Maximizing Grinder Pumps with SCADA Monitoring
Water and wastewater management are some of the most important considerations for a home or building. As the average US citizen uses about 125 gallons of water per day, these water-management systems are working non-stop to keep up with our daily lives. Any hiccup or malfunction can mean serious trouble and can cost a significant amount of money to replace.
The first step in reducing the likelihood of these accidents occurring is becoming more familiar with these systems and their components. This article will focus primarily on the purpose of a grinder pump.
What is a Grinder Pump?
First and foremost, it is important to differentiate a grinder pump from a sump pump. They may function in a similar manner, but they serve very different functions. A grinder pump is a primary function is to carry wastewater from one place to another. More specifically, these pumps are responsible for taking wastewater away from homes.
Grinder pumps have large holding tanks that will collect all of the wastewater from a home or building. This includes water from toilets, bathtubs, sinks, washing machines and more. Grinder pumps activate when the wastewater reaches a certain level in the holding tank. The pump grinds the wastewater into a finer liquid and sends it to a septic tank or sewer system.
Despite having a simple function, there are many things that can go wrong with a sewage pump. Blockages occur when debris clumps together and clog the pump altogether. This can cause sewage to leak into the yard which can be potentially harmful. Another common malfunction is clotting. Smaller than blockages, clots occur when only a portion of the pump is obstructed. This doesn’t cause leaks but wastes energy and can lead to a slower movement of wastewater.
Another common issue is when the pump turns on and off intermittently for no apparent reason. This requires some professional inspection. Sewage pumps only last about ten years. Beyond this point, issues and malfunctions will become more common. Many people struggle to maintain the proper functioning of these pumps because they have no way to monitor them.
Grinder Pump Alarms and SCADA Monitoring
High Tide Technologies (HTT) is a cloud-based company with an efficient solution to this lack of monitoring. HTT provides cloud-based SCADA systems that have the capability to monitor and control these pumps. SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and that is exactly what this system accomplishes. It offers users an overview and control of these pump systems by providing real-time data that can point to how each unit is functioning. This allows problems to be fixed before they cause damage or harm to the unit.
These SCADA systems also provide users with the ability to control pumps remotely, effectively saving time and money. The technology may seem a bit complicated, but the way this system functions is quite simple.
SCADA is the technology that is utilized by the Grinder-Pump Guardian (GPG) system. This system has the ability to monitor 180 sewer pumps at the same time. Each pump is fixed with a remote module that will send data to a HTT-1100 unit.
This acts as the hub collects and communicates data. The remote modules in each pump will be able to monitor for any malfunctions or abnormal activity. The collector will receive reports if there is an excessive run-time, a grinder pump alarm or any other issue. These grinder pump alarms alert users that something has gone wrong. The collecting unit will then relay the messages and data to servers at High Tide Technologies.
Another major advantage of this GPG system is the web interface provided with the technology. Users can get an accurate reading of how each pump is functioning. This takes out any guesswork, manually checking and greatly reduces the chance of significant damage.
This system allows users to report any malfunctions immediately in order to get assistance quickly before the issue gets out of control. This interface will also keep a record of the network’s entire service history. SCADA monitoring makes it easy to monitor and record how sewage pumps are operating. This is a great option for anyone in charge of operating a host of pumps.