Information about Macerator problems and cures
Martin Smith, an experienced emergency plumber and a gas safe engineer explains about the Macerator problems and cures. The first thing about the understanding and the knowledge about what the macerator is and how it works. The macerator is built to take in sanitation and pump it out to the drains. The most asked questions, about macerators is listed below.
Top 11 questions to macerator problem and cures:
- What does a macerator do?
- How to fit a macerator?
- What happens when I put the wrong substance in my macerator?
- My macerator is not working, is my landlord responsible for this?
- Are macerators noisy?
- How much do macerators cost and how much should I expect to pay to get it fitted?
- How long do macerators last for?
- Does my macerator also take other waste appliances?
- Do I require a plumber to fit my macerator?
- Is it safe to work on my own macerator?
- How do I fix a broken macerator?
What does a macerator do
Macerators are built for pumping out waste from the toilet and other waste waters rather that relying on a standard waste pipe.
How to fit a macerator
Each macerator is different, so it is very important to follow the instruction to the manual, but as a rough guide, most macerators slide behind the toilet that has already been fit and very easily you can normally pull the rubber over the outlet of the toilet from the macerator. You then need to plumb in the outlet from the macerator to the soil pipe or stack. Once this has been done, then it is very important to have an electrician, otherwise you maybe breaking regulation and the law.
What happens when I put the wrong substance in my macerator
If you put the wrong substance down the toilet, then this will jam or block up the rota and the outlet waste that is pumping out, resulting in calling out an emergency plumber.
My Macerator is blocked is it the landlord responsible
If the macerator is blocked, it is the responsibility of the landlord to make sure it is save. As long as there is a main toilet in the house, the landlord is in his rights to book in an emergency plumber on a normal weekday, however, if the fault of the macerator is due to misuse, then the responsibility is then down to the tenant. It is a good idea to find out if there is power to the macerator, because it can determine if the macerator needs replacing or not.
Are macerators noisy
Martin believes macerators are noisy but only as noisy as a dishwasher or a washing machine.
How much do macerators cost and how much should I expect to pay to get it fitted
Macerators can range between, £160 to £700 depending on the manufacture, the guarantee, the name and what the macerators will be used for. A decent macerator Martin would recommend would cost about £290 to £700. To get a macerator fitted would cost about on average £500
How long do macerators last for
The general rule about macerators, is that the machine is an added 2nd toilet and is only built good enough for small amount of traffic, which should at least last for up to 15 years depending on the use. In an average used home as a main bathroom, then you would expect a macerator to last about 10 years. If the macerator is being used in a high traffic such as on a commercial premises, then you would expect about 3 years, however there are special macerators that are made more suitable for the commercial side, but expect to pay about £700 for this or more.
Does my macerator also take other appliance
Depending what macerator you have, a macerator can take all types of soil waste, as long as it is within the guidelines and there are no solids going down such as kitchen waste or wet wipes.
Do I require a plumber to fit a macerator
As long as the instructions are followed correctly in full and meet’s all regulations then an emergency plumber is not required, but due to the amount of mistakes made and the quality of the work an emergency plumber should most definitely be involved due the amount of experience. Any macerators fitted incorrectly, then expect to call an emergency plumber.
Is it safe to work on my own macerator
If your thinking of working on your own macerator, please remember that your most likely to cause more damage than fix it which is the reason you should leave it to an emergency plumber but most important when it comes to DIY plumbing, when it comes to macerator problems, this type of work can be extremely dangerous. An example of the type of dangerous that occur in this type of work is loosing a few fingers.
How do I fix a broken macerator
In most cases, a broken macerators can only be replaced, as any replacement on a macerator voids the guarantee and is strongly advised not to try to replace the parts due to the type of work involved. If you are lucky, the macerator will be blocked with unwanted item or a switch has been accidentally knocked off or maybe the fuse as gone. If the fuse has gone it is always good to investigate the reason, as the motor may be on its way out or there is a general fault with the machine. If requiring any more assistance, then it may be a good idea to give us a call and we may be able to arrange for an engineer to come out as a plumbing emergency.
