Universal Pump Vaults (PVU)
Orenco® Biotube Universal Pump Vaults (PVU) can house one or two high-head effluent pumps. They are used to filter up to two thirds of the suspended solids from wastewater effluent flowing from septic tanks or separate dosing tanks in liquid-only sewers and onsite wastewater systems. Effluent enters through inlet holes around the perimeter of the vault and flows through the Biotube effluent filter cartridge to the external flow inducers. The filter cartridge can be removed without pulling the pump or the vault.
Vaults are suspended in a tank by two Schedule 80 support pipes. Earless vaults that rest on the bottom of a tank are also available. For flows of more than 40 gpm (2.5 L/sec), contact your distributor or Orenco.
- Durable, one-piece molded polyethylene vault
- Schedule 80 PVC support pipes
- Ball valve for easy draining and vault removal
- Removable effluent filter cartridge
- Capable of accepting one or two pumps
- 57-, 68-, 72-, 84-, and 95-inch (1448-, 1727-, 1829-, 2134-, and 2413-mm) standard vault heights
- 42- to 188-inch (1067- to 4775-mm) custom vault heights available
- Vault width at widest point: 17.3 inches (439 mm)
- 13-, 19-, or 25-inch (330-, 483-, or 635-mm) standard inlet hole height
- 18-, 24-, or 36-inch (457-, 610-, or 914-mm) standard cartridge height
- 16-3/4-inch (425-mm) support pipe length for 24-inch (600-mm) riser
- 24-3/4-inch (629-mm) optional support pipe length for 30-inch (750-mm) risers
- 1/8- or 1/16-inch (3.2- or 1.6-mm) filter mesh
How to Select a PVU
The tank depth and float settings must be known in order to select the appropriate PVU for the system. Once float settings are determined, select a pump vault that will satisfy the required float settings and also position the pump vault inlet holes at their optimum elevation.
Step 1: Determine tank depth (TD). Tank depth is measured from the inside bottom of the tank to the outside top of the tank.
Step 2: Determine cartridge height (CH).
- Residential application: 18in minimum cartridge height
- Residential recirculating application: 24in minimum cartridge height
- Commercial application: 24in minimum cartridge height
Step 3: Determine float setting elevations for the system. Float settings are measured down from the outside top of the tank (bottom of pump vault support pipes) to the center of the float collar.
Step 4: Select the proper vault height (VH) by selecting the proper tank depth range on the chart below with the matching cartridge height (CH). Verify that the off point (OP) you calculated in Step 3 falls within the range listed in the “off point range” column.
Step 5: Verify that the off point is above the minimum liquid level of the pump (MLLp) using the following equation: TD-OP > MLLp + G.
