very refreshing here in the land of stoner surfers and valley girls.

A few things I would do differently: 1. install check valve & valve higher, gives more room when servicing pump (nothing better than hitting your head on a "crappy" pipe) 2. cut vent pipe at same height as check valve, and install a rubber coupling w/ hose clamps (for servicing) 3. ALWAYS use pressure PVC fittings on pump discharges, not standard DWV fittings 4. Use Zoeller or Gould pumps (I'm not a fan of the loose floats) Side note: I recommend silent check valves. Regardless, (I don't know if you mentioned it) ALWAYS use check valves with rubber couplings, never the compression type with the big plastic nuts...

Who would thumbs down this video?? That's moronic. It took a lot of effort time and patience to make this video and is EXTREMELY helpful. This guy is a perfectionist that does incredibly detailed high quality work. Thank you so much for your efforts! I appreciate any help I can get from contributors on the web. THANK YOU!!!

7 yrs later this video keeps on giving. Thanks Zim!

Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Your trick about separating the two plugs and plugging in the pump without the switch was a lifesaver. I was looking at the pump and the pad and my shop vac thinking that vacuum was going in the garbage after this. I’m so grateful for that hack.

Been watching YT vids since '05 and have left maybe five comments in that time. You, sir, did an amazing job here: great detail yet concise (tell us all we need to know in the fewest words needed), and you anticipate questions one might ask and answer them, then "tips" are gold. Six year old video but you've got another sub! Thank you!

I'm currently at the end-stage of building a house with a builder. 16 months of construction has been awful. I'm finally taking over and doing things myself. This helps so much. Thanks, man!

Great job on this, man. Nice to see an instructional vid on here that's very thorough, informative, and to the point. Going through this house we bought and fixing all the sloppy, failing "work" the previous owner did, (the plumbing & electrical are trades I have the least experience in) and now this issue came up...of course. And based off your solid info here, he didn't do that job even close to correct, and the damn lid wasn't even gasketed or fastened on!! Infuriating stuff! Not looking forward to this job, but you helped answer the small detail questions I had...so thank you!!!

I really want to say thank you. Your advice about the float switch and the two plugs really just helped me determine that my pump is fine and to pump out the water and see what is wrong with the float. Thanks!

Absolutely perfect video. This guy is both a pro who knows all the ins and outs, and ALSO remembers the first one he installed because he answered all the questions a first-timer would have. Many thanks for making this video.

Always nice to see a helpful KZfaq video! You provided all of the information in a clear, concise, and chronological manner. Your explanations of the components, included "Where they are to be installed" ... "Why they need to be installed" ... "How they are correctly installed" ... and ... "How they operate." The video also included helpful suggestions, wherever possible. Your presentation takes the average DIY homeowner, from "Confused" to "Confident" in just 16 minutes. Great job! Much appreciated.

Thank you so much! It's 11:30 p.m. on a weekend and I thought I had a real plumbing emergency. The basement toilet stopped flushing and there was water mixed with other "juices" coming from the pit. As with all household emergencies, of course I went straight to KZfaq. When you mentioned that there may be separate plugs for the float switch and the pump, I immediately looked for that and found out that the pump still works and the switch is the issue. I think you may have saved me a few bucks. I still need to open everything up and check the float, but that's nothing. My pump is about 10 years old, so maybe I'll have to look into replacement, but at least your video helped me for now. But after viewing your video, I think replacing it myself may be possible. Thanks again!

This is one of the best, most informative, DIY videos I have seen. I feel like I can absolutely do this job PROPERLY. Thanks for putting this together!

Dude! You saved me a ton of money and time within the first 3 minutes of this video. Found out my pump still works, just need to see why the float valve is not functioning. Almost called a plumber, but decided to get dirty and tackle it myself. Now I can spend the extra money I would have spent on a plumber, on something for my motorcycle or a new gun...LOL!

Awesome video. Building a new home and engineers said we need one of these pumps; architect suggested a closet for it, and we wondered why. This video helped us picture the design. Thank you for posting.

I just had HEP Plumbing in Chattanooga come out and diagnose that my pump was bad and it would be almost $7000 to replace it. So I started watching videos. Saw the tip about the pump plugged into the float valve, so I went downstairs and directly plugged in the pump and the pump worked! So I have a bad or stuck float valve, something I might be able to handle myself. At the very least, I now know how to get that gross tank empty before taking the lid off of the tank. Thank you!!!!

thanks man. Your suggestion to use just the pump plug worked for me, saving me a call to a plumber. I appreciate you taking the time to put the video together.

The best install video on YT. Straight to the point in formative. Filmed well. Excellent. Thank you!!!!

I am a two-year apprentice I took on a side job replacing a sewer ejector pump in Nassau County Long Island I would love to say you save my life thank you

Thanks for the video. My pump has a VENT line all the way to the basin bottom submerged in water 90% of the time. Your 3" max below the cover was the best information!!

It's 2020 and I just came across this video. Easily the best one on KZfaq for this topic. Thanks!

Love this video, I have a sewage pump in my basement that flows to the septic system. No issues with it so far this video just shows that you can change the pump yourself if needs be without calling a plumber save yourself money 💰

Thanks for taking the time to make a very detailed video. Our new home has this exact pit and we’ve noticed serious sewer gas every time the wife does laundry. Following your instructions we find no seal on lid of any kind. I’ve ordered a jackal seal kit and hopefully this will solve our problem. Thanks!

Great explanation. Quick and to the point. My ejector stopped working and I was in a panic. In the beginning of the video you explained what the 2 plugs were. I unplugged and used the direct power line to empty the pit, plugged it all back in and it is now working great. Thank you!

Perfect! .. My pump quit this weekend and this video made it look easy for sure. I'm going to replace the pump myself and save about $350. ... Nice work!

Great instructions, no music in the background. You get 5 ✋✋✋✋✋ Thank you so much for this.

Very good video Zimmsjeep. Finally someone doing a video who knows what they are doing and very informative. Others have responded about vent holes and electrical needs and you nailed it by saying read the instructions from the pump system you are buying, these if followed will allow for a great installation. I just bought an old 1940's house in Missoula Montana and this closet application looks almost exactly as mine will be, and yes the Home Depot Everbilt is fine for all applications, as are other manufacturer such as Zoeller. Really a great video, thank you

Great video! Thanks for uploading this, I saved $2,500. My plumber suggested I change my sewer system with a new one. I saw your video, changed the float switch and the lid and the problem was solved. Total expense $75 only!

Thank you so much for this video. It is amazing, I got a house that has absolutely the same setup and the problem is that it smells sometimes and I have to fix all this by myself. Actually, the lid of the basin is absolutely disconnected and it is patched with some insulation and I also suspect that the vent pipe is bad too. So thank you for showing me all the steps. Greatly appreciated.

Fantastic video... thanks much! It's clean, straight-forwared, direct to the point, and demos a high quality installation. The extras like the gasket inside the bolts, the anti-seize on bolts, very practical point about the pipe bends, (2x 45's instead of a 90, ball-flap valve... We don't often get clear concise practical videos without having to wade through all the music and production crap. This is awesome... very well done!

Appreciate you taking the time to make this video. New (to me) house with an ejector pump in the basement that is leaking at the inlet. Great video, so I know the mechanics of this to see what my problem really is and if it’s more than just a minor leak. Thank you very much!

Excellent, informative, easy to understand video done very well. Thank you, it really helped me understand what was going on before I replaced my sewage ejector pump at our cabin. I feel like I owe you a beer!!

Excellent video. I wish working on these was ever this clean and non-gross. Scary to see this type of installation in a basement. We've had a pump outside our home for 20 years and have witnessed many failure modes. The worst problem is if the float switch fails to start the pump, which often and easily happens, then sewage will overflow the pit and flood the basement with sewage. Our 1st pump was 24 years old before it failed. It was a Goulds. The replacement was a Zoeller and lasted 3 years before its integrated float switch failed. Its amazing how these systems are not designed to be very reliable yet they consequences are very bad if they fail. There was no testing to see if the system was working at all. Would be an awful time to find out the pump is defective. Or find out that the float switch is getting hung up on a cable or pipe. Float switches only last a few years. The way you may find out its failed is when it overflows. Even if the float switch is still good, toilet paper can weight it down and prevent it from starting the pump. If or when the pump fails, replacing the pump will be an exciting challenge with all the solvent joined plumbing blocking access to the pit. Even if its just toilet paper preventing the float or needing to replace the float switch in 2-3 years, its hard to imagine how to do it with all the plumbing solvent joined in place. - There should be an easier way to remove plumbing attached to the pump, such as having a union on sewage and vent sides. - There should be an overflow alarm wired in to alert when level gets too high indicating pump or switch failure. - Mechanical float switches last only a few years best case. Electronic switches are available which are much more reliable. Look at Hydrocheck. Built in float switches are the worst. At least the Everbilt has an external switch so you can replace the switch without having to replace the pump.

I’ve known nothing about this install but I’m a hands on type guy. This video is fantastic! I won’t be installing this lift pump any time soon but I’m sure with the aid of this video, I will be more confident in doing it myself. Thanks a lot buddy!

Thanks. It helped me understand a lot about what at pain it is to add a shower to an already finished 1/2 bath in the basement. A lot of stuff that could go wrong doing this on a house that was built in 1979. Its epoxied all over the top and also sealed with silicone.

Hey man congratulations that's the best and explained video I ever seen keep the good job 👍👍👍

Perfect..no BS.video!! made an easy job fool proof! thanks!

Thanks for the bit on the power plugs. I unpluged the double-plug and plugged-in the pump cord and it worked. I found this video informative and well-done. Thanks.

This is GREAT!!! Detailed, informative, even decent camera work and narration. This video saved me a lot of money! Thank you so much.

Excellent instruction

Good Video. I'm on my way to finishing my basement. I have had mutiple contractor give me a 5K quote to install a grinder pump. Just bought one from Amazon and doing it my self. Saving me $4000.

PERFECT ! I will do this to my basement bathroom . I learn almost everything from your video about "How to Install a Sewage Ejector Pump". VERY helpful video. thanks a lot.

3:11 this part helps! I'm about to call a plumber. Watched this video and tried the trick you said. It works! It saves me lots of money and without any mess on floor and wall. Thank you again!

good video man. I am a plumbing apprentice and trying to learn everything I can.

Drill a hole near the connection point at the base of the PVC where it connects to the pump so that it sprays the float to keep it clean and also drains the I remeaning water under the check valve.

Thanks for sharing you knowledge. Amazing human being you are. My best friend was a plumber. He always said “ two heads are better than one! “

Fantastic video! No point repeating what other are saying below. You are an excellent teacher. Thanks!!

when I do these, I always drill a hole to insert the electrode for a water alarm and seal it with silicone. Just a precautionary measure. I also add a GFI with built in alarm (GFI is code in my area for any sump). So if the GFI gets tripped, it will set off a sound so you wont get a messy surprise.

Pretty good video but a few key points overlooked. First, discharge line fittings should be rated for pressure. This is code in a lot of areas. Secondly, if you use a check value, a air bleed hole should be created to prevent air lock. Also, make sure the voltage on your circuit matches the pump.

A little trick I learned over the years is to drill a 1/4 " hole in the side of the discharge pipe about 6" blow the cover .... This will prevent the discharge from getting AIR BOUND ..... That problem drove me crazy years ago ....An old timer plumber showed me that trick & never had a problem since ....Great video !!!

Very well done. I searched as many videos as I could till I reached yours. I have to replace mine as a first time homeowner. I feel much better doing this now.

imagine being a new pump your like yaaaaaa gunna get installed woohoo time to work.. wait wait wait whats that smell sniff sniff oh god nooo noo gurrgleee gurrrgleeee blaahhh pukeee.... no no nooooooo what the hell ahh not again.. 20 years later i giveup

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Thank you for a highly informative instructional video. My pump has failed. I was afraid to DIY before watching the video but am now reasonably confident that I can do the repair!

Want to say thanks, flapper was stuck and your video helped educate me and prevent a repair call. Subscribed! -Greg

Would of never thought of checking float switch, upon watching I removed the float plug, water immediately sucked up. Cleaned and removed hair and such from float was all it needed. Thank You

Awesome tips ( 45° elbows and bolt anti corrosion treatment). perfect instructions ..thank you

Excellent video. I’m tackling this project this winter. Thanks for your video!

Excellent video - very well done. Like Terry Sutherland I have the same approach to failed systems. When I checked the pump, it worked. The float switch needed replacement [$31.00 at Home Depot] - about 30 minutes from start to finish to remover and replace failed float switch [including clean up]. Thanks for the video suggestion about testing the pump by plugging the power cord directly to the outlet. You saved me hundreds of dollars. Thanks!!

The tip about bypassing the float saved me hundreds in a service call. Many thanks

Bless you! I did the unplugging and it cleared out the water and now it’s running ! Thank you sooo much

Thanks so much for this! Ours is set up the same way, (though to a septic tank, not a sewer line) and I feel pretty confident I can change out our check point and pump now.

Well done video. Thanks for putting this together. Several things I didn't think of that you pointed out. Makes the prospect of adding a basement bathroom sound less intimidating.

Great video! Took a complicated task and made it simple...huge help, thanks

Thanks so much for this step by step video where you really get into the details. I’ve been looking for something like this (and your rough in plumbing video) for a while. Hopefully can start my project soon!

Great job - no nonsense video. My pump burned out today so this really helps to explain my system, thanks.

Thank you. Best video ever. Had issues with my pump not working and learned how to fix it. Saved me tons of money and now have the confidence to tackle this with all the parts and knowledge to deal with all the what ifs

Outstanding video - concise and practical. Thanks for all the "insider" information.

Thank you so much for this video. Very informative. Nicely done !

great tips - awesome video. Thanks!! to the point but thorough - which I love.

This video was super informative and straight-to-the-point. Thank you 🙏 !

Great video! I didn't know what the two plugs were for and that really helped me out. Saved me a call to the plumber. Thanks!

I'm a school teacher watching your video with my husband. You are a great plumber and teacher!

This is EXCELLENT...Thank You so much for doing this

This guy knows his stuff and explains it very well real class act thank u i enjoyed this video

Thanks for the video you did a great job with it. My basement office is in a room next to my sewage pump. I've dealt with a smell for the past three years. I hope that your weather-stripping tip will do the trick to better seal the smell. I chalked around the gaskets at both pipes and it didn't remove the smell. I was thinking of adding an inline fan on the vent to hopefully fix but I'll try the weather-stripping first.

Perfect explanation. Thank you for taking the time.

Nice job. Very clear instructions. I just bought a house and might put a bathroom in the basement. This will help. Thanks.

Best video ive seen yet. Really appreciate it brother!

You just saved me a whole lot of aggravation with your explanation regarding the float switch! Thanks for your excellent video!!!

I just installed this exact same pump. I hope it lasts. Replacing the dead one was no fun! Nice work in your install here. I'd throw a union on that vent pipe, myself, to make future service easier. Thanks for the video!

Thank you. You were very helpful. I think i got lucky. My pump worked for 14 years. But did not have major use. Something else to do today. Add it to the list. Lol. Thanks again great video!

Thank you, excellent instructions!

Great video! Really appreciate you making this.

Thank you for this very simple installation video. This was very helpful

Excellent video! Very thorough.

Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. You've saved me a big plumbing bill.

You are an excellent super thorough instructor. By far the best how to vid on KZfaq. I love love love the details u gave on every section of this install. Thank you so much sir. God bless. 🙇

This is exactly what the doctor ordered. Thanks so much for a great description

Great video! thank you for making a complete, very helpful video. one of the top DIY videos out there!

Absolutely fantastic, informative video. Family member new home (to her) has smell. I looked and saw 2 pumps. A sump pump 4ft down in a caged/wired gravel pit and 30inch deep plastic basin with what appears to be your videoed sewage pump installation. Head scratcher but your video is helping our research.

Nice video, Thanks. I will be finishing a basement and will use these tips.

This video is awesome! Thank you so much for video taping this and posting it for us diy'ers!

I appreciate the video. I was able to troubleshoot a problem, and it was my check valve

You my man save me a LOT of headachessss. Your the beast and for that you gained a new subscriber thank you again.

These are the best videos on the topic by a Longshot! Thanks!

This is my adventure tomorrow - great video, thanks!

Perfectly described installation. Very detailed and informative.

Nice work. Thanks for a clear and straightforward video!

Awesome video with perfectly clear instructions