Saniflo Sanitop query!

[tomd1983]

Hello all,

I have just bought a house that has a sanitop macerator unit installed in the second bathroom. I've got a bit of a problem that I was hoping someone could help me with...

The unit seems to work (noisily) and pumps when the toilet is flushed. The only problem I currently have with it is that most of the time it seems to pump for a lot longer that it needs to. Sometimes it operates for under 10s to clear the water, while other times it can go on for over a minute. The unit is empty as no water is coming out the other end of the pipe, but the pump keeps going...

Now, as I did not install this unit, I have not seen it operating as new, so have no experience as to whether it is currently operating normally or abnormally (I also hav eno knowledge of how old it is and how it's been treated). I descaled it (switched it off, flushed tablet, left it) this afternoon, but it hasn't really had an effect.

Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Tom.

ps. the unit is a few years old I expect, so if anyone knows whether the newer models are quieter than this one is, please let me know - might just replace it if I can get a newer quieter one...

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I dont have a vast knowlege of these but would hazard a guess the level sensor is broken or gunged up, hence its not switching off. Running it 'dry' probably wont help it, hence its getting noisier. Personally i'd be minded to replace it sooner rather than later, trying to disconnect them when the outlet is full is not pleasant, at least while its working you can send a few flushes through it to clean the pipework out!

Where does it discharge to? Im surprised you can see the discharge point, should be bossed into a stack AFAIK.

 

[ade2k]

we replace quite a lot of these and we never open them. They useally leak from the outlet connector on unit or from under the lid part on side. I would imaging it that if you opened it to clean the float sensor or whatever it would never seal right. Just keep using it till it leaks or packs up. then replace

 

[tomd1983]

Thanks for the responses.

I think it must be some sensor inside - when I finished cleaning it I switched it back on and it carried on pumping for ages again. I then flushed it as soon as it had stopped and the unit did not operate for a good 5 - 10 minutes later. This makes me think that it might be running untill the motor overheats, and it could only run again once it had cooled down. It ran for ages the second time as well.

Guess I'd better start looking in to a new one - this one sounds like it's on its way out.

 

[Garfeild]

I think Saniflo have their own engineers (not a job i would want to do ) you could call them out,i dont know at what cost,it may be better to put the money towards a new unit.

 

[kaithavallapil]

I have fitted one of these myself to create an understairs toilet and it has worked fine for years. One important thing to do is de-scale it regularly because the build up of scale can cause problems. Have you tried descaling it?

The new Sanitops are almost identical to mine (which is over 10 years old) and it is simply a case of swapping new for old. If you've managed to take it off to clean it you can fit a new one. I can't say whether the new ones are quieter - I doubt it as I used a bog in a newish building which had a new Sanitop and it was just as loud. It depends on the acoustics of the room... vibrations through the floor etc.

Saniflo engineers are horrendously expensive! Do it yourself. At least this way you'll know what has been done.