badly made Chinese "macerator pump sewage pump automatic 600W"

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › badly made Chinese "macerator pump sewage pump automatic 600W"

kingdragonfly

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#298919 27-Jul-2022 16:45

I'm not a plumber, and I was looking look a good deal. So for my downstairs toilet, I bought a cheap macerator pump / sewage pump for a plumber to install. I was impressed that it had a more powerful motor than usual.

That was $200 wasted (not including my plumber's bill).

Comically the "automatic" pump would only work when you slammed the top of it with your fist.

I discovered why. Inside the cistern, a float had an vertical iron bar. It rides up an down in a tight enclosed slot. Above it were two cheap toy "button" magnets. That would pulled to one side by the bar, and push in an electrical switch. Needless to say, the electrical switch was cheaply made, and looked like a fire hazard.

If it sounds cheap and dodgy, it is.

It's being sold widely by cheap Chinese importers bestmartonline, nzauction, themarket, bestdeals

It's usually sold nameless, though I've seen Zeaway model 18098 mentioned on one.

Do not buy! Get something that's reliable.

Note you can spot it by looking at the top. It has one large cylinder one on one side (the power) and a single smaller cylinder on top. Picture is below

Here's a typical description

"This Sewage Pump comes with 3 inlets which allows you to connect up to 3 sanitary devices altogether, toilet, sink, basin or shower bathroom etc. The sump pump automatically activates flush when waste water hits the start level of 65mm and stop at 35mm. The stainless steel impeller blades chop any solids, making sure that the sewage drained away from your dream house smoothly.
Equipped with a power 600W motor, this waste water pump is able to discharge effluent up to 9.5m vertically and 100m horizontally, reaching the maximum flow at 300 L/Min when connected with 45mm dia. outlet elbow and 150 L/Min with the 38mm one.

Features:
Class Beating Flow Rate 300 L/Min
Quiet & Powerful 600W Motor
Automatically Activates on Flush
Three Inlets for Multiple Devices
Non-return Valve
Superior Quality Seals
Stainless Steel Impeller Blades
Pumps up to 9.5M Vertical
Pumps up to 100M Horizontal
CE, GS & TUV Approved

Specification:

Power 600W
Voltage 220V~240V / 50Hz With Australian 3 Pins Plug
Max Flow
300 L/Min (when the diameter is 45mm)
150 L/Min (when the diameter is 38mm)
Speed 2850 RPM
Enclosure Class IP55
Start Level 65mm
Stop Level 35mm
Outlet Diameter 38mm
Outlet Elbow Diameter 30, 38, 45mm (Three Gear)
Inlet Diameter 90, 45, 45mm
Security Seal 135°C
Blade Material: Stainless Steel
Body Material: ABS
Max Head: 9.5m
Max Horizontal: 100m
Noise Level ?45 dB(A)
Cable Length 1.2m
GW/NW: 7.5 kgs /6.5 kgs
Dimensions (LxWxH)45x24x29cm
Package Size (LxWxH) 47x26x35cm"

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2947026 27-Jul-2022 17:43

Thanks for your warning. It is further evidence that I made the right decision when I looked at waste pumps a couple of years ago.

In the end, we decided to move the shower to the other side of the room so we could keep the height as low as possible with the minimum required slope. It wasn't cheap, but the bathroom is now a major selling point. I've used cheap pumps for other things, but I wasn't prepared to risk installing something unreliable in an area with poor accessibly and that required a qualified person to install.

Handle9

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#2947038 27-Jul-2022 18:14

You bought cheap junk and you're complaining its cheap junk?

MadEngineer

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#2947084 27-Jul-2022 19:53

This post is somewhat redundant. No legit plumber would install something a customer purchased themselves from China

Why on earth you'd try to cheap out on your poop pipes is beyond me.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

allan

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#2947128 27-Jul-2022 22:07

I always appreciate it when people post to advise others not to make the same mistake that they did, particularly when they go to the level of detail that the OP has.

What I don't appreciate are the people who find it necessary to chime in with "well you were pretty dumb to choose that option" type comments. It adds nothing positive to the thread.

kingdragonfly

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#2947191 28-Jul-2022 08:59

Not everything cheap is bad (but Chinese plus no name is a warning)

And not everything expensive is good. Bathco supplied most of the hardware

1) mispicked the order twice.

2) It took two returns 3 months to finally get what was ordered.

3) an expensive panel with clips to hold the panel, plus a threaded bolt to hold it to the cistern.

4) the cistern plastic bolt was too short, the plumber had to fashion a custom bracket.

5) the panel clips wouldn't hook, double sided tape was used.

6) the cheap plastic panel bracket was exactly flush with the panel. The tiniest imperfection cutting the wall hole was observable once installed.

Here's the Bathco $285 Pneumatic Flush Plates With Raised Buttons". It's all plastic save the front. It is similar in design to two air pistons with small tubes attached.

And unrelated I had a construction company install an expensive hinged bug screen, but failed to install a latch. It swings freely in the wind.

So not been a great project.

MadEngineer

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#2948589 31-Jul-2022 15:48

allan: I always appreciate it when people post to advise others not to make the same mistake that they did, particularly when they go to the level of detail that the OP has.

What I don't appreciate are the people who find it necessary to chime in with "well you were pretty dumb to choose that option" type comments. It adds nothing positive to the thread.

I thought my post, which fits your description, was quite educational actually. Hopefully they learn from what should have been an obvious mistake. My post was to indicate the following:

plumbers won't install it
only a plumber can legally install certified fittings
random cheap rubbish pluming from china cannot be fitted here in nz

Sorry for the lack of positivity but hopefully spelling that out will add something? Maybe stop them from trying to cheap out on something that you just never should?

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2948601 31-Jul-2022 16:20

MadEngineer:

I thought my post, which fits your description, was quite educational actually. Hopefully they learn from what should have been an obvious mistake. My post was to indicate the following:

plumbers won't install it
only a plumber can legally install certified fittings
random cheap rubbish pluming from china cannot be fitted here in nz

I think you overlooked the point about these products being sold widely within New Zealand, including on platforms such as TheMarket (operated by The Warehouse Group). This gives some legitimacy to the product, along with statements such as "CE, GS and TUV Approved and comes with Genuine Australian warranty".

If you import something from China and expect the plumber to fit it, I agree it's an obvious mistake, but if you're buying something from a NZ-based supplier, who claims it ships with NZ plugs, various certifications (which are a mystery to most people) and a local warranty, why would you question it? Apparently the OPs plumber didn't. He probably should have, so there may be some recourse there.

There are plenty of locally available products that are both certified and certifiably rubbish, at either end of the price scale. I don't think people should be expected to know good from bad (which is why this thread is beneficial). There needs to be tighter controls on both plumbing and electrical goods sold here. I wouldn't touch some of those dodgy power strips sold at the hardware stores, but they've somehow managed to get those certified.

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xpd

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#2948608 31-Jul-2022 16:39

Cant remember if ours is the 2 or 3 model, but this is what we got recently when our old pump shat itself (take it either way :) )

https://www.plumbingplus.co.nz/products/saniflo-saniaccess-3-macerator/

Theres usually a reason why the price difference ;)

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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kingdragonfly

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#2948610 31-Jul-2022 16:42

Plumber did install it. And why wouldn't they? My plumber is very strict, and it has to pass council inspection. I talked about getting a bidet, and he knew about backflow prevention regulations.

I buy light fixtures, and an electrician never supplied me with one, as long as support the correct grounding, and IP standards. I've never had a problem with electricians installing them.

Regarding "random cheap rubbish pluming sicfrom china cannot be fitted here in nz", it had all the right fittings. Would you have a problem with European plumbing manufacturers?

I don't know the proportion of plumbing fittings made in China, I bet a good many of them are.

I have very expensive whiteware from Whirlpool, Bosch, Haier, Smeg and Samsung that I consider trash also. Despite costing $7,000 my oven has a tiny 12 mm $5 switch that seemed to be designed to break after 5 years, and made to be extremely difficult to repair. My next kitchen appliances are NOT going to have any electronic displays or touchpads.

The macerator was trash, and it was cheap, but it also being widely sold, hence the list of stores I gave.

Someone must be buying and installing them. It wasn't mail-order from Alibaba. I have to wonder how many plumbers you've used.

kingdragonfly

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#2948690 31-Jul-2022 20:13

Here's the tiny button on my Whirlpool oven made for planned obsolescence, buried behind a panel.

It's the most used button on the oven. "OK/Cancel" button "Yes/No" button.

You literally can't use the oven without pressing at least once, because of a pointless "Insert food now" prompt.

Definitely made to last 5 years and then break shortly afterwards.

Bung

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#2948696 31-Jul-2022 20:44

Depending on the operating voltage and current a replacement switch may be as close as your local Jaycar.