Every pump fails eventually. A level alarm is what tells you before a sewage pit overflows into the yard, a stormwater pit floods a basement, or a rainwater tank runs dry. It's the cheapest part of a pump system and often the one that saves the most.
The level alarms PSA stocks are all Maxijet units. Per the listings, they warn when an effluent, greywater or rainwater tank or pump pit is full or empty, triggered by a float switch on a low voltage float circuit.
Start with the job
- High level alarm: the usual choice for pump pits and septic or treatment tanks. It sounds when the level rises above where the pump should have started, meaning the pump has failed, tripped or can't keep up.
- Low level alarm: for supply tanks, to warn before a rainwater or bore tank runs dry and a pump runs empty.
- High and low: the FPC-12664 ($1,728.05) does both from one unit.
Then the power supply
The most important question is what happens in a power cut. A pump station that loses power stops pumping, so the alarm is most needed exactly when mains power is gone.
- Mains powered: the Standard (FPC-12650, $430.05) and Deluxe (FPC-12651, $567.55) alarms. Both are also sold with a 10m float switch included (FPC-12650-10M, $463.05; FPC-12651-10M, $617.05).
- Battery back-up: FPC-12657 ($2,069.05), for sites where an alarm during a power cut matters.
- Battery with solar charge: FPC-12658 ($2,459.55), for remote sites with no mains power at the tank.
- 12V DC: the Deluxe 12V DC (FPC-12663, $760.05), for low voltage systems.
Then where it goes and who hears it
- Flush mount: FPC-12656 ($435.55), for a neat install in a wall.
- Metal enclosure: the Deluxe metal enclosure (FPC-12670, $947.05) has a voltage-free 5A auxiliary output, works up to 50m from the tank, and has a buzzer with mute that auto-silences after 5 minutes, with an LED pilot light and/or strobe that stays on until cleared.
- Remote alarms and strobes: if the alarm unit is somewhere nobody goes, add a remote alarm where people are. Options are the 240V AC remote with strobe and mute (FPC-12653, $760.05), the 12V DC remote with indicator and mute (FPC-12652, $760.05), or a remote strobe on its own (FPC-12655, $336.55).
- SMS notification: FPC-12651-SMS ($4,379.05), which sends a text message, for unattended sites, rental properties and commercial stations.
Installing it so it works
- Float height. Set the alarm float above the pump's start level but well below where the pit overflows or backs up into the building, so there's time to act.
- Separate float. Use a dedicated float for the alarm, not the pump's own float, so a stuck pump float doesn't also silence the alarm. See our float switch guide.
- Somewhere it'll be noticed. An alarm in a garage nobody visits might as well not be there. Mount it, or a remote, where people will see and hear it.
- Test it. Lift the float by hand every few months to check it sounds.
- Compliance. Many councils require a high level alarm on sewage pump stations and treatment systems. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
For packaged pump stations that include an alarm, see the Maxijet MPS. All alarms are available to order on backorder; contact PSA to confirm lead time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a pump pit need a high level alarm?
It should have one. Many councils require a high level alarm on sewage pump stations and treatment systems, and on any pit it's the only warning before an overflow.
Will a level alarm work in a power cut?
Only if it has its own power. Choose a battery back-up or solar battery model, such as the Maxijet FPC-12657 or FPC-12658, if the alarm must work when mains power is off.
Can a level alarm send a text message?
Yes. The Maxijet FPC-12651-SMS sends an SMS notification, which suits unattended or remote sites.
Should the alarm use the same float as the pump?
No. Use a separate float for the alarm, so a stuck pump float doesn't also stop the alarm sounding.