FEATURES
49
“The process
commences with
the engineering
consultant that
will design the
system for the
building, leading
to the required
specification for
the pump systems.
Grundfos will
collaborate with
the design engineer
to specify the best
solution-based
performance,
innovative
technology and life
cycle costing.”
Justin Frank, Saniflo national sales manager.
play’, says Dobson, “so installation-wise it’s
very simple and we set all the parameters
beforehand for its operation, and it typically
just needs a brief service once a year to
check bearings and other moving parts – the
pumps can run for years, up to 20 years,
like that.
“Our philosophy is that the easier it is to
install, the better it is for the artisan.”
Saniflo recently acquired a German
operation, Zehnder, with which Saniflo
is finding many synergies as it is more
focused on the commercial market and
until now purely Germany-based, “which
we are hoping to take to the world,” says
Frank. Saniflo also has an R&D facility in
France dedicated to bringing about constant
improvements in efficiency in its existing
pump range, as well as a testing facility to
ensure a 10-year pump actually survives
10 years.
Technology has evolved rapidly in the 60
years since Saniflo was established, with the
initial macerator technology (like a blender)
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
giving way to grinding (dual blade) and more
recently the option of vortex technology
(similar to a turbo). “The focus of our R&D
is to find better ways to evacuate the waste
with less problems. The end result we aim
for is an almost unbreakable product. We
have one of our products still in use in a
Parliament building in Cape Town, that was
installed in 1995,” says Frank.
Being a European product imported to South
Africa, Saniflo has EU certification and has
registered with Watermark while SABS testing
proceeds at its current backlogged pace.
ADDRESSING GREY WATER
Saniflo products are also used in grey water
systems for commercial and residential
systems. “With the water shortage in
Cape Town, we have been approached
by consumers wanting to save money by
disconnecting from their drain and rather
redirecting the water to a storage tank for
garden or other domestic purposes. “We
have formed partnerships with companies
that do that installation, and who find that our
products are the easiest solution.” PA
July 2019 Volume 25 I Number 5