Sewers

What is the difference between a sewer pump and a sump pump?

And how do you tell which one you've got? From what I have read, it seems like they are exactly the same thing. They both can pump clean water and waste water. My home warranty covers sump pumps, but not sewer pumps. I believe we have a grinder pump with blades, but it is pumped to the sewer system.

Public Comments

1. An actual sewer pump grinds up whatever goes through it. Toilets that do this are called Macerating toilets. A sump pump only is used for water, no solids.
2. A sump pump keeps your basement from flooding, a sewer pump is for the waste water (and other stuff) from your toilets and sinks.
3. The first answer is not quite correct. Generally, sump pumps would be defined as pumps that pump a liquid (and maybe very small solids, depending onthe pump design) that are not sewage. For example, you might have a sump pump on a dewatering system for your house. A sewer pump is usually (but not always) a grinder pump, meaning it has blades within the housing that break up particles small enough to allow them to be pumped with the sewer pump. The sewer pump would be used to pump human waste products and would typically be on your septic system.