Lift Station 101: Why Your High-Water Alarm is Screaming
If your home or commercial property sits at a lower elevation than the main sewer line, you have a lift station. This is the mechanical heart of your waste system. While a standard septic system relies on gravity, a lift station uses a submersible pump, a "wet well" (the tank), and a series of float switches to push waste uphill.
When that red light on your control panel starts flashing or the audible alarm starts screaming, your "fuel pump" has failed. You are on a ticking clock before a backup occurs.
What Causes the Alarm to Trigger?
Pump Clogs (The "Wipe" Factor): Even if the package says "flushable," those wipes do not dissolve. They wrap around the pump’s impeller like a rope, causing the motor to seize.
Float Malfunction: Floats are like the sensors in your car. If they get "hung up" on grease or debris, they can’t tell the pump when to turn on or off.
Electrical Issues: Lift stations live in a harsh, corrosive environment. Over time, wiring can degrade, or a capacitor in the control panel can blow, leaving your pump powerless.
The First Turn "Zero-Failure" Strategy: At First Turn Grading & Septic, we treat lift station maintenance as a technical discipline. Our service includes:
Wet Well Cleaning: We pump out the grease caps and solids that interfere with your floats.
Amp Draw Testing: We check the "health" of your pump motor to see if it’s working too hard. This allows us to predict a failure before it happens.
Component Replacement: We replace failing float switches and check valves on the spot to keep your system in the race.
Pro-Tip: If your alarm is sounding, stop running water immediately. No showers, no laundry, and limited flushes. Call Operations HQ for emergency service before the wet well overflows.
