Locate that New Bath Anywhere in the Home with a Macerating Toilet System

Creating a new bathroom in an older home can pose numerous installation challenges that can be both difficult and costly to resolve. Will the fixtures be situated below the septic system? Will the fixtures be positioned far from a drain? Will busting through the concrete floor to install drainage to the plumbing stack trigger structural problems — as well as a hefty bill from the tradesman hired to perform the excavation?

Renovations take on a whole new level of flexibility with the Saniplus. This system can handle all these bath fixtures.

Basement before installation of the Sanipro. Your floors stay intact. There is no need to break out cement, therefore cutting down on the mess.

Completed basement bath after the Sanipro has been installed. The perfect product for the Do-It-Yourselfer.

About Saniflo

Only one manufacturer makes a macerating toilet system: SFA Saniflo Inc., the company that developed this “above-floor plumbing” technology nearly a half-century ago and led its commercialization over the intervening decades. SFA began selling these unique plumbing fixtures in Europe in 1958, taking the Saniflo line international in 1965. The company entered the U.S. market in the late 1990s, first in the Northeast and gradually working its way across the nation as increasing numbers of homeowners and tradesmen discovered its unique advantages.

A relatively simple and cost-effective solution to these potential migraines is a comparatively new technology called a macerating toilet system. A macerator looks very much like a conventional toilet and commands the same amount of floor space. But instead of routing the flush water through a drain in the floor, the system moves it to a macerator pump contained in a small box, usually located on the floor between the toilet and the wall. Similar to a garbage disposal, the macerator uses a fast-rotating cutting blade to liquefy human waste and toilet paper in the flush water. Within seconds, this fine slurry is discharged under pressure through a copper or plastic discharge line as small as 3/4” to a soil stack or a septic tank.

The primary advantage of a macerating system is that it can be installed atop any finished floor in the home. A new bathroom can therefore be placed wherever it is most convenient for the owner: in a basement, attic or garage; underneath stairs; or inside a newly remodeled space.

Whatever the placement, it can be accomplished without the need for costly excavation of the floor to install a drain line, as required by systems using a sump or sewage ejector. Walls and floors remain intact, and installation is accomplished quickly and economically with minimal disturbance to room layout. A complete bathroom can be operational in as little time as a half-day.

Properly sized, a macerating system can handle all the fixtures in a bathroom, including the sink, shower, tub, and toilet, even on a septic system. What’s more, these fixtures will work up to 12’ below and as far away as 150’ from a septic tank or sewer line.

The Saniflo line is listed with several standards, including CSA B45.9 and ASME 112.3.4. The Uniform Plumbing Code, the International Plumbing Code (IPC), and the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) have approved the product.

The models most frequently used in the home, especially for basement-bath applications, are:

Sanipro, available at hardware stores, measures 12’’ high, 17’’ wide, and 9’’ deep. This system is ideal for many renovations, particularly when adding a new bathroom to a large bedroom. The slightly larger Saniplus, 12’’ high, 21” wide, and 9” deep, can be purchased through plumbing wholesalers and contractors who handle all the fixtures required for a modern bathroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Because macerating technology is still new to most American homeowners, questions about its installation, operation, and cost are not uncommon. Here are a few of the most frequent queries:

How much water does the system use?

All models in the Saniflo line are low-consumption water closets. Both the Sanipro and the Saniplus use 1.6 gallons per flush. The Sanicompact, which is designed for more confined spaces, such as under a small stairway, flushes with less than one gallon of water.

Can I install a shower or a bathtub?

When installing a tub, you must create a 2’’ by 6” platform to allow for the installation of a P-trap and pipe with some gravity flow toward the macerating unit on the floor below.

Does the system need regular maintenance?

No. The macerator motor has no gears or brushes to wear out. The motor is filled with oil and sealed for life. The bathroom will be changed out before the macerator needs replacement.

Is a macerating system more expensive than conventional plumbing?

Yes, if you are comparing only the expense of the fixture. However, the greatly reduced labor costs and the superior installation flexibility of a macerating system make it an economical alternative when a conventional gravity-flow system cannot be installed cost-effectively.

Can I hide the unit, drain pipes, and vents in a wall?

Yes, Saniflo does manufacture a 15” extension kit for installing the macerator/ pump behind the wall or in some other less-visible place. It is critical for the installer to create accessibility to the macerator/pump for servicing.

For more information on the Saniflo product line or for a dealer near you, call 800-36FLUSH (363-5874) or logon to the Saniflo website at www.saniflo.com.

John O’Reilly is president of LNC Communications, a marketing communications agency located in the Chicago area. He can be reached at John@LNCmail.com.