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While tracing some errant electrical current, I ended up in the big concrete riser above the septic tank. The electrical is in there, rather than outside on a pedestal as is normal now. There, I discovered (among other, scarier things) that the cable and leads to the septic alarm are connected to nothing. They're just wire nutted and dangling.

EDIT: That power lead appears to be properly connected to the tank alert inside the house. (Need to confirm this.)

Inside the house the alarm unit is an SJE Tankalert XT. (https://www.sjerhombus.com/products/tank-alert-xt/) It normally takes this type of float switch (a normally open one) (https://www.sjerhombus.com/products/sje-signalmaster/)

None of these were available, so I purchased the closest thing I could find, a barracuda (branded also SJE Rhombus Universal float switch), and I attached an outlet to the leads, confirmed I had power, then plugged this float in, then manually tipped it up and down. I could feel the ball bearing switch inside moving to the closed and open positions, but the alarm inside never sounded.

Hitting "test" on the box generates the audible alarm (but no flashing light), for whatever that's worth.

Since it's nearly impossible to get a plumber or septic repair person out, I need to get this done myself, but I'm a bit lost on whether the float switch wasn't suitable, or whether the tankalert box inside is shot, improperly wired (or all 3?).

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    Be wicked careful about that manhole. They can and do kill people due to collected gasses inadequately ventilated when folks poke their heads into them. You want serious ventilation and someone watching over you, and possibly a rope attached to you and strict instructions to get help to pull you out, NOT to come in after you if things go wrong. Ideally, have enough bodies up in the fresh air to pull you out immediately if you become unresponsive...
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Aug 5, 2021 at 13:11
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    Yup, thanks for that. I keep my head out of the tank. I'm not working inside the tank either, but in a big concrete riser on top of the tank, with my head up in the real air, and I do most of the work from the ground outside of that, and accompanied by a helper. I should edit the original to make that clear.
    – user122950
    Commented Aug 5, 2021 at 19:22

2 Answers 2

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This sounds oddly wired, to say the least. The missing float is one thing, but two separate breakers for a septic alarm (one to the tank, the other to an alarm box inside) is not normal and that should make you check your assumptions at the door, pronto.

Normal wiring would be your alarm box inside gets power, some (often low-voltage) sensor wires run from your alarm box inside to the float in the tank outside, if you short the wires (via switch or manually) you get an alarm condition.

The only reason you'd have power for an alarm system run to the tank would be if the alarm system was at the tank, in my experience.

So, I think you may need to take a step back and figure out what's connected to what, and then what SHOULD BE connected to what. For a float-switch type alarm, there should be wires conected to the alarm, and shorting those wires (anywhere) should set the alarm off (if it's normally-open-switch type - opposite for the other way.) Nicer alarms have a resistor across the switch as well, to tell if the wires are broken.

A quick look at the unit you have indicates that it expects to also be involved with the pump control wiring, which I infer yours is not? That would just be some things not connected, and it certainly could be completely independent. If you get no flashing light when testing, the light bulb may be burned out. Looks like yours (probably) uses line voltage for the alarm switch, though.

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  • Nope, this ones definitely not hooked up to the pump. I popped it open, and it has only 4 leads inside, 2 hots, 2 neutrals. I need to take a look at where they're connected inside there. I assume the incoming power is OK since the alarm sounds on test. As for the other 2, that's a mystery now. I'll need to see exactly what that unhooked cable out in the tank is for. That one appears to be on a different breaker. This is a mess I see. Of course, the only service guy who will come out here is the same guy who gave this an septic an OK on inspection a year ago, right before we bought the place.
    – user122950
    Commented Aug 5, 2021 at 2:24
  • I very actively avoided any pumping in my own septic design, having lived in places with pumps and not been thrilled about the various failure modes they bring. I wonder if there's an alarm that would also let you know (perhaps with a different color/sound than the over-full alarm) if the pump has been running "too long," given your original problem.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Aug 6, 2021 at 14:51
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    That would be great, but in this landscape, with houses near the shore, the only potential drainfield locations are 10-20 feet up grade.
    – user122950
    Commented Aug 7, 2021 at 12:25
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Answer was that the septic alarm was functioning properly. Those capped lines in the riser were low-voltage, for an alarm float. Unfortunately for me, the only way to get everything reliably fixed is to put in new pedestal outside (means a new alarm out there too) and a new riser (since the existing, 200 pound cap is ridiculous and the handles are plastic and won't last much longer) along with a new pump, so a hefty bill. But, you use your septic a lot, so you need it to work.

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