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Sketch of a common sewage grinder pump used in a modern basement

Septic Pump Alarms & Alarm Video
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Septic tank pumps, septic grinder pumps, septic effluent pumps
Sewage ejector pumps
Sump Pumps
Sewage Pumping Stations
Septic Pump Alarm
Septic Alarm demo video

Our video at right demonstrates the operation of a septic tank pump system alarm. Septic alarms indicate when the septic tank pump is not operating. Repair is needed promptly.

Advice is given for septic tank effluent or sewage pump selection and use. Septic pumps used for pumping air in aeration systems and septic pumps used to move effluent in a drip dispersion system are discussed under the appropriate septic system type which are outlined at SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES.

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This article explains the differences between Sump Pumps, Sewage Ejector Pumps, Septic Grinder Pumps, Sewage Pumping Stations, & Septic Pump Alarms. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author.

Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers welcomed and are listed at "References." This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Septic Pump Alarm Systems

Single septic pump alarm system details

Any sewage pump setup should include an alarm that tells you when a pump has stopped working.

It is important to be able to distinguish between blocked building drains, failing septic systems, and lost function of a septic pump. Otherwise you will soon be unable to run plumbing fixtures and you may not know why.

In a single-pump septic system (shown in the photograph at left and at page top) if you hear the septic alarm buzzer or bell it means that you have very little septic capacity before repairs are made, since there is no working pump.

Duplex septic pump alarm system details

In a duplex septic tank pump system, (shown in photo at left) sounding of the septic alarm indicates that you're running on the backup pump.

You need to repair the failed septic pump but you can continue to use the building's plumbing fixtures as the backup pump should be working.

There are two different philosophies for designing duplex backup systems - alternating septic pump cycles and reserve septic pump installations. We discuss simplex and duplex septic pump installations and the different methods of designing a duplex septic pump system in more detail at Sewage Ejector Pump Grinder Pump

See the septic alarm test demonstration video at the top of this page for an example of testing the septic tank pump alarm system.

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)

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