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Effluent Pumps
Brand
Type
Availability
Price
$0
$2,367.01
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump End - 10, 20 and 30 GPM
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump End - 10, 20 and 30 GPM
- Price
- From $193.20
A.Y. McDonald Cast Iron Vortex Effluent Pump
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Cast Iron Vortex Effluent Pump
- Price
- From $557.68
A.Y. McDonald DuraMAC High Head Effluent Pump
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald DuraMAC High Head Effluent Pump
- Price
- From $591.92
Grundfos Unilift AP Wastewater Pump
Grundfos
Grundfos Unilift AP Wastewater Pump
- Price
- From $1,055.73
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 5, 7 and 15 GPM
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 5, 7 and 15 GPM
- Price
- From $1,173.59
A.Y. McDonald High Head Cast Iron Effluent Pump - 3/4 in Solids, 2 in Discharge
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald High Head Cast Iron Effluent Pump - 3/4 in Solids, 2 in Discharge
- Price
- From $1,612.78
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 30 GPM
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 30 GPM
- Price
- From $999.80
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 20 GPM
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 20 GPM
- Price
- From $1,064.72
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 10 GPM
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald Thermoplastic High Head Effluent Pump - 10 GPM
- Price
- From $1,052.45
A.Y. McDonald DuraMAC Cast Iron Effluent Pump
A.Y. McDonald
A.Y. McDonald DuraMAC Cast Iron Effluent Pump
- Price
- From $371.83
Effluent Pumps
Effluent Pumps · Septic, Mound & Gray Water
Effluent Pumps
Pumps that move septic effluent and gray water from the pump tank to the drain field, mound or pressure-dosed laterals: cast iron single-stage pumps for gravity dosing, high-head pumps for uphill runs, and thermoplastic multistage pumps for pressure distribution. A.Y. McDonald and Grundfos, sized by engineers.
1/3–2 HPSingle-Stage & Multistage
25–591 ftMax Head by Family
To 121 GPMMax Flow
5/8–3/4 inSolids (Cast Iron Models)
2 BrandsA.Y. McDonald · Grundfos
An effluent pump sits in the pump tank after the septic tank, where the solids have already settled out, and doses the clarified water to the drain field, a mound or pressurized laterals. It is also the pump for gray water from showers, sinks and laundry. The job decides the pump: a short lift to a gravity field takes a single-stage cast iron pump; a long uphill run takes a high-head pump; pressure distribution takes the head of a multistage pump.
We supply the A.Y. McDonald effluent range, from the DuraMAC 1/3 HP to 2 HP high-head and multistage pumps, plus Grundfos Unilift wastewater pumps, and we size them: send us the system design flow, the lift and the run to the field, and we come back with the pump and the reasoning. Call 1-888.510.4036 or email sales@watermainsupply.com. All products are genuine, factory-new equipment in original manufacturer packaging, sold and supported by Watermain Supply, an independent industrial supplier.
Will It Work for Me?
Answered from A.Y. McDonald’s and Grundfos’s published data.
Warranty
DuraMAC effluent and high-head effluent: 3 years from installation. Cast iron vortex and EFS high-head: 1 year from installation or 2 from manufacture, whichever comes first. Thermoplastic multistage: 3 years from manufacture. Grundfos Unilift: per each listing.
Reliability
Non-clogging vortex impellers, oil-filled cast iron motors with thermal protection on the 400 series, stainless steel shells and shafts on the multistage pumps, and piggyback floats you can replace without replacing the pump.
Fit
Pick the family by head: DuraMAC to 25 ft, DuraMAC high head to 50 ft, cast iron vortex to 48 ft, EFS to 122 ft, thermoplastic multistage to 591 ft. Effluent pumps are for settled effluent and gray water, not raw sewage.
Size It Now
Enter the bedrooms or the orifice count, the lift and the run; the calculator returns the dose flow, the total head and the pump class.
Effluent Pump or Sewage Pump?
The liquid decides it, not the horsepower.
Effluent pump
- Water from a septic tank or treatment unit, after the solids settle.
- Gray water: showers, sinks, laundry.
- Small solids: 5/8 to 3/4 in on the cast iron models.
- Single-stage for gravity dosing; multistage for pressure distribution.
Sewage pump
- Raw sewage with toilet waste, before any septic tank.
- Passes 2 in solids, as plumbing codes require with a toilet.
- 2 in or larger discharge.
- See Sewage Pumps.
Quick rule: if a toilet drains to the basin with no septic tank in between, it is a sewage pump. If the water has already been through a septic tank, it is an effluent pump, and an effluent filter ahead of the pump tank keeps it that way.
The Lines
Three families, chosen by how far and how high the effluent has to go.
DuraMAC Effluent
1/3 to 1/2 HP · 120V · cast iron and stainless
25–50 ftMax head
60–100 GPMMax flow
Tethered, vertical or noneSwitch
3 yearsWarranty
Cast iron effluent pumps with a stainless vortex impeller for gravity dosing, plus the high-head models with a stainless steel housing for uphill runs to 50 ft. All 120V, plug-in, with 10 or 25 ft cords.
- 5/8 in solids (3/4 in on the high-head models)
- 1-1/2 in discharge; 2 in on the high-head models
- No-switch models for dosing panels
Best forResidential septic dosing to a gravity field or a modest uphill run.
View DuraMAC Effluent
Cast Iron Vortex and High Head
4/10 to 2 HP · 115V or 230V · oil-filled
39–122 ftMax head
56–121 GPMMax flow
3/4 inSolids
Manual or floatSwitch
Oil-filled cast iron pumps with 20 ft quick-disconnect cords. The 4/10 and 1/2 HP vortex models reach 48 ft; the EFS high-head models reach 84 to 122 ft for long or uphill runs to a field or mound.
- 2 in NPT discharge
- Piggyback switch design; wide-angle float on A models
- EFS: optional double seal with seal-failure sensing, factory order
Best forCommercial and larger residential systems, long runs and higher lifts.
View High Head EFS
Thermoplastic Multistage
10, 20 and 30 GPM series · 1/2 to 1-1/2 HP
122–591 ftShut-off head
20–37 GPMMax flow
4 inDiameter
10–100 ftLeads
4 in multistage pumps with Baker stainless motors: each stage adds head, so they hold pressure at the low flows that pressure-dosed laterals, mounds and drip systems need. Drain-back builds ship less check valve.
- 1-1/4 in FNPT discharge
- Stainless shell and shaft, thermoplastic stages
- Run from a dosing panel or timer
Best forPressure distribution, mounds and long high-head runs at low flow.
View Multistage Pumps
Also in This Collection
DuraMAC High Head
4/10 and 1/2 HP, stainless housing, to 50 ft5040CTEFH25 · 5050CTEFH25
Cast Iron Vortex Effluent
4/10 and 1/2 HP, 115V or 230V, to 48 ft404011EF · 405011EF5, 7 and 15 GPM Builds
Low-flow multistage builds, 25 ft leadJ · V · L series
Multistage Pump Ends
Replacement ends for 10, 20 and 30 GPM pumpsKAJ · PAJ · EJ
Grundfos Unilift AP
1 and 1-1/2 HP stainless, automatic float, 230VAP35 · AP50Every Effluent Family Compared
Maximums from A.Y. McDonald’s published curves and tables, rounded down. Read the curve at your design flow before you choose.
| Family | HP | Voltage | Max head | Max flow | Solids | Discharge | Switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DuraMAC effluent | 1/3–1/2 | 120V | 25 ft | 60–70 GPM | 5/8 in | 1-1/2 in | Tethered, vertical, none |
| DuraMAC high head | 4/10–1/2 | 120V | 35–50 ft | 78–100 GPM | 3/4 in | 2 or 1-1/2 in | Tethered or none |
| Cast iron vortex | 4/10–1/2 | 115V or 230V | 39–48 ft | 56–64 GPM | 3/4 in | 2 in | Manual or wide-angle float |
| EFS high head | 1/2–2 | 115V or 230V | 84–122 ft | 81–121 GPM | 3/4 in | 2 in | Manual |
| Multistage 10 GPM | 1/2–1-1/2 | 115V or 230V | 259–591 ft | 20 GPM | Screened | 1-1/4 in | Panel |
| Multistage 20 GPM | 1/2–1-1/2 | 115V or 230V | 146–358 ft | 30–33 GPM | Screened | 1-1/4 in | Panel |
| Multistage 30 GPM | 1/2–1-1/2 | 115V or 230V | 122–282 ft | 31–37 GPM | Screened | 1-1/4 in | Panel |
Sources: A.Y. McDonald Pumps by Baker catalog, rev 3/26, pp. 307–310 and 321–328. Single-stage maximum flow is at the end of the published curve; multistage maximum head is the printed shut-off.
Quick rule: single-stage pumps give flow, multistage pumps give pressure. If your total head is under about 40 ft, a single-stage cast iron pump moves more water for the money. Above about 100 ft, or for pressure-dosed laterals at low flow, go multistage.
A.Y. McDonald and Grundfos Unilift AP
The closest effluent pump from a second brand we list.
| Feature | DuraMAC effluent | A.Y. cast iron vortex | Grundfos Unilift AP35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 1/3, 1/2 | 4/10, 1/2 | 1 |
| Voltage | 120V | 115V or 230V | 230V |
| Construction | Cast iron, stainless vortex impeller | Cast iron, oil-filled motor | Stainless steel sleeve |
| Solids | 5/8 in | 3/4 in | 1.4 in |
| Switch | Tethered, vertical or none | Manual or wide-angle float | Automatic float |
| Discharge | 1-1/2 in | 2 in NPT | 1-1/2 in NPT vertical or 2 in horizontal (B) |
Verdict: the Grundfos Unilift AP35 wins on construction and solids: a stainless pump with an automatic float that passes 1.4 in solids, for dirtier effluent and laundry water with fibres. A.Y. McDonald wins on choice: 120V plug-in DuraMAC models, three switch types, 2 in discharge on the cast iron vortex line, and published flow at every head. For a toilet upstream, the Unilift AP50 and the A.Y. sewage pumps are on the Sewage Pumps page.
Selection Guide
| System | Typical total head | Start here | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravity dose to a drain field | Under 20 ft | DuraMAC 5033CUEF or 5050CTEF | Plug-in, 120V |
| Uphill field or longer run | 20 to 45 ft | DuraMAC high head or 405011EF | 2 in discharge |
| Dosing panel or timer control | Any | No-switch models: 5050CUEF, 5050CUEFH25, manual 400 series | Panel with floats and alarm |
| Long uphill run, commercial flow | 45 to 110 ft | EFS high head, 1/2 to 2 HP | 230V above 1/2 HP |
| Pressure distribution or mound | Distal head plus lift and friction | Multistage 20 or 30 GPM series | Size flow from the orifice count |
| Very high head, low flow | Over 150 ft | Multistage 10 GPM series | To 591 ft shut-off |
| Drain-back line (no check valve) | Any multistage duty | X99x multistage builds | Ship less check valve |
| Dirtier effluent, automatic float, 230V | Moderate | Grundfos Unilift AP35 | 1.4 in solids, stainless |
Typical heads are guidance. The pump is chosen on its curve at your design flow and total head.
Sizing an Effluent Pump
Design flow first, then the total head at that flow.
Gravity dosing
Daily design flow = bedrooms × the gallons per bedroom your state or county sets (150 is common). Divide by the doses per day for the dose volume, and size the pump to deliver each dose in a few minutes at your total head. Add the pipe volume if the line drains back.
Pressure distribution
Flow per orifice = 11.79 × diameter² × √head (gallons per minute, inches, feet). Multiply by the orifice count and add about 10% for uneven flow along the laterals. Total head = lift + friction + the distal head held at the far end of the laterals.
Worked example: 20 orifices of 3/16 in at 5 ft of distal head. Each passes 11.79 × 0.1875² × √5 = 0.93 GPM, so the zone needs 20.4 GPM. Lift 15 ft, 150 ft of 1-1/2 in PVC (about 3.9 ft of friction) and 0.8 ft of fittings: total head 24.7 ft. The DuraMAC 5050CUEFH25 makes 54 GPM at 25 ft on its published table, and a 1/2 HP 30 GPM multistage pump covers it with pressure to spare for a longer zone.
Run the numbers in the Sump & Sewage Pump Calculator, or send us your system design and we size the pump on the curve.
What Matters in an Effluent Pump
Vortex impellers
The impeller sits back in the volute, so stringy material passes without wrapping the vanes: stainless on the DuraMAC models, cast iron on the 4/10 and 1/2 HP vortex line.
Oil-filled motors
The 400-series motors run in oil with upper and lower ball bearings and internal overload protection, for long, cool running.
Piggyback switches
The float plugs in behind the pump cord, so a failed switch is replaced on its own and a manual pump can run from any piggyback float or panel.
Multistage stages
Each stage adds head. That is how a 1/2 HP thermoplastic pump reaches 259 ft at low flow, where a single-stage pump would stall.
Drain-back builds
X99x multistage builds ship less check valve with a drilled discharge, so the line empties back to the tank after each dose in cold climates.
Alarm and filter
Most septic codes call for an effluent filter ahead of the pump tank and a high-water alarm; both protect the field from solids and overflow.
Floats, Leads and Parts
DuraMAC Float Switch
Vertical or tethered piggyback float for DuraMAC pumps
Pumpmaster
Wide-angle piggyback float for the 400-series pumps
Verticalmaster
Vertical piggyback float for narrow pump tanks
Effluent Pump Leads
10 to 100 ft leads for the multistage pumps
All parts are genuine, factory-new A.Y. McDonald parts. See all sump, sewage and effluent accessories.
Why Size It With Watermain Supply
Engineering-led sizing
We work from your system design flow, lift and distal head, and check the pump on its published curve before we quote.
Multi-brand honesty
We sell A.Y. McDonald and Grundfos effluent pumps. If one is not the right fit, we will say so.
Single-stage to multistage
From a 120V plug-in DuraMAC to a 591 ft multistage pump: one supplier for every septic design.
Parts and aftermarket
Floats, leads and multistage pump ends listed by part number.
Installer accounts
Account options for septic installers and contractors; ask us.
Houston and Gulf Coast
Based in Houston, shipping nationwide, with people who answer the phone and size pumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an effluent pump and a sewage pump?
An effluent pump moves water that has been through a septic tank, with small solids (5/8 to 3/4 in on the cast iron models). A sewage pump moves raw sewage with toilet waste and passes 2 in solids. Use a sewage pump where a toilet drains to the basin with no septic tank in between.
Which effluent pump do I need for a mound or pressure-dosed system?
One that delivers the zone’s flow at the total head including the distal head at the laterals. That is usually a multistage pump (20 or 30 GPM series) or, for shorter zones, a DuraMAC high head or EFS pump.
Single-stage or multistage?
Single-stage cast iron pumps move more water at lower heads, up to about 120 ft on the EFS. Multistage pumps hold pressure at low flow, up to 591 ft, which pressure distribution and long uphill runs need.
What does a no-switch or manual effluent pump need?
A piggyback float or a dosing control panel with level floats and a high-water alarm. Timed dosing always uses a panel.
What is the warranty?
DuraMAC effluent and high-head effluent: 3 years from installation. Cast iron vortex and EFS: 1 year from installation or 2 from manufacture, whichever comes first. Thermoplastic multistage: 3 years from manufacture.
Can an effluent pump handle gray water?
Yes: showers, sinks and laundry water are effluent-pump duty. For laundry water with fibres, a vortex impeller or the stainless Unilift AP35 handles it well.
Why do X99x multistage pumps ship without a check valve?
They are built for drain-back lines, where the discharge must empty back to the tank after each dose so it cannot freeze. They ship less check valve and cable guard, with a hole drilled in the discharge.
Can you size the pump for my septic design?
Yes. Send the design flow, dose volume or orifice layout, the lift and the run to the field, and we return the pump, panel and floats with the reasoning. Call 1-888.510.4036.
Ready to Size Your Effluent Pump
Run the calculator, or send us your septic design and we come back with the pump, panel and floats.
Technical data on this page is taken from A.Y. McDonald and Grundfos product literature and is subject to change by the manufacturer. Confirm against the current installation manual before specifying.
A.Y. McDonald, DuraMAC, Grundfos and Unilift are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for product identification only.
Watermain Supply is a DBA of E4 Industrial LLC, an independent industrial supplier based in Houston, Texas.
A.Y. McDonald, DuraMAC, Grundfos and Unilift are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for product identification only.
Watermain Supply is a DBA of E4 Industrial LLC, an independent industrial supplier based in Houston, Texas.
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