Grinder pump alarm troubleshooter
Short answer
Stop using water and leave the panel and basin closed. Use the tool to find your next step. If sewage is backing up, or you see smoke or sparks, use the emergency guidance below.
Choose what you see or hear: a flashing or steady red light, a horn, an alarm after rain or a power outage, or an immediate hazard. For a flashing light, the tool checks your utility and whether you have the Keen panel documented by BCSS.
The result gives a safe first step and links to more detail. Leave the panel and basin closed.
All outcomes
Every answer the troubleshooter can reach, with the same guidance as the interactive tool.
Keep clear and make the call
Stop using water. Keep people and pets away from sewage, floodwater and the equipment. For sewage backing up or overflowing, call the utility or pump service provider now. For floodwater near the equipment, stay clear and call your utility for guidance. If you see smoke, fire or active sparking, move away and call 911.
BCSS Keen: high wastewater level
On the Keen station documented by Baldwin County Sewer Service (BCSS), a flashing red alarm means the wastewater level in the basin is above normal. Stop using water and call BCSS promptly at (251) 971-3022. The light does not tell you which part failed.
BCSS: confirm the panel type
Stop using water. BCSS has installed more than one panel type, so the light pattern alone cannot identify the cause. Call BCSS at (251) 971-3022 for the next step; give them the panel model if you can read it from outside.
Call Gulf Shores Utilities now
Gulf Shores Utilities asks you to call (251) 968-6323 whenever the red alarm light comes on, even briefly or after hours. Stop using water and call the utility now.
The panel model matters
A flashing red light has different meanings on different panels. Stop using water, leave the panel and basin closed, and contact the sewer utility or whoever maintains your pump. If you can safely read the outside label, give them the panel model and the light's label.
Treat the red light as an alarm
Stop using water. A steady red light can be a high-level alarm even without a horn. Some panels also have a separate seal or trouble light. Read its label from outside if safe. On Gulf Shores Utilities or BCSS, call the utility for guidance. For any other system, check who services the pump before arranging a repair.
Stop using water and check who to call
If your panel has a clearly marked external silence button and it is safe to reach, you may use it. Silencing the horn does not clear the alarm. On BCSS, Gulf Shores Utilities or a utility-maintained station, call the utility. If sewage is backing up, call now.
Power is still out
A grinder pump cannot move wastewater without power. Keep water use to a minimum and do not rely on the panel to sound an alarm. If sewage backs up or overflows, stop all water use and call for help now.
Power is back and the alarm is on
Stop using water and check the utility's instructions before waiting. Call promptly for a flashing red alarm on a BCSS Keen station, or any red alarm on Gulf Shores Utilities. E/One allows up to an hour after power returns on its documented stations when the utility gives no earlier instruction and there is no backup or overflow. Do not cycle the breaker to clear the alarm.
The alarm has cleared
If there is no backup or overflow and the alarm stays off, the station may have caught up. If the alarm returns, contact whoever services the pump. Gulf Shores Utilities asks to hear about any red alarm, even one that clears.
Alarm after heavy rain
Stop using water. Rainwater may be entering the system, but the alarm alone cannot confirm that. Stay away from floodwater and leave the equipment closed. Call promptly for a BCSS Keen flashing red alarm or any Gulf Shores Utilities red alarm. If sewage is backing up or spilling, call for help immediately.
Before you start
The safe steps you can take from outside.
- Silencing the horn does not clear the alarm. E-One's spec says the light stays on until the tank level falls below the alarm switch's off setting, and Keen's panel manual says the toggle quiets the horn and leaves the light on.
- Water in is the problem. Every extra gallon shortens the time you have. E-One's guide says to keep wastewater to a minimum so repairs can be made within the station's reserve.
- Keep clear of any wet electrical equipment. If you see sewage backing up or overflowing, make the call now.
What the tool asks and why
A panel can flash to show high wastewater or another condition. The tool checks for the BCSS Keen alarm and the Gulf Shores call rule. For other panels, give the service provider the model and the exact indicator that is flashing.
Where it sends you
The result links to the utility rule, symptom guide or emergency page that fits your answer. If you are not sure who maintains the pump, use the sewer utility lookup.
Questions people ask
The horn stopped but the red light is still on. Is it fixed?
Silencing a horn only quiets the sound. If a light stays on, stop using water and follow the utility and model-specific instructions.
Can the tool tell me if my pump is dead?
It can tell you what the panel is reporting and what the manufacturer says that usually means. Whether the pump, the float, the panel or the check valve is at fault takes a technician at the panel with a meter.
Does it cover sewage ejector pump and lift station alarms?
The questions are written for grinder pump panels. For an indoor sewage ejector or a lift station, check its own alarm label and contact the service provider for that system.
Sources and facts
- E-One: the visual alarm stays lit until the level drops below the alarm switch off setting; silence button only quiets the horn. E/One D-Series Semi-Positive Displacement Type Grinder Pump Stations specification, eone.com/images/files/d-series-spec.pdf p.9 (read 2026-11-04)
- Keen panel: toggle down silences the horn and leaves the light on. Keen Pump General O&M, Control Panel, keenpump.com/… p.4 (read 2026-11-04)
- E-One: minimize wastewater going in; repairs should be carried out within the storage period; frequent alarms warrant service; alarm in rain means rainwater may be entering; after a power failure the alarm may sound until the unit clears, call if still on an hour after power is restored. E/One Owners Guide (LM000403 Rev G), eone.com/… p.5-6 (read 2026-11-04)
- The BCSS Keen station manual says flashing red signals high wastewater and to stop water use and call the utility promptly. GSU asks for a call at any red alarm. BCSS, Grinder Pump FAQs, www.baldwincountysewer.com/…; BCSS-distributed Grinder Station User Guide (Keen KPCGSL21 station with generator connection), www.baldwincountysewer.com/… p.13; Gulf Shores Utilities, Grinder Pump page, www.gulfshoresutilities.com/grinder-pump (read 2026-11-04)
- Keen and Myers: a red light at the control box can mean seal leak / moisture rather than high water. Keen Pump O&M-KPCG, 1 HP Progressive Cavity Submersible Grinder Sewage Pumps, keenpump.com/… p.8; Pentair Myers Owner's Manual 23833A744, 2 HP Submersible Sewage Grinder Pump WG20/WGX20, www.pentair.com/… p.8 (read 2026-11-04)
- Myers: yellow run light stays on for Hand mode, failed level control, partially clogged grinder, clogged check valve or closed valve, air lock. Pentair Myers Owner's Manual 23833A744, 2 HP Submersible Sewage Grinder Pump WG20/WGX20, www.pentair.com/… p.9 (read 2026-11-04)
- E-One Sentry: Trouble light for brownout, run-dry, system over-pressure, run-time limit exceeded. E/One Sentry Alarm Panels brochure (LM000323 Rev H), eone.com/… p.1 (read 2026-11-04)
Related
- Grinder Pump Problems: Symptoms, Causes and What to Do
- Grinder Pump Alarm Going Off: What to Do Right Now
- Grinder Pump Alarm Keeps Going Off? Why It Returns
- Grinder Pump Red Light On But No Alarm: What It Means
- How to Silence or Reset a Grinder Pump Alarm Safely
- Grinder Pump Power Outage Guide: What to Do
- Grinder Pump Control Panel Repair and Replacement
- Grinder Pump Emergency: What to Do Right Now
Need a gentleman at the pump?
Tell us what the panel is doing and where you are. We reply with the next safe step and a visit time.