How to deal with failed macerator

[d000hg]

Wife just messaged me to say our macerator has stopped working... It's been sounding a bit tough for a few days.

This means our shower tray is full of water AND the toilet is dirty (not quite sure how that happened).

No idea if the thing can be serviced or fixed but unlikely we can get anyone to even look at it over the weekend.
Are there any tips on anything we can do in the interim?
Are the units built in a way a non skilled DIY person can get in to investigate without flooding the house... Do they have isolators built in for example so you can open them easily?

Ta.

 

[durhamplumber]

Wife just messaged me to say our macerator has stopped working... It's been sounding a bit tough for a few days.

This means our shower tray is full of water AND the toilet is dirty (not quite sure how that happened).

No idea if the thing can be serviced or fixed but unlikely we can get anyone to even look at it over the weekend.
Are there any tips on anything we can do in the interim?
Are the units built in a way a non skilled DIY person can get in to investigate without flooding the house... Do they have isolators built in for example so you can open them easily?

Ta.

I do not think they have isolators,but if you try and remove the top,possibly the contents of your toilet will be all over.Be careful.And turn off electrics in case it springs into action.

 

[muggles]

@just pumps is the best person to help you I think.

 

[Newboy]

1) Isolate power and aquavac as much water as you can from the shower tray and wc pan, get decent gloves and disconnect from the pan spigot, shower waste pipe and pumped out pipework (and pray that the non return valve is firmly shut!) - chances are there's something wound around the macerating blades.

2) Or call and book a service visit from the manufacturer

3) Retain evidence of whatever was wound round the blades and explain (very forcefully) to whoever put whatever down the pan that, should it happen again, they will be responsible for removing the non-shredable item.

 

[durhamplumber]

whoever put whatever down the pan that, should it happen again, they will be responsible for removing the non-shredable item.

Lol...top tip!

 

[Newboy]

Sorry - my first reply assumed that it's a Saniflo type or equivalent clone.

If it's a Grundfos type then post back - they're considerably easier to clear if it's a blade jam.

 

[Mottie]

I repaired my Saniflo with advice from just pumps on here. It was just a six quid capacitor.
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/any-saniflo-experts-on-here.496359/

 

[just pumps]

If you`re feeling lucky, buy a cheap wet-vac, and then get the suction hose of the wet-vac as near to the toilet pan U-bend as you can then turn the vac on and whatever it is may be sucked out.

Will need make & model to advise any other action.

 

[just pumps]

Sorry - my first reply assumed that it's a Saniflo type or equivalent clone.

If it's a Grundfos type then post back - they're considerably easier to clear if it's a blade jam.

That really depends on model and age of unit before you can make such a sweeping statement mate.

 

[Newboy]

That really depends on model and age of unit before you can make such a sweeping statement mate

A fair point - my apologies

 

[d000hg]

So here it is. There's a pipe going in from the sink too that you can't see, opposite the one bottom right (shower).

Nothing obviously clogging it. When we connect power it runs continuously make a kind of growling noise and the water in the shower doesn't really go anywhere. Flushing the toilet seems to work though... Are there separate pumps/blades for each inlet?

 

[just pumps]

Not straight forward to remove the lid, sounds like it needs a good clean out and service from here, might need a part or two and sorry but it`s not really a diy job plus it`s not going to be nice once the lid is removed.

 

[d000hg]

Not straight forward to remove the lid, sounds like it needs a good clean out and service from here, might need a part or two and sorry but it`s not really a diy job plus it`s not going to be nice once the lid is removed.

Are these things designed to be serviced and repairable, rather than just be replaced when they fail £££?
Another one died completely a few months back and we just got it replaced, assuming it was non repairable.

Is it possible just one inlet/valve is blocked then? We had assumed it was due to hair, is that likely?

 

[just pumps]

They are designed to be serviced and repairable, hope you`re not believing that that one is a few months old. Inlet blocked wouldn`t make it continue to run.

 

[d000hg]

They are designed to be serviced and repairable, hope you`re not believing that that one is a few months old. Inlet blocked wouldn`t make it continue to run.

No no, a different one in another room failed.