The usual culprits are wet wipes in the impeller, a stuck float switch, a faulty non-return valve or an overheated motor. We pump out the tank, lift out the pump, find the cause and repair or replace the pump in Riga and the Riga region.
Symptoms and possible causes
| Symptom | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| The pump hums but does not pump | The impeller is blocked by wipes or rags; on a single-phase motor, the capacitor may be faulty |
| The pump does not switch on | The float switch is stuck in grease or tangled with the cable; the motor's thermal protection has tripped; no power |
| Switches on and off very often | The non-return valve does not close, and water from the pressure pipe flows back into the tank; the float setting is too narrow |
| Runs non-stop | The float is stuck in the up position; groundwater or rainwater is getting into the tank; a leak in the pressure pipe |
| The circuit breaker or RCD trips | Water in the motor section (worn seal), a damaged cable or winding |
| The pump runs, but the water level rises | Worn impeller, clogged pressure pipe or a frozen section of it, pump too weak for the inflow |
| High-level alarm | One of the causes above, because of which the pump cannot keep up with the inflow |
While the pump is not working, limit your water use: the tank has only a small reserve, and once it is full, water can back up through the sewer.
Repair or a new pump
A repair pays off if the fault is outside the motor: a clogged impeller, a stuck or faulty float switch, non-return valve, cable or capacitor. We recommend a new pump if the motor has burnt out, water has got into the motor section, or the impeller and housing are worn and the pump has already served a long time.
When choosing a new pump, we compare:
- flow rate and head according to the manufacturer's performance curve, taking into account the length of the pressure pipe and the height difference;
- impeller type: with a grinder (for a narrow pressure pipe and long distances) or free-flow (vortex) if the pressure pipe is wider;
- voltage (230 V or 400 V) and control type: a built-in float or a separate control box;
- mounting (whether the new pump fits the existing guide rail and pressure pipe coupling).
If the pump station is too small or the tank itself is damaged, a new sewage pump station may be the better option.
How the repair works
- Pumping out the tank We pump out the tank with a vacuum tanker so that the pump can be reached and the work is not done in sewage.
- Lifting the pump We lift the pump along the guide rail or by its chain and disconnect it from the pressure pipe.
- Diagnostics We check the impeller and cutter, the seal, the winding and cable insulation, the capacitor, the float switch and the non-return valve.
- Repair or replacement We clean and replace the faulty parts or install a new pump with a suitable performance curve.
- Cleaning the tank We remove grease and sediment from the walls and floats and set the switch-on and switch-off levels.
- Test We fill the tank with water and check several cycles and the high-level alarm.
How to prevent the fault from recurring
- Wet wipes, hygiene products and cooking oil must not go into the sewer, as they are the most common cause of pump blockages.
- Flush the tank regularly and check the floats; how often depends on the load.
- Install a high-level alarm if there is none (with a GSM notification if the house is often empty).
- Do not connect rainwater or drainage water to a household pump station.
- For a guesthouse or a business, consider two pumps: a duty pump and a standby.
For pump stations in water utility networks, LBN 223-15 requires one standby pump (exception: a flow rate of up to 3 l/s if the system can store at least 25% of the daily volume). For a private house station, a second pump is chosen according to the risk.
Source, checked on 30 October 2026: Cabinet Regulation No. 327 of 30.06.2015 “Regulations on Latvian Construction Standard LBN 223-15 “Sewerage Structures””, point 117 (version of 09.09.2020); LBN 223-15 does not apply to the internal sewerage of buildings.
How much does it cost?
The repair price is set by the diagnostics: replacing a float switch or a non-return valve costs differently from a new pump. Pumping out the tank before the repair is charged at the septic tank pumping rate. The price is also affected by the tank depth, access and the distance outside Riga.