How to Add a Bathroom to a Basement the Easy Way

The addition of a full bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet can be a huge improvement to any home, particularly if you have only one bathroom and a growing family. It can also be a huge, expensive job.

Upflow bathroom systems simplify the plumbing of a basement bathroom, putting this valuable home improvement job within reach of a DIYer. These systems include a macerator/pump that can be tucked into a wall directly behind a rear-discharge toilet.

All the fixture drains flow to the macerator/pump, which grinds solids and then pumps waste upward to connect to your main drain line, instead of relying on gravity. Shower and sink drains do use gravity to reach the pump, and those are easy installations.

What is a Macerating Toilet?

Think of it as similar to a garbage disposal in your sink. In a macerating toilet, waste is channeled to the macerator/pump, which reduces solids to be easily pumped through a 3/4-in. discharge pipe.

Our system, the SaniAccess 3 from Saniflo, includes a rear-discharge toilet and a macerator/pump with fittings. You’ll supply the rest of the standard plumbing pipes and fittings.

System Advantages

The biggest advantage of an upflow system is not breaking up a concrete floor to run drains. There are other advantages, too.

First, the discharge line is much smaller than a standard drain line, so you can fit it into places where a standard drain might not work. Second, you can install a bathroom anywhere. You don’t need to be concerned with how the toilet drain aligns with existing drain lines in your home.

Meet the Expert

Carmen Bossi, the president/founder of Saniflostore.com

Place the Macerator/Pump

Set the macerator/pump in place behind the wall framing. The unit needs to be on the same level as the toilet. Install the rubber feet and secure the pump to the floor.

If you’re in a cold climate, allow space between the pump and the wall for insulation. Insulation in front of the pump will help dampen the minimal noise from the macerator/pump.