Septic wiring

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Jerseydaze

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I was told awhile ago that New septic systems require an explosion fitting has anyone heard of this and what fitting would you use?
 
Jerseydaze said:
I was told a while ago that New septic systems require an explosion fitting has anyone heard of this and what fitting would you use?
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I never heard of this, but I never run my conduits directly to the house either...
 
Told by whom? These septic things are normally a cable assembly, which you may run in a raceway if you want to. Just leave out a short piece of the raceway for the underground portion, or sweep up and back out of a handhole box midway, and all's good now. No expensive fitting required.
 
After we wire the feed to the septic tank box we sleeve a piece of 2"pvc to the tank to protect the rubber cords down to the pump, alarm and floats.

We are required to seal the end of the conduit with duct seal or some other equal method to keep the methane gas (I believe) from entering into the tank control box.
 
most septics ive done in residental are only 2 float switches (on/off for pump and emergency alarm) and a pump motor and ive never used explosion proof fittings just 3/4"+ pvc and a few boxes
 
electricalperson said:
most septics ive done in residental are only 2 float switches (on/off for pump and emergency alarm) and a pump motor and ive never used explosion proof fittings just 3/4"+ pvc and a few boxes
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Do you install the receptacle inside the tank?
 
electricalperson said:
most septics ive done in residental are only 2 float switches (on/off for pump and emergency alarm) and a pump motor and ive never used explosion proof fittings just 3/4"+ pvc and a few boxes
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I guess most are that way, but some are more elaborate. I guess one typical extreme for resi would be:
  • low operating float
  • high operating float
  • high-high alarm float
  • pump motor conductors
  • pump winding temperature thermostat
  • red warning light beacon for tank.

Some of the controllers can be as simple as a relay and an alarm horn, and some are rather ellaborate. The fancier one's will alarm out of the pump has run X number of seconds or minutes without satisfying the low operating float yet.
 
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In washington state commercial septics are required to have an explosion proof seal at the septic (within 18") and at the control panel. This is true also for septics serving 5 homes or more.

I wonder what the real dangers are. I've never heard of a septic explosion personally but maybe others have??
 
septic

septic

explosionproof fitiings are common on larger "commercial" installations (especially municipal pump stations) usually consistig of larger and often numerous pumps in pits that are likely to develope methane.
 
Jerseydaze said:
I was told awhile ago that New septic systems require an explosion fitting has anyone heard of this and what fitting would you use?
Click to expand...

For septic and sand filter installations with a controller, my controller is usually mounted on the house with 3/4" pvc to a pvc box inside each tank. All the float cords terminate there with cord grips. The conduit run is continuous from the contoller to the tank box with THHN in the pipe. Pump and floats all 120V. Here, there is no requirement for a seal off below the controller. Across state lines there is. This is for a residence.

But don't mount the controller outside a bedroom exterior wall. You will get call backs for the noise it makes when contactor slams closed.
 
I've seen residential septic control panels that instruct you to use a seal off fitting between the tank and the control. Now they don't say they need to be explosion proof, but that's what I use.
 
In CT it was a requirement for us (Fairfield County). We had to bring the cords for the floats and motor out of the tank straight through an EY to a j-box. We had to strip the jacket from the cords and pack around the individual conductors and than Chico it. It made for a bunch of unhappy customers to have a j-box sticking up from the middle of the lawn, but that was the requirement. Anytime I mention explosion proof and septic here in CO I get blank stares, so I've not done one like that in a while.
 
stickboy1375 said:
Who was enforcing that one? Sounds like another xxx xxxxx requirement... :roll:
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I wasn't aware that an inspector could summarily classify an area, anyhow.
 
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mdshunk said:
I guess most are that way, but some are more elaborate. I guess one typical extreme for resi would be:
  • low operating float
  • high operating float
  • high-high alarm float
  • pump motor conductors
  • pump winding temperature thermostat
  • red warning light beacon for tank.

Some of the controllers can be as simple as a relay and an alarm horn, and some are rather ellaborate. The fancier one's will alarm out of the pump has run X number of seconds or minutes without satisfying the low operating float yet.
Click to expand...
i wired a lot of tanks like that. the simpler version is just a preference for people. commercial has systems like this
 
electricalperson said:
some of the motors are hard wired, and some are plug in. usually the plug in models have plug in floats that the motor plugs into
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I realize that, but do you install a receptacle inside the holding tank? I'm just curios as how other electricians wire pumps inside of septic tanks...
 
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stickboy1375 said:
I realize that, but do you install a receptacle inside the holding tank? I'm just curios as how other electricians wire pumps inside of septic tanks...
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Bell box with Woodhead cover inside of the tank, mounted near the top.
 
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