Sand filter alarm?

[JoZ]

I have a call in to the property manager but thought I’d check here as well.

At the property I’m renting, there is a good sized box attached to an outbuilding. The box has a latch and would open like a fuse box but I have never opened it. On the outside of the box there are two buttons. The top button says septic tank alarm and the lower button is marked sand filter alarm. I was just working in the yard and the alarm went off. The bottom button is broken but the lightbulb inside is intact and it is lit. I was able to silence the alarm by pressing the top button though. The top button is no longer lit nor is it making any noise, but I don’t know if it will resume at some point. I also don’t know if this means that there’s a septic tank and sand filter problem or just one of the two.

The property manager isn’t always responsive quickly so I thought I’d check here in case this is an actual emergency. Can I wait until he gets back to me, which could be in the next couple of days? And what actually is it telling me?

[Calamber]

Is there a sticker or any information regarding who installed the filter? If not call a licensed plumber and give them info on the equipment (make) and ask them. I am assuming that the sand filter is for the water system or is it for the septic? If for the septic, contact a septic guy or gal with the above info.

[Chall]

“Another component in some septic systems is a Sand Filter. A Sand Filter is basically a giant bathtub installed in the ground, with different grades of gravel to sand at different stages put into it. Then there is a pump at the bottom. This pump waites until there is enough water to send a dose out to the drainfield.Now a Sand Filter is an Aerobic Environment. What does that mean? Okay, Simply put the bacteria in the Sand Filter need Oxygen to survive. The Sand filter does it’s treatment in an Aerobic state. If the pump was ever to fail the water would fill the Sand Filter, and then it would go Anaerobic, and die. Effectively drowning the Sand Filter, if you have one of these components, you need to call someone quickly. You don’t want your sand filter to drown. Sometimes, they won’t come back. and need replaced.”
From http://www.firstcallseptic.com/frequently-asked-questions/

[fanfayre]

It could be as simple as the pump to the sand filter has kicked off so the level in the tank has risen too high. Or it could be something much more serious that could mean your sand filter (and therefore your whole septic system) is damaged.
If your property manager hasn’t responded by now, contact your local health department for a list of septic practitioners in your immediate area who can come out and service it asap. Pay for it yourself if necessary. Even a company like RotoRooter would be fine.
You don’t want to keep using this system until you get the all-clear. Sorry to be the bearer of this type of instruction.
If you did get a response from your property manager, please let us know.