SEPTIC ALARM GOING OFF?
At some point during the life of any septic system—especially in our rain-soaked corner of the Pacific Northwest—it is likely something will occur that will set off your septic tank alarm.
If you've experienced this, you already know that your septic tank alarm going off can cause confusion and panic. First, there's no need to panic. A septic system alarm is designed to alert and allow for time to examine the situation and diagnose any problem that might exist.
How Septic Alarms Work
Septic systems require balance to operate properly. A septic tank alarm system monitors the water level inside the tank, and when that level is too far out of range in either direction—too high or too low—it triggers the septic tank alarm. Septic systems operate on a pump system that pumps wastewater into the drain field at timed intervals. This timed pump keeps the drain field from overflowing during periods of heavy water use. When too much water enters the system between pump cycles and the pump tank hits the high-water mark, that's when you'll often hear your septic alarm going off.
Why Is My Septic Alarm Going Off?
The triggers for a septic tank alarm tend to be straightforward. Your septic alarm going off is typically the result of too much water, a system in need of septic tank repair or sometimes both.
Septic tank backed up due to excessive water use: Sometimes we simply use enough water that the timed cycles of our septic tanks aren't equipped to handle it all. Back-to-back loads of laundry, lots of dishwashing, long showers or a combination of all of those things can overwhelm the system and cause the septic pump alarm to sound.
The system is infiltrated by groundwater: Western Washington's rainy climate can be a lot for septic tanks to handle. When rainfall causes an abundance of standing water, that excess groundwater can seep into your tank and cause the water level to rise. When you hear your septic alarm going off during heavy rain, groundwater infiltration is often the cause.
Septic repair is needed due to a failed component: Septic systems are made to withstand time and the elements, but they're not infallible. As with any complex system that sees a lot of use, some part of it can break or otherwise fail, including the timer, floats, pump or even the alarm itself. Any of those failures can trigger the septic tank alarm.
What To Do When the Septic Alarm Sounds
As we said above, if you hear your septic alarm going off, don't panic. The first thing you should do before troubleshooting or worrying about septic repair is to locate the red button or switch on the septic tank alarm box and turn it off. After that, assess the septic alarm box's red and green lights. If the green light is on, your septic tank has power. If you don't see a green light, your next stop is the breaker box. If the red light is also on, the high water level has triggered the septic tank alarm. Look for standing water around the septic tanks. Before deciding to call for septic tank repair, it can sometimes be a good idea to limit your water use while you let your septic tank run through a couple of pump cycles (this will take several hours or overnight) to see if the red light on the septic alarm box will turn off.
If none of those measures work and you don't know the cause of the septic tank alarm, contact us for your septic tank repair. Our experts can assess whether your septic tank is backed up, you're in need of drain field repair or any other septic system repair you might require. We can give you tips on how to fix a septic tank that backs up when it rains and other advice to keep your system humming and your septic tank alarm quiet.