May 3, 2004
Locate That New Bath Anywhere
in the Home with a Macerating Toilet System
Under a stairway, below the sewage line or in a room tight
for space: a macerating toilet system will economically go where conventional
plumbing fears to tread.
By John O’Reilly
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? Must they be positioned
too 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?
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-inch 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. In addition, the installer need not leave accessible
space again, as required by an in-floor sump system.
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 feet
below and as far away as 150 feet from a septic tank or sewer line.
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 home owners and tradesmen discovered
its unique advantages.
The SANIFLO line is now listed with
several standards, including CSA B45.9 and ASME 112.3.4. The product
has been approved by
the Uniform Plumbing Code, the International Plumbing Code (IPC), and the
International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).
The SANIFLO models most frequently used, especially for
basement-bath applications, are:
-
The Saniplus, measuring 12½ x 21½ x 9½, is available
through plumbing wholesalers and contractors. It can accommodate most
residential, institutional and light-commercial applications.
-
Sanipro, available at hardware stores, measures 12 inches high, 17
inches wide and 9 inches deep. It, too, can accommodate most residential,
institutional and light-commercial toilet and full-bathroom applications.
-
The Sanipack and Sanistar permit a water closet to be hung from a
wall and for the macerating pump to be concealed behind that wall.
Both models can handle not only the toilet, but also a washbasin, urinal
and shower.
-
The Sanicompact is a self-contained toilet that uses only one gallon
per flush, making it ideal for small, tight-fitting residential applications,
such as a clothes closet, a bedroom or even under a stairway.
-
The Sanibest, intended for heavier toilet use, collects and pumps
waster water from a variety of fixtures in a single application, including
a washbasin, bathtub, shower, urinal and washing machine. (The latter
must drain into a laundry tub or sink first.)
Frequently Asked Questions: Because
macerating technology is still new to most American home and business owners,
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 two-inch by six-inch
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 only comparing only the expense of the
fixtures; likewise, with a sewage ejector package. 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-inch 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.
Captions
Photo of woman standing
in the bath…
|
HANDLES AN ENTIRE BATH: 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. |
Photo of Saniplus…
|
WORKS ANYWHERE: The
Saniplus Macerating Toilet System is suitable for both residential,
institutional and light-commercial applications. Effluent can be
pumped from the unit vertically to a height of 12 feet and horizontally
150 feet. |
For more information on SFA SANIFLO, contact
John O’Reilly, c/o LNC Communications LLC, 32 West Nebraska Street, Suite
1C, Frankfort, Illinois 60423; telephone: 815-469-9100; fax: 815-469-2555;
e-mail: John@LNCmail.com.
You can also call 1-800-571-8191, or visit the SANIFLO web site
at www.saniflo.com.
Author 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.
