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Pump will not start, will not stop or trips breaker.

A licensed septic technician should service floats and pumps, and a licensed electrician should do all wiring repairs.

Customers put it like this

  • septic pump won't turn on
  • pump runs nonstop
  • breaker keeps tripping
  • no alarm before it backed up
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Stop first if

  • The breaker trips and the panel or splice box is wet.Do not reset it. Keep clear. Call a licensed electrician.
  • Sewage or water touches live electrical parts.Keep clear. Shut off power only from a remote point, and only if it can be done without risk. Call a licensed electrician.
  • Anyone is about to enter or reach into a pump basin.Stop. Nobody goes in. Call emergency services if someone is inside or down.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Does the pump run at all, or does it never shut off?
  2. Has the breaker tripped, and how many times?
  3. From outside, do you see water or rust around the control box?
  4. Did the alarm sound before the backup?
  5. Was any work done on floats, panel or wiring lately?
  6. Are the breakers labeled for pump, controls and alarm?
02

Bring

5
  • Multimeter for a licensed technician
  • Lockout and tagout kit
  • Gloves and eye protection
  • Plastic sheet or bin for wet parts
  • New wire connectors
03

Check on site

6
  1. Pull the schematic for float order, dosing mode and breaker feeds.
  2. From outside the riser, see whether cords tangle or floats snag.
  3. A licensed technician lifts floats one at a time and compares panel lights.
  4. With power locked out, inspect the panel and splice box for water and corrosion.
  5. With the pump breaker off and alarm breaker on, tip the alarm float and listen.
  6. Record settings, counters and labels, and return the panel from test mode.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Float settings and counter values
  • Photos of panel and splice box condition
  • Breaker labels and circuit map
  • Whether the alarm sounded in the test

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.