PumpProfessionals.wikiAn independent record of Pump Professionals, an online pump and septic supplier, and the equipment it sells

Glossary

From PumpProfessionals.wiki, an independent record of Pump Professionals and the pumps, valves and septic parts it lists

Researched and compiled by the Pump Professionals Wiki editorial team · First published · Revised

The short version: Sourced definitions of the pump, valve, septic and electrical terms used across this reference, from “alarm float” to “three-phase.”[1][8]

A note on independence: PumpProfessionals.wiki is an independent record compiled from pumpprofessionals.com, manufacturer pages, EPA guidance, Indiana’s on-site sewage rule and general references. It is not operated by Pump Professionals and does not sell anything. Prices and stock change; confirm with the supplier at (317) 674-3819. Sourcing rules: editorial policy.

Terms used on this site

Short, sourced definitions of the pump, valve, septic and electrical terms used across this reference. Legal terms follow Indiana’s rule; septic terms follow the EPA.[5][8]

Alarm float
A float switch set above the pump float that triggers a high-water alarm.[1][2]
Ball check valve
A check valve that uses a ball, lifted by flow and reseated when flow stops; suited to wastewater.[3][4]
Bedroom (Indiana rule)
A room of 70 sq ft or more with an operable egress window or door (and a closet in new construction), or one declared for sleeping by affidavit.[5]
Cavitation
Formation and collapse of vapor bubbles at low pressure, which damages pumps; submersibles avoid it.[6]
Centrifugal pump
A pump that uses a spinning impeller to throw liquid outward into a volute.[7]
Check valve
A valve that lets fluid flow in one direction only.[3]
Cracking pressure
The minimum pressure difference at which a check valve opens.[3]
Drain field
The shallow, covered soil area where septic effluent is dispersed and treated; also leach field.[8]
Duplex / quadplex
Two or four pumps sharing a basin and control panel, alternating and backing each other up.[9]
Effluent
The settled liquid that leaves a septic tank.[8]
Effluent pump
A pump that moves effluent to a drain field or treatment unit.[10]
Float switch
A switch that turns a pump or alarm on and off as a float rises and falls with the liquid.[1]
GPM
Gallons per minute, the usual U.S. measure of pump flow.[11]
Grinder pump
A pump that macerates sewage and pumps it under pressure through small pipe.[1]
The height to which a pump can lift liquid; flow falls as head rises in a centrifugal pump.[7]
Leachfield chamber
An open-bottomed plastic arch used in drain-field trenches, such as Infiltrator Quick4.[12]
Pressure tank
A tank with an air charge that stores water under pressure for a well system and prevents short-cycling.[13]
Riser
A vertical extension that brings a septic tank lid to ground level for access.[12]
Scum and sludge
The floating grease layer and settled solids layer in a septic tank.[8]
Semi-positive displacement (SPD)
A grinder pump type that delivers nearly constant flow across a range of pressures.[1]
Septic tank
A buried watertight tank where wastewater settles and partly digests before going to the drain field.[8][14]
Sewage ejector
A pump that lifts raw sewage with whole solids from below the sewer level.[10]
Short-cycling
A pump switching on and off too often, usually from a waterlogged tank or oversized pump.[13][11]
Submersible pump
A pump with a sealed motor that runs submerged in the liquid.[6]
Sump pump
A pump that removes groundwater collected in a basement basin.[15]
Three-phase
An electrical supply used in commercial and municipal sites; many larger pumps are made for it.[16]

Where terms are explained at length

Pump families are compared on pump types; sump, effluent, sewage and grinder pumps on their own page; septic tank and drain-field terms on septic systems; and alarms and floats on alarms and controls.[7][8] The supplier’s own sizing guides use horsepower and gallons per minute together to describe pump capacity.[11][17]

Usage notes

The supplier’s blog sometimes uses “duplex” for dual-cylinder industrial pumps rather than for two-pump wastewater systems; this glossary uses the wastewater meaning.[18] “Septic pumps” on the supplier’s site is a broad category that includes grinder and sewage pumps, not only effluent pumps.[19]

Common questions

What is head in pumping?

The height a pump can lift liquid; centrifugal pump flow falls as head rises.

What is short-cycling?

A pump turning on and off too often, often caused by a waterlogged pressure tank.

What is effluent?

The settled liquid that leaves a septic tank for the drain field.

Related entries

Endnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e Grinder pump. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  2. ^ SPI (brand listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Check valve. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  4. ^ Flomatic valves (brand listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  5. ^ a b 410 IAC 6-8.3, Residential on-site sewage systems (rule text as published 28 March 2024). Indiana Department of Health. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  6. ^ a b Submersible pump. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  7. ^ a b c Centrifugal pump. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g How your septic system works. U.S. EPA. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  9. ^ Liberty Pumps (brand listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  10. ^ a b What’s the difference between a sump pump and an effluent pump? (2025). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  11. ^ a b c What size sump pump do you need? Horsepower and GPM explained (2026). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  12. ^ a b Septic tank (category listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  13. ^ a b Pressure tank. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  14. ^ Septic tank. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  15. ^ Sump pump. Wikipedia. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  16. ^ Homa grinder pumps & sewage pumps (brand listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  17. ^ How to choose the right pump size for your home or property (2025). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  18. ^ What is a duplex pump system? (2026). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  19. ^ Septic pumps (category listing). Pump Professionals (pumpprofessionals.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.