internal downstairs toilet?

Question

I am seeking advice on creative solutions to installing a downstairs toilet inan old vistorian house in the UK. Builders have looked at a cupboard and offered lots of reasons why this is impractical. I am convinced there is a solution. If we can put a man on the moon.......... One plumber mentioned that I look at Sanilav which appears to be device for an electric toilt that mashes and pumpes the waste to a normal soil outlet. I am not a DIY person so could usefully do with some tipis for those who have grappled with and solved this problem. Thanks

Answer 1

Sanilav/macerators are sh*te (excuse the pun).

If the cupboard is reasonably close to the stack pipe it should not be too impractical.

Answer 2

The biggest problem you have installing a down stair toilet is the discharge pipe work. In a normal toilet system you will have a 6" to 8" soil pipe that will typically have a vent to atmosphere fitted through the roof, this prevent potential vapor blockages.
When you install a down stairs toilet the last thing you want is an 8" waist pipe (Expensive to install, Ugly to look at). The solution has been around for several year in the form of a SaniFlow toilet. This unit has a waist macerator and pump assembly that reduces the size of the waist down to a manageable size. As a result the waist pipe will be in 22mm and can be installed with relative ease.
The SaniFlow will require a mains supply to it as well as a cold water supply.
If you look on the Internet for SaniFlow all the product information will be there.
One word of caution, SaniFlow units do not like sanitary towels or rags/cloths. The macerator will become jammed and will require stripping to clean out.
If you are not to sure about the installation contact SaniFlow direct and they will be able to help you out.

Answer 3

Saniflow macerators are good for removing waste, but a pain to clean out when blocked by sanitary towels and even tampons can stop them. If you adhere to this then you will be OK but it can be embarrasing to say to a guest, "the toilet's through here but if you want to flush your sanitary product away please use the one upstairs".

If installing in a cupboard you will also need to consider ventilation, a smelly downstairs loo is not at all pleasant and a particularly odourous deposit will linger in the atmosphere and may invade the rest of the downstairs. In my experience most cupboards do not have windows or access to fresh air which allows you to purge the area of smells.

In short a macerator is easy to fit as other answers have shown but make sure you take account of the limitations of your chosen location.

Answer 4

I just installed a Saniflo macerating toilet for a customer. The toilet was about $150, and the pump unit was $625. I ran the 3/4" waste line and tied it into a 3" vertical stack. According to the manufacturer, this unit will pump effluent vertically for 9', and 120' horizontally. All I had to do was remove some sheetrock, to access the waste stack. No concrete to bust out or re-pour. With labor, this job went for $1500. If we had installed the typical way, the price would have been about $5000. Just remember to check your local codes, and make sure they are approved by the local jurisdiction. Good luck to you!

Answer 5

This need not stretch your DIY skills too far providing your existing soil pipe ( the 100mm-4" diameter pipe) which connects to your existing sanitary ware is made of plastic and is not too far away. As a plumber suggested use a Saniflo. Look under this name on Google and you will find their helpful site. Buy a standard close coupled WC and cistern with BSS horizontal outlet plus a Saniflo. The web site will tell you which one, priced at about £220. The pipe used to connect to your existing 100mm soil pipe is only 22mm diameter PVC as used for overflow. Any necessary bends are stuck in place using PVC solvent cement. No skill required. The connection is made to the 100 mm soil pipe by making a 25mm hole in the pipe strapping a boss called a strap boss to the pipe with adaptors to take your 22mm overflow pipe and inserting this pipe. All that need to be done now is to carefully screw the WC pan to the floor and connecting the Saniflo to a 13 amp power supply. The waste from a wash basin can be also connected into the Saniflo, but Look up "cross bonding" on Google to make the electrics safe. Hot and cold water service pipework can also be carried out in plastic from nearest source. Fit valves to all pipe connections to allow servicing and repairs. The likes of Plumb Centre or B&Q can supply all the pipework and sometimes advice

Answer 6

I promise you that if you are willing to pay the right price, anything is possible. Realistically affordable? That's a matter of perspective. I'm a GC, and I always answer these types of questions with "Anythings doable, for a price".

My guess is you've been told normal solutions won't work. But if you've honestly been told nothing will work, you need to find a new Contractor.

I promise you I could built you a crapper (not cussing, Crapper invented the flush toilet) anywhere you wanted it, including 26 feet underground. For a price.

Answer 7

I saw it done on a home improvement show once, and I searched their websites for it; but unfortunately I didn't find any information. It may be called a zero gravity toilet, but I am not at all sure.

I found something on it. It was called an Upflush Toilet:
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infplumb/infupf.shtm

And, a search of Yahoo for Upflush Toilet produced a lot of hits:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=upflush+toilet&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

Answer 8

Sanilav is a good solution, but the waste pipe can be a problem sometimes . You will need a straight run to the soil pipe to take the waste away. The toilet uses a 42mm waste pipe to the soil pipe. The more elbows you have to put in the waste pipe , can cause a problem with clearing the waste. try to get some literature on it from a Plumbers Merchant before you decide.

Answer 9

You should go with the suggestion your plumber gave you. If you want a downstairs toliet and that area is below the main outlet of the house, you need to have some force outside of gravity to move the discharge up to the main sewer. There is no other way around it...except for maybe a chamber pot.

Answer 10

In the US I know there is a toilet that flushes up and is made for basements just like your-unfortunatly I don't have the info so you will need to search real well on the internet

Answer 11

Installing A Downstairs Toilet