Is Your Pump Alarm Going Off?
When your septic alarm sounds the first thing you want to do is to push the silence button on the alarm panel. This will turn off the audible alarm. On most alarm panels there will be a red light and a green light. The green light should always be on. The green light means the alarm has power. The red light means the alarm is getting a signal from the pump tank that the water level is getting higher than it should be.
Next, check the septic breaker to make sure the septic system has power. If the breaker is on, check to see if there is any standing water around the septic tanks and or pump tank. In series you will typically have 1-2 septic tank lids followed by the pump tank, which is typically the tank furthest away from the house.
Possible scenarios that could lead to an alarm situation:
• Something may be wrong with one of the septic system’s components. The pump, floats, alarm, timer, etc. may have something wrong that is not allowing them to work properly.
• Too much water is being put through the septic system. Several loads of laundry, increased amount of dish washing, and a lot of long showers are all reasons that can cause too much water usage.
• Ground water is getting into the system. A lot of rain may cause seepage. If too much standing water occurs around the septic tanks, the water can seep into the tanks causing the water level to rise inside of the tanks.
A common misconception is that the septic alarm is simply a reminder that it is time to have your septic tanks pumped out. Alarms are installed to inform you that the water level has reached a high level of concern. Typically, when the water level in the tank has reached that point you have 24-48 hours of usage until sewage could potentially start to overflow near the tanks or start to back up inside the home.
If your septic alarm is going off, reduce your water usage to a minimum and call our office at 610-869-0443 during business hours or our septic emergency line at 484-437-4080 afterhours.