Renovating the basement is usually the best way for homeowners to create some extra space. Typically, the extra space goes into putting in a home gym, entertainment area, home office and more commonly, an extra bedroom.
When outfitting a basement, no matter what the room will be used for, one main consideration is the bathroom. It’s more convenient having a bathroom in the basement so that you don’t have to rush upstairs each time nature calls. For those who are considering adding a bathroom to their basements, here are a few basement toilet options to consider.
Upflush Toilets
As the name suggests, these toilets work by pumping waste upwards when they’re flushed. The good news about upflush toilets is that they are easy to install, and even easier to use. After buying them in the store, you can just come home, connect them to the existing plumbing in your home, and start using them. That’s because these toilets are self-contained.
Upflush toilets are relatively more expensive than some of their counterparts such as sewage ejectors, but they are more economical because they do not cost much in the way of installation. They use the house’s own pressure system to pump waste through pipes in the walls to septic tanks and sewer lines.
Macerating Toilets
While upflush toilets are easy to use and self –contained, they have one major problem: they clog. You can avoid this problem by simply outfitting your upflush toilet with a macerating system. Saniflo toilet systems, which consist of an upflush toilet and a macerating tank, do not clog as they break down waste into manageable bits. The macerating tanks in saniflo toilets used to be powered by pressure by these days run on electricity. Upflush macerating toilets are also convenient to use because they are multi-drain. They not only drain toilets but also basement showers, bathtubs, and sinks.
Sewage Ejectors
When you’re outfitting your bathroom with sewage ejectors, you can go for one of two options. One option is the aboveground sewage ejector system. In this system, the toilet is placed flat on the ground slightly elevated compared to the sewer line or septic tank it drains into. The toilet comes separately from the system so you can expect an added expense. This system uses gravity to drain waste from the toilet and bathtub/ shower.
The second option is the belowground sewage ejector. Unlike the aboveground option, this system will require you to excavate and place the tank and pump in the ground. You will then create a hole and place the toilet over it. Any waste from the toilet flows directly into the tank. While buying this system is cheap, you can expect to lose a pretty penny installing it.
Composting Toilets
This is the most eco-friendly basement toilet option as it uses little water and allows you to use compost for gardening. This toilet system uses heat to evaporate waste liquids and is single-drain, that is, it can only drain the toilet and not the entire bathroom unit.
Pressure-assisted Toilets
While most other toilets use the home’s water pressure to move waste, these toilets use air pressure to pump waste into the septic tank. They are good if you want to avoid clogging, and even better when you want to drain your entire basement bathroom unit at once.
Depending on what type of plumbing you have and your budget, there’s always a basement bathroom option that will cover all your needs. Some even include luxurious modern bidets with all options.
