Macerator toilet what is

This toilet uses a traditional water tank to flush the waste down into the maceration unit. With each flush, only 1. From Liberty Pumps is this simple macerating toilet. It takes on a traditional design. Apart from the maceration unit located below the water tank, this unit looks like your average residential toilet. Of course, it is hiding some extra features. Behind the bowl, you can find the powerful maceration unit.

It is made out of durable materials and features a removable lid for easy maintenance. The modest pump does a decent job of removing waste. The maceration unit can be powered by any GFCI outlet. The toilet comes with an 8-foot cord for easy placement. The macerating toilet from Intelflo has a very simple design. Thanks to its compact nature, the toilet will fit right into tight basement bathrooms.

The grinder is built into the toilet itself. Just connect everything to the back of the toilet and plug it in. The toilet features a dual-flush system. The full flush uses only a single gallon of water. For the half flush, only 0. This small tank can be installed behind the wall, next to the toilet, or directly underneath the water tank to save space.

When you flush, the waste is moved into the unit where powerful blades or grinders turn solid waste into a slurry. This is important for the next steps in the process. The great thing about maceration toilets is that you can place them virtually anywhere. Plus, you can easily connect that final waste pipe to other gray water sources, such as a sink or shower. The most common is in the basement.

Thus, toilets, sinks, and other fixtures need an extra push to deliver the waste vertically. Macerating toilets do just that. For this reason, these fixtures are also sometimes referred to as upflush toilets.

Beyond the basement, macerating toilets do well in locations where the drain is simply not accessible without extensive plumbing overall.

Many off-grid homesteaders use them as well with an additional storage tank. You can also find modified versions in RVs. Typically, macerating units are not to be used as your primary toilet. While these toilets have come a long way in the last couple of decades, they are not immune to damage.

Macerating toilets are complex and have several moving parts that could fail. They require a bit more maintenance than standard toilets. To maximize the life of your macerating toilet, they should only be used occasionally for convenience. Macerating toilets are unique fixtures. Here are some things to consider as you shop. One of the most important things to look into is how powerful the pump is.

As we mentioned earlier, the pump is the heart of the system. Without an efficient pump, you will not be able to send waste to your sewage system. Most manufacturers will provide this information on the specs sheet. To play things safe, stick to pumps that can handle long distances with ease. Sometimes, manufacturers will also provide pump specifications in the form of horsepower.

A higher horsepower rating equates to a more powerful pump. And how much is this crazy idea going to cost me? You call a plumber for an estimate, and he tells you he has to break through the floor or drill through the concrete to install a drain line for conventional plumbing — a messy and time-consuming job with a high price tag. Maybe the plumber suggests a sewage ejector system. Still, he will need to jackhammer and dig up the floor, even while not knowing what's beneath. There are also several other possible hazards, such as not knowing how thick the floor is, or if there are unforeseen rocks or pipes.

If the installer runs into a ledge, you may have to reconfigure the bathroom layout. Plus, any time you disturb the concrete floor, there's a chance of water from the outside seeping through. Of course, following all of the above, you will have to re-cement the space.

The fact is, digging is unpredictable and, quite frankly, easier said than done. So what do you do? There's a solution that requires no expensive renovation or breaking through floors, concrete or otherwise.

Whenever it seems impractical or impossible to install conventional plumbing fixtures, this is your answer: a macerating pump system — a straightforward, affordable solution to creating a complete or half bathroom practically anywhere. Instead of routing flush water through below-floor drainage lines to sewage access or a sewage ejector, the wastewater from the fixture drains through gravity into a macerator.

The term "macerate" means to soften or break up. The primary advantage of a macerating system? It can be installed on top of any finished floor in the home. This allows you to place a new bathroom wherever it is most convenient. Blades are a little more efficient making them better suited to smaller waste pipes. However, the blade only works to shred the waste and must therefore be connected to a pump — unlike choppers which grind and pump out the waste at the same time.

The drawback of blade technology is that the motor is submerged in water which makes its upkeep a little more complicated. Both chopper and pump macerators feature a double chamber including a dry enclosure.

Macerating toilets are divided into two main categories: compact macerator toilets with a built-in macerator unit and macerator pumps which are connected to existing toilet pans and cisterns. Macerator toilets feature a macerator that is built into the toilet pan. They look almost exactly like traditional toilets , minus the cistern.

The toilet pan is rinsed by pressurised water controlled by a solenoid valve. These toilets use around 2 to 3 litres of water for a small flush and 3 to 5 litres for larger flushes. Macerator pumps can be installed behind the toilet pan or in a different location as needed.

They can be used with both close-coupled and wall-hung toilets. Macerator pumps can include up to 4 inlets allowing you to connect them to a shower, bathroom sink or even a washing machine. Macerator pumps start up automatically when the flush is pulled. The main advantage of macerating toilets is that they do not require a traditional waste pipe typically measuring mm in diameter like standard toilets.

Consequently, these sanitary units offer an alternative solution not just for domestic use in basements, attics, bedrooms, etc. Macerator toilets also come with a range of disadvantages. Firstly, they require the use of an electric motor which will not work during a power cut.

If you frequently experience lengthy power cuts, this will prove a problem. Secondly, the noise level produced by the unit can be problematic in busy bathrooms. Manufacturers have gone to great effort in recent years on this front and some macerator toilets now feature quieter mechanisms. While you usually won't require permission to install a macerator toilet, building regulations apply to the ventilation, plumbing and drainage of the unit.

Be sure to check all relevant regulations before installing your macerator toilet. The toilet must be set up with sound insulation in order to limit the noise level. Your electrical outlet must be suitable for use in a room containing moisture.