Without a guide rail, servicing a submersible pump in a deep well means someone climbing down, undoing the discharge union by hand and lifting the pump out. In a sewage well, that's a confined space with all the risk that goes with it. A guide rail kit removes the need for anyone to go in.
How a guide rail works
A typical guide rail system has a fixed base bend (often called a duck foot or auto-coupling) bolted to the floor of the well and connected to the discharge pipe, a pair of rails running up the inside of the well, and a bracket on the pump that slides down the rails. To remove the pump, you lift it by its chain and it unhooks from the base and slides up the rails. To refit it, you lower it down the rails and its own weight seats it onto the base, sealing the discharge connection. Nobody has to enter the well either way.
Why it's worth fitting
- Safety. Sewage wells are confined spaces with gases and infection risks. Keeping people out of them is the main reason guide rails exist.
- Faster servicing. A pump can be pulled, inspected and dropped back in a fraction of the time it takes to disconnect it by hand.
- Swapping pumps. On a duty/standby station, a failed pump can be replaced without disturbing the other.
For a shallow stormwater pit you can reach into from the top, a guide rail is usually unnecessary. For any deep well, and for most sewage stations, it's worth the cost.
Matching the kit to the pump
Guide rail kits are specific to the pump family and its discharge size. The two live Hyjet kits:
| Kit | Suits | Sizes and prices |
|---|---|---|
| HGRK guide rail system | Hyjet HWV vortex, HWE enclosed channel and HWG grinder pumps of the matching discharge size | 50mm $479.55 · 65mm $617.05 · 80mm $820.55 |
| DGRK guide rail kit | Hyjet DV set-back vortex pumps, with counter flange | 65mm $1,172.55 · 80mm $1,491.55 · 100mm $1,865.55 |
Choose the kit that matches both the pump family and its discharge size. A 65mm HWE pump takes the HGRK65-65; a DV80 takes the DGRK80-80. Don't mix families: the pump bracket and base have to match.
Installing it
- Check what's in the box. The listings don't itemise the kit contents. Confirm with PSA whether the rail pipe, upper bracket and lifting chain are supplied or need sourcing separately for your well depth.
- Fit it before the pump. The base bolts to the well floor and the rails fix to the well wall, so it's far easier to install when the well is empty and new.
- Get the rail length right. The rails run from the base to an upper bracket near the top of the well, so measure the well depth before you order.
- Lift by the chain. The pump is lifted by a stainless chain, never by its power cable. Leave the chain hooked at the top of the well where it can be reached.
- Allow for two pumps. On a dual pump station, plan the two bases so the pumps and their floats have clear room.
The Maxijet MPPS 3000L and 5000L pump wells come with guide rails as standard; see our guide to sizing a pump well. For choosing the pump itself, see vortex vs enclosed channel sewage pumps. Both kits are in the Guide Rail Kits collection and available to order on backorder; contact PSA to confirm lead time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a pump guide rail kit do?
It lets a submersible pump be lifted out of a well and lowered back onto its discharge connection along fixed rails, so nobody has to enter the well.
Which guide rail kit suits a Hyjet HWE pump?
The Hyjet HGRK kit in the matching discharge size: 50mm, 65mm or 80mm. It also suits HWV and HWG pumps.
Which guide rail kit suits a Hyjet DV pump?
The Hyjet DGRK kit with counter flange, in the matching size: 65mm, 80mm or 100mm.
Do I need a guide rail for a shallow stormwater pit?
Usually not. If you can reach the pump from the top of the pit, a guide rail adds little. They matter most in deep wells and sewage stations.