Reviews

Best Sewage Grinder Pumps in 2022

January 8, 2022

Imagine waking up to a perfectly fine morning only to find your toilet clogged up yet again. You start heating up some water, roll up your sleeves, and grab the plunger so you can get on with your day. If this is a usual morning routine, you may want to get an upgrade on your system — something with a lot more teeth.

The best sewage grinder pumps can eliminate most clogging problems that people have. They shred flushed down objects and keep your toilets working perfectly. In this article, I’ll talk about the things you need to know about grinder pumps, what to look for in one, and the best models available today.

Liberty PRG101A	Zoeller 915-005	Liberty LSG202A

Best for homes	Best package for homes	Best for larger buildings
2220 GPH at 20'	780 GPH at 20'	3000 GPH at 20'
V-Slice Technology	Tri-Slice Cutter Technology	V-Slice Technology
Editor Rating: 4.8★	Editor Rating: 4.6★	Editor Rating: 4.8★
Check Availability on Amazon	Check Availability on Amazon	Check Availability on Amazon

What is a grinder pump and how does it work?

A grinder pump is a sewage pump placed inside a pit to hold wastewater. When someone uses the toilet, the water used will flush down into the pit and activate the pump’s switch. This will prompt it to run and move the wastewater out of the building.

Unlike the typical sewage ejector pumps, grinder pumps have sharp blades just before the inlet. It’s used to mince tough solids that typically clog sewage pumps and systems.

What type of wastes can a grinder pump handle?

It can handle a wide variety of solid materials that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet but often are. Examples of these include feminine hygiene products, rags, diapers, and towels to name a few.

It’s always best to avoid flushing them down the toilet as much as possible. But since you can’t control what others may do, a grinder pump should keep you safe for at least a few years.

When do I need a grinder pump?

Grinder pumps are mostly needed in commercial applications where you don’t have any control on what people flush down the toilet. Restaurants, hotels, and other commercial buildings will benefit the most from ensuring that nothing clogs their sewage system. A clog can spell out major trouble for these types of businesses as a single negative customer experience and review can reflect badly on the brand.

There are also uses for it even in residential applications. For the homeowner, if you need to pump sewage really far, the high head of sewage pumps will allow you to do so without a problem.

It can also help if you have a guest bathroom or kids who throw who knows what down the toilet. If you’re a landlord, investing in a grinder pump may save you countless hours of trouble in fixing sewage problems with your tenants.

The best sewage grinder pumps today

1. Liberty PRG101A - Best grinder pump for homes

The PRG101A is the best sewage grinder pump available today. No longer do you have to worry about your kids and guests flushing random things down the toilet. This pump can shred it down to pieces without a hitch. It has Liberty’s V-Slice cutting technology that uses hyper sharp stainless steel blades to tear everything thrown at it effortlessly.

It’s a 1 HP pump that can move up to 2,220 gallons of sewage per hour at 20 feet of height, perfect for average-sized homes far from the main sewer line. It’s a robust cast iron pump made with top-notch quality that’s made to handle the worst of conditions.

2. Zoeller 915-005 - Best sewage grinder package for homes

If you need a complete package for your grinder pump installation, choosing the Zoeller Shark Grinder Sewage System will be the best choice you can make. It uses the Tri Slice Cutter technology performing 250,000 cuts per minute to help you say goodbye to clogging.

The basin has an Internal Baffling and Deflection System (IBAD) that allows solids of up to 4” in diameter to pass through without being lodged. It also has a scouring system that agitates standing water to prevent grease and sludge from building up over time. That’s a really smart design and could definitely help avoid problems.

It’s half the capacity of the PRG101A and can pump only 780 GPH at 20’ but that should be more than enough for most families that live close enough to the main sewer line.

3. Liberty LSG202A - Best for commercial buildings

The Liberty LSG202A is the perfect pump for your business. It uses a very powerful 2 HP motor and hardened 404 stainless steel designed with advanced V Slice technology to turn your worries to shreds completely. Common grinder pump issues such as wadding and jamming are also eliminated with this innovative new design.

It’s made for restaurants, hotels, motels, schools, malls, homes, and other high-pressure sewage applications. If you have a building with a large number of people who don’t care what they flush down the toilet, it’s best to be safe and go with the best. Let the LSG202A take care of jobs you don’t wanna do so you can focus on growing your business.

4. BURCAM 400416T - Best budget grinder pump

If you need a reliable grinder pump that doesn’t break the bank, the BURCAM 400416T is perfect for you. It’s a stainless steel pump with a cast iron impeller that prevents objects from clogging up your pipes. It uses a 3/4 HP motor to pump out 1500 GPH at 20 feet vertical which is perfect for small to mid-sized homes. It’s not as robust as Liberty’s PRG101A but you can potentially save hundreds of dollars, as long as you take good care of it.

5. BURCAM 401446P - Best budget package

BURCAM also has a budget alternative for those who need a complete grinder pump package. It features a 3/4 HP grinder pump and packs with it the basin, a check valve, seals, and gaskets. It may not have the quirks that the Zoeller package has, but it has the advantage of being almost half the price. Just be careful not to intentionally throw stuff down the toilet as much as possible.

Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the best pump is just like choosing any other appliance for your home. You want it to have quality, good performance, great features, and easy installation procedure.

1. Build Quality

Before we consider everything else, we need to make sure it has a sturdy build quality with no obvious design flaws. Heavy duty sewage grinder pumps are rare and they’re even harder to find amidst all the choices but they’re totally worth every single effort finding.

Every part of it must be resistant to corrosion and build-up while being strong enough to resist impact and erosion. Durable cast iron body and stainless steel cutters and fasteners are preferred. Individual parts must also be made of materials suitable for their purpose.

2. Features

You need a sewage pump that you know you can count on every single time. The motor must have thermal overload protection that protects itself from damage and high quality lubricated bearings that allow it to run as quietly as possible.

The switch, whether vertical or tether float, must be well designed for sewage application and help the pump discharge everything without any issues. If possible, it should have easy access in case it needs to be replaced.

For the pump, the cutter must be well designed to cut the solids effectively. It needs to be sharp and remain that way for as long as possible.

3. Performance

We want a pump that performs, one that’s capable of pumping a lot of gallons per minute of waste water. But more than that, we want a pump that performs efficiently.

This means it can move that same amount of sewage with less electricity. Of course, there’s a limit to it, but a well-designed pump will get us closer to the ideal without sacrificing its lifespan.

4. Ease of Installation

Installation of the product is the final consideration for choosing the best sewage pump. A pump that’s easy to install will definitely be helpful.

The weight, dimensions, recommended basin size, cord length, discharge connection, and even the user’s manual are all considered in rating.