Saniflo wc blockage overflow?

[devs]

Hi all I wondered if someone could offer some advice. We have a bathroom below ground level. A Saniflo is used for the wc sink and shower.

My misses blocked the toilet with toilet paper and whilst flushing and trying to unblock I noticed that the Saniflo is overflowing.

I'm now stuck and unsure what to do?? I'm reluctant to try and continue to unblock the toilet knowing that the Saniflo is overflowing.

Any thoughts on what route I should take to resolve the problem?

Why would a saniflow overflow and what can I do to resolve?

Many thanks,

Devs

 

[devs]

Ps not the job I had planed for the back holiday weekend!

 

[HERTS P&D]

Sell the house, failing that give it away, if that doesn't work pay someone to take it or burn it down. To give you a clue - these ghastly instruments of the Devil are French. Add the French and lavatorial engineering - now see why I say get out while you can. Moreover this particular Frenchman was a lunatic with strong Anglophobic tendencies and a bad case of coprophilia.

I am quite sure the designer was also an ex-submariner Frenchman who missed the strangled screams of seamen who had got the valve sequence wrong in the submarines toilet and just been rinsed down with a few gallons of seawater (and the recently donated contents of the bowl).

They break down at the slightest opportunity. The only thing you can actually guarantee about them is that they will break down - very frequently. Basically the only way of maintaining the slightest semblance of serviceability is to impose on pain of repair the same rules as for a small yachts sea toilet - if it hasn't passed through you it doesn't go in the bowl.

They have an interesting design. The motor has poor starting torque and the macerator lots of tiny teeth. Ergo anything that has strands in it catches on the teeth and stops the motor from starting. Things with strands include anything with cotton wool (including cotton wool buds) and anything with cloth. Females in particular must not be allowed anywhere near these devices. If you were unfortunate enough to have the added misery of a sink (oh dear - you were warned) then add hair, strands from woolly pullovers and almost anything else that's at all fibrous.

When they break (which they will - that's an absolute certainty) their endearing characteristic is that you are left with a bowl full of whatever which you have to empty back the way it came and more importantly many feet of 40mm pipe still full of minced whatever. When you disconnect the pipe I'll give you one guess where its going to go. Repairing or unblocking them is the most thoroughly revolting job.

Now to get to specifics - the pulsing is a fault in either installation or the pressure switch. Does it pulse with just the cold water tap running from the sink? The way they work is a low pressure trip switch switches on the motor when the small holding tank is full. This tank remains partially full all the time. If its pulsing either the switch has too low a hysteresis or water isn't getting into it fast enough. The motor should remain on for a few seconds after everything has emptied so that pulsing you are seeing shouldn't be happening.

As the failure rate of these diabolical things is worse than that of a F104 Starfighter I'd suggest you get the installer back (preferably to remove it forever). If it was installed by yourself then self flagellation with a few lengths of barbed wire and a call to the Saniflo people might be in order.

hope that helps

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

The above is the rant from Peter Parry.

 

[flameport]

Why would a saniflow overflow

Because they can - the waste is pumped upwards under pressure, so any minor blockage and the pressurised waste is pumped into the room instead.

and what can I do to resolve?

20m³ of readymix concrete poured into the room will ensure no one has to go near the satanic contraption ever again.

 

[devs]

Hahaha thanks men and love the rant by andy

So what's the best course of action? Is the blockage likely to have traveled to the saniflo? Would I need to disconnect and open this?

Cheers,

Devs.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Turn the power supply off to the saniflo.
Go and buy a wet vac from wickes (£40)
Remove the pipe leading from the saniflo and try to suck out the blockage with the wet vac, not a very nice job.
Refit the pie work turn on mains and test.

Or you could try and remove the lid from the saniflo and suck out the contents from there. (with power off) Also be careful of the sharp blades inside the unit.

Try the first option first.

If that fails call out a saniflo engineer.

Andy

 

[devs]

Any many thanks for the help mate. Did as you said and all fixed .

Appreciated.

Devs.

 

[Agile]

So what was the actual problem that had stopped it pumping out?

 

[devs]

Hi there was a blockage in the toilet pipe. Thankfully now all fixed!