Sanivite 3 Problem water overflowing when soapy water needs pumping away

[dukes]

Hi


The following photos show my brothers Saniflo Sanivite configuration. Its connected to the washing machine, dishwasher and also the sink with a insinkerator waste food disposal.



The problem is that when the sink is used or washing machine the macerator overflows from the top and water leaks all over the place. This is getting to be a real hazzard now and I need to solve this problem. It seems the macerator sometimes can't handle the foamy soap that comes from using washing up liquid in the sink or the soapy washing machine water and then the pump stops working correctly and the macerator overflows as the water is not being pumped out rapidly enough or not at all.
Can anyone enlighten me as to what to do ? Is the configuration of pipes ok? should I be using a Sanivite (3) (I thought they were specially designed for use with waste water from washing machines and sinks).
Could I resolve the problem using an industrial type macerator?
Any help would be very much appreciated.

regards
dukes

 

[leethegasman]

Have a read of the installation instructions that will tell you what you have done wrong section 9 discharge connection also look at picture section 4

 

[chris watkins]

You are not going to tell me that a plumber installed that lot are you, dukes ?
It looks new & it must be cos it will not last too much longer.

The waste disposal into the pumping unit is a no no, & I would not put washing machines through them either cos of the high temp water as well as the soap but it is the use of the pressure pipe as the discharge pipe from the unit that is the real problem !!

How far does it run, how many fittings are on the run ? Is there any chance it could be replaced with 32mm waste pipe ??

 

[dancinplumba]

lol someone wants shooting

 

[Dannypipe]

Also the sweep on the tee's are the wrong way. There's not a lot that is right about that install TBH.

Infact it's totally awful.

 

[Howsie]

Scrub that. Get your brother to solve it by calling a plumber. It's a mess and needs the lot (plumbing and electrics) looking at.

 

[lame plumber]

I didnt realise you could get all those different parts in 2 saddle bags!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dukes]

You are not going to tell me that a plumber installed that lot are you, dukes ?
It looks new & it must be cos it will not last too much longer.

The waste disposal into the pumping unit is a no no, & I would not put washing machines through them either cos of the high temp water as well as the soap but it is the use of the pressure pipe as the discharge pipe from the unit that is the real problem !!

How far does it run, how many fittings are on the run ? Is there any chance it could be replaced with 32mm waste pipe ??

Hi
its not new its over 4 years old. If you can't use a sanivite with hot water then
why are saniflo marketing this rubbish to be used with washing machines or with soap ?. Is the pipework
really that bad functionally ? or just aesthetically displeasing to you guys?

Ill check the discharge pipe arrangement.

Builders installed this macerator when the flat was built so i assume they used a plumber albeit a crap one.

dukes

 

[Destroyer2813]

Nice pushfit on the discharge

 

[chris watkins]

Hi
its not new its over 4 years old. If you can't use a sanivite with hot water then
why are saniflo marketing this rubbish to be used with washing machines or with soap ?. Is the pipework
really that bad functionally ? or just aesthetically displeasing to you guys?

Ill check the discharge pipe arrangement.

Builders installed this macerator when the flat was built so i assume they used a plumber albeit a crap one.

dukes

They claim that they can take the discharge from hot W/M or dish washers but it's a plastic pump & as such does not like hot water, it's a personal view as to wether they are fit for that purpose.
Waste disposal unit (food scraps) is not a good idea, this is a pump only not a macerator & all the muck is just going to settle out in the tank, take it out & connect the sink waste direct.
Re-pipe 40mm waste complete (sweep of tee should be the other way as danny spotted) get the outlet hoses from the machines as close to the Sanivite as poss, have no idea what the other 22mm Hep connecting into the waste is, boiler condese ?
The 22mm Hep pipe being used as the outlet is not correct & is always going to be a problem it should be 32mm, as I said before, although it can be 3/4" it is the sharp 90 bends & the inserts that give the problems.
Not worth getting a bigger model as the waste size will just be more of a problem.

Hope that helps.

P.S. there are some people out there who call themselves a plumber & do some very bad work, however this was installed by the builder, I bet!!!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

the pushfit has got reduced bore due to the pipe inserts which will greatly impact on the operation of the sanivite

 

[Skelly87]

They claim that they can take the discharge from hot W/M or dish washers but it's a plastic pump & as such does not like hot water, it's a personal view as to wether they are fit for that purpose.
Waste disposal unit (food scraps) is not a good idea, this is a pump only not a macerator & all the muck is just going to settle out in the tank, take it out & connect the sink waste direct.
Re-pipe 40mm waste complete (sweep of tee should be the other way as danny spotted) get the outlet hoses from the machines as close to the Sanivite as poss, have no idea what the other 22mm Hep connecting into the waste is, boiler condese ?
The 22mm Hep pipe being used as the outlet is not correct & is always going to be a problem it should be 32mm, as I said before, although it can be 3/4" it is the sharp 90 bends & the inserts that give the problems.
Not worth getting a bigger model as the waste size will just be more of a problem.

Hope that helps.

P.S. there are some people out there who call themselves a plumber & do some very bad work, however this was installed by the builder, I bet!!!

My understanding of saniflos is that 22mm is ok. Although push fit is a no no. Its 22mm soldered with two 45degree elbows to form a long radius 90. Overflow pipe is also ok. With sani's its always best to increase the diameter of the pipe after the vertical. The horizontals should then have a suitable fall on them

 

[Skelly87]

My understanding of saniflos is that 22mm is ok. Although push fit is a no no. Its 22mm soldered with two 45degree elbows to form a long radius 90. Overflow pipe is also ok. With sani's its always best to increase the diameter of the pipe after the vertical. The horizontals should then have a suitable fall on them

Or a machine pulled bend on 22mm copper to form a 90 bend

 

[snowhead]

have no idea what the other 22mm Hep connecting into the waste is, boiler condese ?

That'll be the pump discharge coming back in....

 

[dukes]

They claim that they can take the discharge from hot W/M or dish washers but it's a plastic pump & as such does not like hot water, it's a personal view as to wether they are fit for that purpose.
Waste disposal unit (food scraps) is not a good idea, this is a pump only not a macerator & all the muck is just going to settle out in the tank, take it out & connect the sink waste direct.
Re-pipe 40mm waste complete (sweep of tee should be the other way as danny spotted) get the outlet hoses from the machines as close to the Sanivite as poss, have no idea what the other 22mm Hep connecting into the waste is, boiler condese ?
The 22mm Hep pipe being used as the outlet is not correct & is always going to be a problem it should be 32mm, as I said before, although it can be 3/4" it is the sharp 90 bends & the inserts that give the problems.
Not worth getting a bigger model as the waste size will just be more of a problem.

Hope that helps.

P.S. there are some people out there who call themselves a plumber & do some very bad work, however this was installed by the builder, I bet!!!

Hey Chris you don't think I fitted this do you or am I misreading your last comment in the P.S. above?? I didn't fit any of this believe me I wouldn't know where to start.

 

[Mike Jackson]

My understanding of saniflos is that 22mm is ok. Although push fit is a no no. Its 22mm soldered with two 45degree elbows to form a long radius 90. Overflow pipe is also ok. With sani's its always best to increase the diameter of the pipe after the vertical. The horizontals should then have a suitable fall on them

Sanivite needs to be 32mm outlet.

 

[Avatar]

A sanivite is 32mm outlet pipe size:

- It should be able to handle a washing machine/dish washer ok although I would clean regularly with this type - as I do with ones I have installed.

- I think a waste disposal unit is a complete no no as it would block the machine (check manufacturers instructions)

I think it must have bee Bodge the Builder that fitted this as even a bad plumber would not be this bad!!!

You may have to get a new unit anyway but get a proper plumber to fit it this time and redo all pipework properly. If installed like this would invalidate the manufacturers guarentee . . . .

 

[chris watkins]

Hey Chris you don't think I fitted this do you or am I misreading your last comment in the P.S. above?? I didn't fit any of this believe me I wouldn't know where to start.

No, just making the point that some builders who carry out plumbing work do not have a clue !!!
Do you think it would be possible to replace the outlet in 32mm ?

 

[Dannypipe]

On the subject of the soapy water, I can imagine the froth will come out from the air vent at the top. As it won't be able to distinguish it from water.

This is besides the point. That install is a pigs ear.

 

[dukes]

No, just making the point that some builders who carry out plumbing work do not have a clue !!!
Do you think it would be possible to replace the outlet in 32mm ?

Hi Chris yes i think that would be possible.
The issue of re doing the pipework for the sink
disposal would be difficult as the run to the soil pipe where this water gets pumped is under the floorboards or between plasterboard walls
So access is not going to be easy and would result in high costs for sure .
As a minimum would increasing the pipe width solve the issue of the unit overflowing ?

 

[Mike Jackson]

I would re pipe the outlet in 32 as the manufacturers instructions and remove the waste disposal completely anf fit a basket strainer waste to the sink. Waster disposal units are the work of the devil in a normal drainage situation, let alone one like this.

 

[dukes]

They claim that they can take the discharge from hot W/M or dish washers but it's a plastic pump & as such does not like hot water, it's a personal view as to wether they are fit for that purpose.
Waste disposal unit (food scraps) is not a good idea, this is a pump only not a macerator & all the muck is just going to settle out in the tank, take it out & connect the sink waste direct.
Re-pipe 40mm waste complete (sweep of tee should be the other way as danny spotted) get the outlet hoses from the machines as close to the Sanivite as poss, have no idea what the other 22mm Hep connecting into the waste is, boiler condese ?
The 22mm Hep pipe being used as the outlet is not correct & is always going to be a problem it should be 32mm, as I said before, although it can be 3/4" it is the sharp 90 bends & the inserts that give the problems.
Not worth getting a bigger model as the waste size will just be more of a problem.

Hope that helps.

P.S. there are some people out there who call themselves a plumber & do some very bad work, however this was installed by the builder, I bet!!!

Hi Chris
Going back to this problem. Would installing a macerator with a 22mm outlet be better then that would match the 22mm discharge pipe. I am assuming the problem is in the matching of the widths of the macerator outlet and the discharge pipe. I had a plumber come over and he said that to change the pipework was going to be very expensive as all the pipework is under the floorboards and would therefore require most of the room to be taken apart to get at it. That's not an option so I need another solution. So would changing to a 22mm macerator be better?

regards
Dukes

 

[rpm]

Most of the faults have already been pointed out but the main faults here are the waste disposal unit being connected to what is a water pump so after +4yrs I would expect the tank to be 80% full of debris meaning the water being pumped out from the washing machine has nowhere to go hence the leak from the air vent, the other main fault is the size of the discharge pipe which should be 32mm.
First thing to do is remove the lid and remove as much debris as you can by hand then whilst you are in there find the black rubber oval shaped membrane which is low down under the electrical chamber, this should feel soft, smooth and flexiable, if it feels ribbed or distorted then replace it.
To assemble the unit first fit the rubber lid seal to the tank then put the lid on, note you may need a mallet to get the lid on as they are a tight fit. This should get it working and buy you time to have the pipe work changed.
Note, The Vite is able to deal with hot water at around 60 degrees for short bursts and 35 degrees for longer run times but small bore pipe on the discharge will kill it.

 

[rpm]

Just to add the Vite is the correct model for this install and replacing with a 22mm discharge bore macerator pump will not help as they are designed for cold water use so void any warranty. If you don`t want to change the pipe then as already said be prepared to clean it out every 6-9 months and replace it every 4-5 yrs instead of 7-11 yrs.