How to: Basement bathroom plumbing for reliable flushing

Basement bathroom ideas are just a bunch of, well, crap if you spend too much time designing what a bathroom looks like not enough time designing what it does. Have you thought about the basement bathroom pump? The basement bathroom plumbing with ejector pump needs to be planned first.

Before you get started on basement bathroom plumbing

How would you like to spend thousands on a basement bathroom remodel and then live knowing you’re one flushed baby wipe (or tampon or condom or other thing we flush but don’t often say out loud) away from an expensive—and did I mention 12 on the Richter Scale of disgusting—service call?

No pun intended, since bathrooms are under a lot of pressure. They have to be everything from retreat to utilitarian in the same breath. And they have to meet the needs of when you ‘need to go’ without anyone noticing just how much work they really do. A tall order.

Here’s what’s in this article on basement bathroom plumbing:

And the order gets taller when it comes to bathrooms where what you eject down into the toilet then needs to move where it doesn’t want to go—up. There needs to be space for the basement bathroom pump.

Yes, I’ll explain.

Sewage ejection pump: Yummy.

Yes, the basement bathroom pump isn’t the most appetizing conversation, so let’s just dive in. This part of basement bathroom design starts with a sewage ejection pump. And you want one that’s not a service call waiting to happen. It needs to be more than that. it needs to be—on our projects—something on the order of a work of art like the Saniflo Sanicubic1 we installed. Yes, work of art. Here we go…

Basement bathroom plumbing design: Space.

Most units I’ve used are large, requiring a huge pit dug in the basement floor. Then, they’re so big, a closet or room must be framed and finished around them. Since Theresa and I mostly improve old homes, our basement bathroom design ideas also have to make the best use of space known to humanity. Seriously, it’s like a camper or the International Space Station on one of our builds.

Ejector pump: Operation.

Some ejector pumps are more like a sump pump—they sit in a huge basin, wait to fill up with yuck, then use a pump that grinds (or just ejects without grinding) and spits out fluids and solids into the soil line. These units are what we’ll call ‘cloggable’.

My own plumber says to me—while installing a cloggable unit a few years ago: Flush a baby wipe down here it’ll probably clog the unit. Getting it out is ‘the worst job in plumbing.’ What?! Because that’s one overnight guest away from Soup d’Disgusting.

Put another way: The money you might save on the front end buying a cheaper unit will almost surely be spent on a hyper-rancid service call. His words, not mine. So do you really want to be teetering on the edge of that crap pile? Literally.

Basement bathroom plumbing: Design.

So how do our basement bathroom design ideas turn into reality? We make the best possible use of space from framing right through finish. It all starts with smart, sensible layout and using—even double-using—spaces.

In this basement bathroom, we max out the space—and the budget—for ejecting our poop and pee with a basement bathroom pump I’m falling in love with. In fact, it hits a balance point between the high-end grinders and low-end suckers in a small, powerful, affordable package: SaniFlo Sanicubic1.

The brand makes a few different kinds for basement bathrooms. It’s helpful to consult with them or your plumber to find out which is right for you.

Digging a pit: Grinder.

First of all, it’s small. I installed it under the stairs. I dug a pit for it—and I’m glad I did—to serve two purposes.

1. Water rolls downhill.

2. I can use the space above the pit as storage without compromising the unit.

In addition, the unit itself is a single piece. No giant basin (essentially a trash can) and separate pump unit because it’s about as big as a case of beer.

Also, the Saniflo is a grinder-type pump. What does this mean? It chews up the solids that flow down the drain to make them liquid and the pump is powerful enough to move them 36-feet up and over 300 feet horizontally! So you can easily use this if you want to add a bathroom somewhere else, like a bonus room over a garage.

What’s so great about this basement bathroom grinder?

Some lower end units that I feel are a one backed-up toilet away from having to replace it. However, the Sanicubic1 can handle the occasional baby wipe, tampon, condom and all the other things we don’t often say out loud but do flush down the toilet. You know somebody’s going to send something down the drain sooner or later.

This beautiful little box has a commercial rating and performance without the commercial price tag, so it’s striking the balance we need to create with what everyone wants out of basement bathroom design ideas—a space that looks beautiful and works without a second thought.

Which means I can then sleep at night without worrying.

About the Author

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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