In this film, we will show you how to check what could be wrong if the pump starts to make an unusual noise or starts to smell badly.

The suction pump motor should make an even humming sound when it’s working. If it makes any other kind of noise, then something is almost certainly wrong. This can have many causes and it is a question of looking carefully over the machine, both the inside and outside to make sure there is not any damage.

In particular, look for loose screws. The motor is installed with vibration suppressors to stop the whole device from moving. They are located underneath the motor and need to be checked to make sure they are not missing or damaged and they are intact.

There is a muffler to limit the sound of the pump motor. Make sure the tubes are properly attached, and check the collection reservoir is in the right place and is not broken.

Sometimes the machine starts to smell badly. This is usually evidence that there has been a leak of some of the human fluids collected by the pump into the machine. The most likely reason for this to happen is if the reservoir has not been emptied properly after use. If any of the liquids remain in the tubing, they can solidify and rot.

So the first thing to do is to take the machine apart and clean everything. When you do this, make sure you carefully check the bacterial filter. If it is wet or discoloured, as if fluid passed through it, then the filter needs to be replaced.

A damaged or wet filter is often caused by a float valve that is not working properly, so make sure you check the float valve carefully and clean it. It should be able to move very easily.

You may find that you need to replace either the filter or the float valve or both.