To dig or not to dig? (sewer line)

[This2ShallPass]

Hello all. I am putting a three piece bathroom in my garage. It's going to cost me several thousand dollars to have the slab opened and the drains/sewer lines installed.

What about a sewer ejector pump instead?

I read a ten year old post elsewhere that said that the macerating toilets are really nasty and hardly work -- is that still the case? Does anyone have recent experience with any of this?

Many thanks in advance!

This2ShallPass

 

[ddawg16]

For that money.....walk to the house....or, 5 gal bucket.

 

[volleyball]

So where does the ejector pump stuff goes if you don't have a drain line?
Do the work yourself, pay someone or forget about doing it.
This is a forum who is going to ask why aren't you first asking about how you would do this yourself.

 

[cbacres]

I have a grinder pump in my barn bathroom . I ran a 2" discharge from it to the inlet pipe on my septic tank. It even runs uphill ( imagine that, s**t running uphill) it works great. The pump and tank was around $300.00 when I bought. The plumbing in the bathroom is installed just like you would normally, and it drains into the the grinder tank.

 

[maynard9089]

I have a pump in my basement that I installed in order to add a bathroom to an addition. It works great. However, if I had my choice I would rather not have it but it was necessary in this application. I would spend the money to go the traditional route and if cost was a concern I would piece out as much as possible to keep the price down. The majority of the work involved is DIY for the average person.

 

[rodm1]

New ones seem to work good but the older ones seem to have the problems. At the plumbing board they say when using toilet paper flush 2 times to clean the system of toilet paper. If not used often it drys up and plugs the system like in any proper working sewer system water is your friend.

https://www.ridgidforum.com
http://www.plumbingzone.com/

 

[whyNick?]

Man, for that kind of $$ I'd look at a composting or incinerating toilet.

 

[Gerald O]

That's a very small garage for installing a full bathroom in. You'll be turning it into a 1 car garage. Why? Or are you actually planning on converting the garage into living space?

 

[volleyball]

He has another post explaining he wants to turn part of the space into a guest suite. And he doesn't have the physical ability to do it himself.

 

[signcrafter]

I have put one of these in before, http://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...1-2-hp-easy-flush-system/p-1767765-c-8673.htm. It was for a person that put a suite in their garage and had a shower and sink and toilet and washer. This was about 5 years ago and I haven't heard about one problem with it from them. I liked it, simple to install and from what I have seen worked great.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Trench the lines outside so you don't have to cut so much of the floor.

 

[Daedalus]

And pray it doesn't ever break open on you.

We have a grinder for all downstairs plumbing, but pretty much only use laundry and the sink in the kitchenette down there. It's stanky, but not totally disgusting. When we first moved in, and the sump was gone, I had to pump it out with my shop vac...now that was disgusting.

 

[Scott r c]

Look at the saniflo products.

 

[bjshock]

I laffing

 

[Nananooknak]

Dude... wtf.

 

[bigpokie]

Look up a liberty macerating toilets. I've sold a few at work and people have loved them. It's complete toilet, tank and pump

 

[volleyball]

A macerating toilet, a bigger grinder pump or other such device does nothing for the OP issue. The **** has to go somewhere. And that will need a pipe. Doesn't matter the size, it will still require some piping. The only advantage of a grinder pump is the issue of gravity. If the space truly is a guest space then the thing will clog a lot. It has to have somewhat regular use.

 

[Moose364]

Put in a sub floor. sure you will have a step up going into the bathroom but it will be a lot cheaper

 

[cbacres]

A macerating toilet, a bigger grinder pump or other such device does nothing for the OP issue. The **** has to go somewhere. And that will need a pipe. Doesn't matter the size, it will still require some piping. The only advantage of a grinder pump is the issue of gravity. If the space truly is a guest space then the thing will clog a lot. It has to have somewhat regular use.

I've had mine setup for seven years with light use, sometimes with over a week in between when the unit pumps. The 2" line runs uphill some, so maybe it being full all the time helps, but never had it clog.

The idea of a subfloor would negate the floor cutting, only would have the small discharge line to run.

 

[volleyball]

Do you then dump the **** in the yard? You will still need to connect to a sewer or leach field. If you add a grinder pump for the garage and if it ties in near the house, you might have to add a backflow preventer or else maybe fill your house with ****.
I am sure this is all beyond the OP but it does make for a good discussion here.

 

[2x_Tom]

The absolute best way to do it is open the slab and run the pipes. You could install a pump pit and pump the waste out but you still have to open the slab under the bathroom then purchase and install a $400 pump. By the time you do that it probably won't be much cheaper then just going underground. The pump is also something that will eventually go bad. Guests flush some paper towels, wipes, a condom, tampons, Clorox wipes, etc and you at a minimum have to open the pit and remove the items from the pump, at worst you have to replace a pump for a few hundred dollars.

Then their is the cheap way out, the toilets with built in pumps. They do work but you have to figure out how to pipe your bathroom so the sink and shower drain into the pump behind the toilet. You'll probably be raising up the bathroom or at least raising the shower. You also have the same problem with having a pump. Be sure no one puts anything down there or you'll be pulling it apart to clean and/or replace the pump.

If it being inspected? If this is being inspected the toilet pump probably won't fly, the pit might pass and the lines underground should be just fine.