Wye connection for Lift station 1

[nabeel3]

I am working in a project which has 4 sanitary lift stations and we are following International plumbing code. I am having difficulty in understanding the meaning of the following Section of International Plumbing Code. 712.3.5 “Pump connection to the drainage system. Pumps connected to the drainage system shall connect to a building sewer, building drain, soil stack, waste stack or horizontal branch drain. Where the discharge line connects into horizontal drainage piping, the connection shall be made through a wye fitting into the top of the drainage piping and such wye fitting shall be located not less than 10 pipe diameters from the base of any soil stack, waste stack or fixture drain”. I am attaching the drawing of our lift station. Could anyone help me in understand how to connect through a wye fitting. Our force mail is HDPE and the inlet gravity line is uPVC.

 

[ashtree]

No drawing attached.

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[nabeel3]

sorry, please see the attached

 

[coloeng]

nabeel3,

The Plumbing Code is referring to the discharge connection for the pump station.

 

[nabeel3]

Dear coloeng,
Our discharge is hdpe pipe . There is no wye in the outlet. Why should we put a wye connection in it.?

 

[cvg]

wye connections are usually for maintenance, for instance, see the typical standard:

"Christy Box and Force Main Access:

For lift stations without a back-up generator, a Camlock wye connection to the force main shall be installed and placed in a Christy box, to allow portable surface pump access to the force main in the event of a sewer lift station electrical failure, if required by the District."

 

[fel3]

Are these public or private lift stations? In many jurisdictions (including the ones I have worked in or for in California), the plumbing code (i.e. the California Plumbing Code) does not apply to public lift stations and may or may not apply to private lift stations. If the IPC is written to apply specifically to building plumbing, it may not apply to a lift station outside the building, especially if it designed to match the AHJ standard. There may even be an exemption in the IPC for public facilities. I have done this analysis several times over the years for the California Plumbing Code, but the last time was several years ago and my notes are in storage.

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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill

 

[bimr]

All that it is saying is that the discharge of the force main should connect into a horizontal drain with a wye instead of a tee fitting.

It is hard to believe that the plumbing code is the relevant code since the plumbing code is generally limited to the various piping systems within the building perimeter.

 

[nabeel3]

Dear bimr , thanks for reply. If u see the attached drawing u can see that there is a tee. This is done to bypass the pump. Is the IPC asking to have a wye instead of tee. Our line is hdpe. How can i put a hdpe wye pressure fitting. Why it should be wye only there.

Thanks

 

[coloeng]

nabeel3,

The pumps discharge into a force main, the force main discharges somewhere, into another pump station wet well, into a sewer main, into a building sewer. The code is saying that where the force main discharges into a building sewer, building drain, soil stack, waste stack or horizontal branch drain it must be through a wye fitting. It is not talking about the tee that is part of the force main where the discharge from the two pumps is connected to the common force main.


Your drawing doesn't show where the force main eventually discharges.

 

[fel3]

Nabeel3…

I still think--as bimr and I mentioned above--that the plumbing code does NOT apply to an external lift station. If the plumbing code does not apply, then you don't need to consider a wye connection.

So, the first thing to do is verify whether or not the plumbing code applies.

Fred

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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill

 

[bimr]

Agree with fel3's as well as with coloeng's posts.

 

[cvg]

are they external lift stations? are they inside or outside the building envelopes? maybe the plumbing code does apply.
Not sure that has been stated. however, a wye connection is still a good idea as it helps to reduce clogging at a 90 degree connection and can also provide access for maintenance.

 

[nabeel3]

Dear cvg, This is a external lift station.

 

[fel3]

OK. For an external lift station, the plumbing code should not apply. However, as cvg mentions a wye fitting may still be a good idea. I found this online:

http://www.hcfusion.com/2011/07/08/wyes/

Would this work for your situation?

Fred

==========
"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill

 

[nabeel3]

Dear fel3,

As shown in the drawing , is a tee fitting okay? Shall i install wye itself?