pump for dock area

[mudboss]

Hi

I have a truck dock area at work. It has a drain with a manhole cover. But the drain does not drain quickly because it is a french drain. So, we get a lot of water...up to 2 foot deep which may take several days to drain. If it is cold, it freezes. A real problem with truck deliveries coming every day.

I am thinking some kind of pump, but I have some questions. Do I locate the pump in the pit for the drain or leave it out of the drain on the low point next to the building. If it is out of the drain, I assume that it would have to be turned on manually, which is not an issue. I do not need a high volume pump, but need a pump that may get some minor solids, leaves, etc. And what about the freezing tempertures?

Any ideas on what I should do and some pump recommendations would be appreciated.

[speedbump]

A submersible sewage pump would work well. Most of them around 1/2hp will pump around 100 gpm and will pass two inch solids. Too much junk getting into the pit could be a problem for any pump. Sand is another big problem. If sand keeps getting washed into the pit where it can get up around the pump, it will lock the impeller and the pump won't start and will probably burn up. Keeping the pump up off the bottom and servicing the pit every so often is a good idea.

bob...

[Redwood]

You could set up a catch basin as a sand interceptor then pipe it to a chamber where the pipe is. Cleaning the catch basin will prevent sand from getting to the pump.