A: There's an old saying: "garbage in, garbage out." And that really applies to sewer ejectors.

If the pump keeps coming on throughout the day and no plumbing fixtures to the pump are turned on, something is wrong. It's usually one of three issues, and a licensed plumber needs to check things out to correct this problem since none of the three are normal conditions.

First, the plumber should check the toilet and fixtures going to the sewer ejector for leaks that may end up slowly running into the pit. Second, check the check valve on the ejector pump drain line to see if water is slowly draining back into the pit due to a leaking check valve. If they still can't find what's filling the pit, the tank cover has to come off the ejector pit and you need to see if the pit is filling up with ground water due to a rupture in the tank lining.

If the tank has cracked or has a hole in it, it needs to be replaced. Let's hope it's number one or two, you don't ever want to have number three in your sewer ejector pit. That can be a costly repair!