Most all septic tanks are installed with an alarm for the purpose of alerting you to the fact that the water level is higher or lower than it should be.

If you hear the alarm – it does not necessarily mean that there is trouble. It could just be a temporary cause that is setting off the alarm.

Here’s what we mean…

  • If there is too much water being used at the time – like you are doing alot more dish washing, you are doing more laundry than usual, there are lots of people taking long showers.
  • All of these put together can cause a large amount of water going into your septic tank which would then set off the alarm.

It’s not uncommon for the septic tank alarm to go off during the holidays when there is alot of activity going on and lots of guests coming to stay with you.

  • If there has been an excessive amount of rain lately. This may cause a large amount of standing water around the tank which could actually seep into the tank and cause the water in the tank to rise.
  • Hence – setting off the alarm.

An alarm could also be letting you know that some part of the septic tank has broken or is worn out. Things like the pump, timers, floats, etc.

Anything with multiple parts always has the potential to someday have a broken part.

What Do You Do If Your Septic Alarm Has Gone Off?

There are some simple steps you can taken if your septic tank’s alarm is beeping.

  1. Push the button or flip the switch on the alarm box to turn the alarm off.
  2. Check the breaker to the septic system just to make sure that there are no issues with the breaker and to make sure that the power is on for the septic tank.
  3. Wait about 15 hours to see if the red light on your septic alarm goes off or not.
  4. If it does (the light should be green) then you know the tank is working okay and the situation was just a temporary one.
  5. If the red light is still on after 15 hours, then it’s time to call in your septic company for service.

If you have any questions about your septic tank, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.