Is It Time to Replace or Upgrade Your Wastewater Grinder? 6 Signs to Look For

Don’t wait until your grinder breaks down before you replace it—downtime isn’t an option for wastewater treatment plants. Auditing your equipment regularly allows you to identify early signs of damage and proactively replace or upgrade as needed.

If you’ve noticed any of the following signs, your grinder is at the end of its lifespan:

1. A Clear Decline in Performance

Even the most durable equipment eventually experiences damage from tackling tough solids like wood, rocks, and rags. Increased rates of clogging and jamming indicate that the current grinders are worn out or ill-suited to your plant’s growing demands.

Cutters wear down over time, but in many cases, they can be easily replaced without removing the entire unit. However, if the motor and drives start failing, it’s likely a good time to replace the unit.

Be sure to monitor the total processing time for each waste stream. If the processing time begins to lengthen for no apparent reason, your grinders likely need an overhaul or a replacement. Cutters tend to fail first, especially when you overload the system with large or hard materials that should be screened out. Next to go are the bearings and shafts from constant vibration, followed by drive issues or drum deformation. If more than one major part of the grinder shows signs of wear, it’s likely better to replace the whole unit at once rather than undergo an extensive rebuild.

2. Unusual Sounds or Vibrations

New vibrations can indicate that the grinder is struggling with increasing flows or that the bearings are wearing out. In some cases, you can resolve vibrations by adjusting the flow or replacing worn parts before the shaft becomes misaligned.

Also listen for new or unusual sounds. Squeaks and squeals indicate friction, worn bearings, or worn shafts. Thumping can come from misaligned drums and other parts, while louder grinding noises accompanied by slower processing speeds can indicate worn drives or dull cutters. Additionally, chatter and rattling noises can be a sign that worn cutters are bouncing hard materials around rather than processing them, increasing the chance of drum damage and clogging.

3. Worn Cutters

Cutters in grinders often need to be replaced due to heavy wear from daily use and changing wastewater streams. As an example, in the 2010s, facilities saw an increase in rags and had to upgrade their cutters. Without the right cutters, rags can reweave, causing clogs. This isn’t an isolated incident—new materials are found in wastewater streams every year.

Signs of a worn or damaged cutter include:

• Slower draining
• Louder and more rattling noise
• Higher power draw and increased energy usage
• Larger solids coming through the outlet
• Increased pump cycling
• Poorer water quality results downstream

You’ll also notice your system clogging more due to the reduced grinding capacity. Don’t let worn cutters lead to problems with screens and other headworks treatment equipment when they’re easy to regrind or replace. If you keep replacing cutter blades more often than you expect, it’s likely time for a new and upgraded grinder that can better handle your current challenges.

4. The Grinder’s Design Capacity Is No Longer Sufficient

Waste streams change frequently, especially as municipalities add new sources of storm, household, or industrial sewage. The addition of more fibrous materials, whether they’re sticks washed into storm drains or wipes flushed down toilets, puts strain on outdated and aging grinding equipment.

Many municipal wastewater treatment plants are also facing constant increases in volume, often with little budget increase to address them. That means making the most of every piece of equipment. The risk of grinder damage will only increase if the machinery isn’t up to the task. Failing to replace struggling equipment in the headworks also raises the risk of damage downstream, including fouling of sensitive biomembranes and filters. Protect your pumps, screens, and more by replacing grinders as needed to keep up with changing demands.

5. Your Existing Equipment Doesn’t Meet New Regulation Requirements

Recent changes in sourcing requirements for public and municipal wastewater treatment plants mean facility supervisors need to find U.S. partners who can supply the required equipment. For example, the Unleashing American Energy Order is promoting increased wastewater reuse from oil and gas extraction facilities, which means new demands on existing treatment facilities.

The Build America Buy America Act also mandates that federally funded wastewater treatment plants must now use 100% U.S.-manufactured construction materials and manufactured products, including grinding equipment.

6. You Need Better Efficiency

Assess your energy usage statistics and compare them to the power use of your facility a few months and a few years ago. If you notice a steady increase in total power use, there’s a good chance your grinding equipment is wearing and drawing more power. Yet, even if you don’t see a distinct increase in energy costs, there’s a good chance you can save by replacing older, inefficient models.

Schedule a Field Assessment

There are many challenges in municipal wastewater processing that plant supervisors must overcome, including handling increasingly higher flows.

JWC Environmental has kept up with industry trends since our founding, and we’re constantly evolving our product line to help wastewater plants stay efficient.

If you’ve noticed your wastewater grinders aren’t performing as well as they used to, contact a JWC representative today to schedule a comprehensive field assessment. During your assessment, our reps will evaluate your current equipment, identify what needs improvement to meet your facility’s latest demands, and provide the most cost-effective solutions based on our findings. Get started now.