Lift Station Pump Repair for Commercial Properties

When a lift station pump fails, wastewater has nowhere to go, so the problem shows up at the lowest drain in the building. Brown Aerobic diagnoses and repairs lift station pumps for HOAs, apartments and businesses across seven counties. Call 832-789-5357.

Why do lift station pumps fail?

A pump in a wet well works in the worst conditions a motor can face: constantly wet, in corrosive air, and handling whatever the property sends down the drain. The most common problems are mechanical or electrical, and they often start small:

• Clogs. Wipes, rags, grease and other debris wrap around the impeller until the pump slows, hums or stops moving water.
• Worn parts. Impellers and seals wear over years of running, and a worn pump moves less water than it used to.
• Electrical faults. A tripped breaker, a failed relay or a fault in the control panel can stop a healthy pump from starting.
• Stuck or fouled floats. A float switch that hangs up tells the pump to stay off, or to run when it should not.

How do you find the cause?

A pump that will not run is not always a bad pump, so we work from the outside in instead of replacing parts and hoping. A repair visit generally goes in this order:

1. Ask what you have seen: alarms, noises, slow drains, odors, and when it started.
2. Check the breaker, the control panel and the alarm.
3. Check the floats to see whether they move freely and switch the pump on and off.
4. Look at the water level and the discharge piping, and check whether the pump is clogged or moving less water than it should.
5. Explain what we found and what it will take to fix it, with a free estimate before work begins.

If a pump is worn out beyond a sensible repair, we will say so and talk through your options with you.

Why does a second pump matter?

Many commercial stations use a duplex pump system, which has two pumps that alternate and back each other up. If one fails, the other keeps the station running, but only until someone notices. That is why a working alarm and a quick repair matter even when the station appears to be fine. A single-pump station has no backup at all.

What can you do before we arrive?

• Cut back on water use at the property, especially laundry, dishwashers and long showers.
• Check whether the station's breaker has tripped.
• Write down what the alarm is doing and what you have noticed, which helps us arrive prepared.
• Do not open the chamber unless you are trained to. A wet well can hold harmful gases and is not safe to enter.

How do I schedule a repair?

Call 832-789-5357 or request a quote online. Estimates are free, and Se habla español. Tell us the property type, how many stations there are and what you are seeing. For ongoing care, read about lift station maintenance contracts or see our full lift station service page.

Common questions