Saniflo broke again - plumbers advice..?

horsepills

Hi,
We've lived in an old (1850) terraced house for around 5 years. The upstairs loo has always had a saniflo unit installed - I'm told because the waste pipe is too small.

Trouble is, over the 5 years we've had numerous instances of the damned thing blocking up & leaking everywhere, often down to just toilet paper clogging up in the macerator.

Over the last few days it's been leaking again, because the "pump" doesn't seem to be kicking in when it fills up with water. Funnily enough, when I take the fuse out of the wall and pop it back in, the pump instantly works - it's just not working of it's own accord when it fills up with water, and consequently leaks.

Now, I'm no plumber, and I've already spent a fortune on this infernal machine. So - I'm thinking of buying a new unit & getting someone to fit it for me. Any ideas how much it will cost?? I know the units are around £300 but getting someone to install it is another matter. I could do it myself (I think!) but will I invalidate a warranty by doing this??

Lastly, and most importantly, is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to have a saniflo??? It is the single most unreliable and annoying thing I've ever had to put up with! And my heavily pregnant wife doesn't much enjoy trapsing across the house & downstairs every time she needs the loo in the middle of the night!

Canucklehead

Hi

I have had the pleasure of not working on one of these for quite a few years.
A couple of things I found when I did;
There is a rubber diaphragm inside that over time hardens a little and therefore doesn't flex enough to hit the micro switch to run the motor.(unless this has been modified)
One I did had a blown capacitor internally.
I agree they are a nasty thing to own but do serve a purpose.
Is it possible you have a loose connection in the fused switch?

Difficult to say if you MUST have one ,would need to see the house and drains etc.
I would say it's DIYable.

Corgi Guy.

moonrakerz

I have just (today !) had a Saniflo fitted after doing a lot of investigative work on the pros and cons of these machines.

Most of the problems appear to be caused by mis-use. Only put human waste and soft toilet tissue in them. No sanitary wear, no condoms, no cotton buds - nothing, they are not designed for that and the instructions say that quite clearly.
Has yours got a notice on it to that effect warning users? it should have.

A friend who is a builder (who has one) says apart from following that rule another good tip is to always flush it once a day, even if it isn't used as toilet, just to flush the pipes through.
If you are going away for a while, flush it several times to make sue that there is only water in the pipes and the macerator. Any solid waste may harden and cuause a blockage.

Of course, any machine will wear out over time anyway.

Canucklehead

Most of the problems appear to be caused by mis-use. Only put human waste and soft toilet tissue in them. No sanitary wear, no condoms, no cotton buds - nothing, they are not designed for that and the instructions say that quite clearly.
Has yours got a notice on it to that effect warning users? it should have.

The only snag is that little kids can't read,and won't tell you if they have 'done anything to the toilet ' in the event of a problem.
Then there's the grown ups who say 'It's only cotton wool I didn't think it would matter'

Corgi Guy.

scottishf

our Saniflo has also given up. There doesnt appear to be any Saniflo engineers anywhere near me. Do normal plumbers fix these or do they have to be a specialised saniflo plumber?. Have tried changing the fuse thing, but it doesnt seem to be working anyone go any suggestions?

Canucklehead

Hi
You only need a strong stomach and latex gloves.
As a Saniflo repair person you would have spares in the van so one visit should fix it.

Reasons for failure... see above.Haven't fitted or needed to touch one for some years now. Suits me just fine.

Corgi Guy.

ormus

agree with all of the above. they are a nightmare. but useful in certain places.
and yes, most problems are caused by items that shouldnt be put inside it.
anyone who has one, really needs to learn some diy. otherwise the plumbers bills will bite you in the ar se.

islagran

just moved into property with saniflo, which has just broken. Shower and loo and sink backing up. Left message for registered engineer. How much is it likely to cost? and what do I do if he doesn't return call or is on holiday? as only 1 engineer registered in this area, shropshire.

muckybutt

S*itty job I know but if he doesnt reply then its marigold time and a cut down plastic bottle to empty the muck out of it.

Always make sure the power is off to the unit before you put your hands anywhere near the inside workings of the macerator.

topsales

Used to have one of these - seemed to block if one as much as looked at it the wrong way. And cost a fortune to fix...would NEVER have one again.

Owain_Moneysaver

Saniflows are neither sanitary nor much use as a lavatory. They are
moderately good at flushing perfectly clean water.

See what Peter Parry in uk.d-i-y says about them