Ejector pump only fails at night

[jfitzpa22]

Hi all,
I purchased a house in October that uses ejectors pumps in the basement kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. I had the Saniflo replaced in the bathroom after the old one failed about six weeks ago. Since then the new unit has failed twice, once supposedly as a result of a bad GFCI plug, the most recent time for reasons unknown. I’m assuming the unit is faulty, but since I know nothing about ejectors, and this is the first house I’ve ever lived in that uses well water and septic, I wanted to ask a rather silly sounding question: Is it significant that all three failures have occurred in the evening or is that pure coincidence? I ask because the basement bathroom gets used throughout the day.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Voltages tend to rise or sag depending on the time of day and that may be the link to failure at night. They could get high enough to kill a pump I suppose. Do you have a way of monitoring the voltage in the house safely of course? Other than that I’d order someone to dispossess the house of spirits.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Are you flushing things you shouldn't?

 

[jfitzpa22]

We put three things into the Saniflo, two of which the human body eliminates, and toilet paper. I've always heard that Saniflo in particular is finicky that way. After some research I'm curious if the problem could be the two hard right angles in the waste line. Should the installer have used two 45s and a small length of straight pipe in place of each visible 90?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

We put three things into the Saniflo, two of which the human body eliminates, and toilet paper. I've always heard that Saniflo in particular is finicky that way. After some research I'm curious if the problem could be the two hard right angles in the waste line. Should the installer have used two 45s and a small length of straight pipe in place of each visible 90?

It would have been better, but may not be the problem.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

We put three things into the Saniflo, two of which the human body eliminates, and toilet paper. I've always heard that Saniflo in particular is finicky that way. After some research I'm curious if the problem could be the two hard right angles in the waste line. Should the installer have used two 45s and a small length of straight pipe in place of each visible 90?

can you send pictures of the set up?

 

[jfitzpa22]

Here's the setup in the utility closet. Normally the unit plugs into the GFCI outlet located directly above the Saniflo, but I have it running on an extension cord to a regular outlet because the last time the plumber was here he identified the GFCI outlet as the problem. He unplugged the unit from the GFCI outlet, plugged it back into the outlet, and it tripped immediately. He then plugged the unit into the provided extension cord and it began to operate normally. I believe the GFCI outlet is a 15A outlet on a 20A circuit, but am not sure.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

You said laundry room. Do you have your washer dumping into a laundry sink before it goes to this?

 

[Twowaxhack]

I believe she has three units. One for kitchen, one for bath, one for laundry.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

I believe she has three units. One for kitchen, one for bath, one for laundry.

It doesn't look like it's pipe that way. Looks like 4 things including the toilet being dumped into this one unit

 

[jfitzpa22]

It doesn't look like it's pipe that way. Looks like 4 things including the toilet being dumped into this one unit

I have three ejectors. One for the sink in the kitchen, one for the laundry room, and one for the bathroom. The one in the bathroom receives waste water from toilet, sink, and shower stall.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

I have three ejectors. One for the sink in the kitchen, one for the laundry room, and one for the bathroom. The one in the bathroom receives waste water from toilet, sink, and shower stall.

Is that the one that's boogering up?

 

[jfitzpa22]

You said laundry room. Do you have your washer dumping into a laundry sink before it goes to this?

The laundry room and the bathroom use separate ejectors.

Is that the one that's boogering up?

The ejector in the bathroom is the one that is boogering up.

 

[Twowaxhack]

It doesn't look like it's pipe that way. Looks like 4 things including the toilet being dumped into this one unit

Yiu can connect more than one fixture to some saniflo tanks.

 

[jfitzpa22]

Yiu can connect more than one fixture to some saniflo tanks.

Yes, this specific model (Saniflo 2 I believe) "can" take multiple fixtures.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Yiu can connect more than one fixture to some saniflo tanks.

Yeah, I know. But a kitchen, laundry room and bath in one would be a lot. I misunderstood the original post. Is that ok with you?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

The laundry room and the bathroom use separate ejectors.

The ejector in the bathroom is the one that is boogering up.

got it.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Yeah, I know. But a kitchen, laundry room and bath in one would be a lot. I misunderstood the original post. Is that ok with you?

You could connect as many fixtures as you wanted as long as you didn’t use too many at once.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

You could connect as many fixtures as you wanted as long as you didn’t use too many at once.

It also depends on the system and what you are dumping into. But as usual, I will let you have the last word.

 

[Twowaxhack]

It also depends on the system and what you are dumping into. But as usual, I will let you have the last word.

Sounds like you’re mad because you misunderstood the original post.

I’m just posting legit information, no need to get defensive.