I'm thinking about putting a complete bathroom in my basement and I have an overhead sewer system. I really don't want to break into the foundation and dig a 3 or 4 ft hole. Ive seen these quick johns for sale on the internet for about $800.00. It's basically a toilet with the pump and tank above ground. Is this a good idea and does anyone know if there are any problems with these quick johns? Thanks!

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Originally Posted by noelgp

I'm thinking about putting a complete bathroom in my basement and I have an overhead sewer system. I really don't want to break into the foundation and dig a 3 or 4 ft hole. Ive seen these quick johns for sale on the internet for about $800.00. It's basicly a toilet with the pump and tank above ground. Is this a good idea and does anyone know if there are any problems with these quick johns? Thanks!!

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There are no problems with these systems if they are installed and used correctly. Go to; http://www.saniflo.com/ and click on the FAQS tab.
Regards, Tom

Tom
I read that saniflo does not need a vent? My question is, can I hook the outflow pipe directly to the sewer pipe outside? Otherwise I have to try and connect it to the over head in the basement and there does not look like there is much room left to pipe in. I just got a city sewer hook up and my septic crushed, the main sewer line passes the side of my house and that is where I would like to hook up this pipe? What do you think? Thanks for your advise!

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Originally Posted by noelgp

Tom
I read that saniflo does not need a vent? My question is, can I hook the outflow pipe directly to the sewer pipe outside? Otherwise I have to try and connect it to the over head in the basement and there does not look like there is much room left to pipe in. I just got a city sewer hook up and my septic crushed, the main sewer line passes the side of my house and that is where I would like to hook up this pipe? What do you think? Thanks for your advise!!

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You may tie the discharge line into the sewer line outside the house but
You will have to vent the lavatory and toilet. The toilet will wet vent through the lavatory and you may use a mechanical vent on the lavatory if you can't run a vent pipe. However if you use a grinder system that calls for a vent you may not use a mechanical vent on that. Regards, Tom



There are a few issues that the installer needs to know before commencing with the installation of a macerating system.

Venting
As per plumbing code all p-traps need to be vented. Therefore, even though macerating systems are isolated from the main drain system (by means of a check valve), we need to vent the trap of the hand basin, shower, bathtub and possibly a bidet. The following external macerating systems need to be vented: Saniplus, Sanipro, Sanipack and Sanibest.

Products with built-in motors need not to be vented as they are considered to be a forced main. These units are known as Sanicompact, Sanimarin and Sanistar.

External macerating systems have a tapping on the lid, generally located on the right hand side and are 1 ½-inch diameter. To start one need to saw of the cap and connect the provided 1 ½-inch accordion connector to it. Then a street-elbow can be pushed into the other side of the accordion connector and one can finish off the vent installation in 1 ½-inch pipe.

Please note that a vent pipe slopes upwards (¼-inch per foot) when running in the horizontal plane. If one cannot get at the house’s vent system, the vent pipe may run along the joists to the outside of the house. Do not use an air admittance valve (also known as cheater vents). These are one-way devices and block air movement in one direction.

Macerating systems need a two-way air movement, out when the toilet is flushing, i.e. water running into the pump case and in when the macerating unit is pumping water out of the case.

Note: When connecting to a vent system, please push the provided plastic cap into the breather opening located on the left hand side of the lid. Otherwise there exists the possibility for odor (not sewer gas but odor).

I attached a diagram (one made from MS word). I am wondering if I can connect this way. I looked in my wall on the first floor and seen the vent line that has a cap I can unscrew and attach a vent. I'm not sure if I can hook the quick john outflow pipe like the one in the diagram? Thank you all for your feedback!!

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Originally Posted by noelgp

I attached a diagram (one made from MS word). I am wondering if I can connect this way. I looked in my wall on the first floor and seen the vent line that has a cap I can unscrew and attach a vent. I'm not sure if I can hook the quick john outflow pipe like the one in the diagram? Thank you all for your feedback!!!!!!

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Sorry! Your diagram came up blank. E-mail me at [email protected]
Head it PLUMBING Thank you, Tom

Attachment should work

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Originally Posted by noelgp

Attachment should work

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Sorry but it still won't come up. I turned off my pop up blocker and the rest of my filters and all I get is a blank page. Try E mailing me. Happy Easter, Tom

Tom
I e-mailed the diagram to [email protected]

Thanks
Noel

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Originally Posted by noelgp

Tom
I e-mailed the diagram to [email protected]

Thanks
Noel

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Sorry Noel, Same blank page although I can pull diagrams from other posts on this site. However in looking over your post,
" I looked in my wall on the first floor and seen the vent line that has a cap I can unscrew and attach a vent."
Do mean first floor or basement and if it's first floor is there a second floor bathroom? That cap is a clean out that sounds like it's a clean out for the sewer main and the pipe it's attached to sounds like a "stack vent" and not a "vent stack".
Stack vent= a pipe that has discharge from fixtures but extends up from the highest fixture through the roof as a vent.
Vent Stack= a pipe that's dry and extends through the roof used to vent a battery of fixtures.
The only way you may use a stack vent is to discharge a added fixture into the stack vent ABOVE the highest existing fixture connected to that stack vent. Since I can't access your disgram does this make it any clearer? Regards, Tom

The only thing I can think what's happening with that diagram is that it is MS word 2000. And you might have an earlier version?Anyway I will try to explain the best I can. First I'll start with the house, only 1 floor (ranch) and a basement. I was going to vent the QJ to what looks like a 2in pipe attached horizontally to the vertical 4in vent going to my roof. This horizontal pipe is the highest connection in the vertical vent stack. The horiz. Pipe is about 4 ft long and has the sink vent 2in and the tub vent 2in hooked up to it. The horiz. Pipe has a cap at the end and I was going to put a T at the end of it and vent the QJ and cap the end as well. Just basically extending it another foot. Now for the outflow. My overhead sewer exits my basement at about 4 ft high. The main tiolet pipe runs parallel to my basement ceiling and is about 6 ft off the ground. This pipe turns down by the basement wall and connects to pipe that goes outside to the sewer. The clean out is right by the wall. I was going to open the clean out cap put a 1.5 ft extension on it and connect the outflow pipe, bring the QJ pipe vert to 5.5ft go parallel and then come down and connect on the extension?

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Originally Posted by noelgp

the only thing I can think whats happening with that diagram is that it is MS word 2000. and you might have an earlier version?Anyway I will try to explain the best I can. First I'll start with the house, only 1 floor (ranch) and a basement. I was going to vent the QJ to what looks like a 2in pipe attached horizontally to the vertical 4in vent going to my roof. this horizontal pipe is the highest connection in the vertical vent stack. The horiz. pipe is about 4 ft long and has the sink vent 2in and the tub vent 2in hooked up to it. the horiz. pipe has a cap at the end and i was going to put a T at the end of it and vent the QJ and cap the end as well. Just basicly extending it another foot. Now for the outflow. My overhead sewer exits my basement at about 4 ft high. The main tiolet pipe runs parrallel to my basement ceiling and is about 6 ft off the ground. this pipe turns down by the basement wall and connects to pipe that goes outside to the sewer. the clean out is right by the wall. I was going to open the clean out cap put a 1.5 ft extention on it and connect the outflow pipe, bring the QJ pipe vert to 5.5ft go parrallel and then come down and connect on the extention?

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OK! Things are clearer now. You may tie your vents in the way you describe, sounds good to me. Your discharge lay out sounds Ok to me. The only thing that I might add is install a wye with a cleanout on the extension pipe so you do not lose your cleanout and then tie in the discharge from the grinder pump. Happy Easter to you and yours. Tom

Thanks so much for all your time and help! Happy Easter also! I will add the wye with a cleanout as advised. You saved me some big cash! This is a really cool website.