Our sink is full with water which has drained from the washing machine and not been pumped away by our sanivite 3. The sink still won't drain. The pump is very warm and buzzes from time to time. I am guessing due to the harsh winter our external pipes have frozen and the pump is trying to get the water past the blockage of ice - this is just a guess. Wondering if anyone has similar experience. Shall I turn the pump off? Is there another probable cause? Please help!

Holly22, December 2010

I've literally spent today fixing the same problem. It's the starter capacitor in the pump motor that's gone.

The replacement part is a few quid from Maplin rather than shelling out £300 for a new Sanivite.

Our pipes run outside into the drain and this was blocked so I suspect this may have been frozen recently putting a heavy load on the motor.

These use induction motors which can't burn out so the weakest link in the the electrical chain must be the capacitor and ours was destroyed !

If the Sanivite felt warm before you switched it off and was buzzing but not pumping then the starter capacitor is the problem.

If you happen to have a garden pond hoover then this works great for emptying the Sanivite of foul smelling water when dismantling it.

Hope this helps !

Bob45anderson, December 2010

Thanks Mike.

We needed a brand new pump £370 + vat, the motor had gone - probably burnt out as you say. It was leaking from the top.

Now the pipes have frozen again! The engineer said that was unlikely to be the cause but now neither our brand new pump or the older Sanitop Broy/pro pump - connected to the toilet - are working so I think it must have frozen. I have turned both off to try and save them, hope that's the right thing?!

Holly22, December 2010

Turn OFF the machine or it will eventually burn out !!

Lower the water level by using an Aquavac hover or similar or just bail out the sink,, Now all you have to do is wait for the pipework to thaw out !!!

Water may accumilate at the base of the machine as the air vent is also has an overflow vent and water can leak from the top of the box !!

Mike, December 2010