If you’re a homeowner or contractor working on a compact home, you understand the challenge of finding efficient equipment that fits into a smaller space. The bathrooms in tiny homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are designed to be very small, so installing a toilet that’s compact enough can be difficult.
Thankfully, options like upflush toilets make it possible to install a toilet into very small spaces without compromising comfort or aesthetics. With this type of toilet, you can pump waste and water up and out of a bathroom, minimizing the space needed for plumbing. Learn more about upflush toilets as a compact home plumbing solution.
What Is an Upflush Toilet?
Like the name suggests, upflush toilets carry waste upward. They use a pump to grind up any discharge and send it away through plumbing along the wall and ceiling. Because upflush toilets use a pump, they don’t require plumbing below the floor to function. Upflush toilets are also sometimes called power flush toilets or macerating toilets.
These toilets look like traditional models, but they have an additional tank with a pump behind the toilet seat. This tank has a macerator, a kind of sewage ejector pump that grinds waste into smaller pieces with each flush. The activated pump then sends the ground waste through a pipe up the wall and into a home’s sewer line.
Unlike traditional toilets, upflush toilets don’t rely on gravity to take waste down into plumbing through the floor. They’re a good option if you’re unable to install plumbing underneath the toilet. They can also help you save time and money if you’re building a bathroom on an existing concrete floor.
The Benefits of Upflush Toilets in Compact Living Environments
Upflush toilets offer many benefits for small spaces. They’re a good solution for the following reasons:
- Small footprint: Many upflush toilets are compact, making them an ideal fit for bathrooms in tiny homes with limited square footage. These toilets are also a good choice for RV remodels and ADUs.
- Easy installation: Putting an upflush toilet into your bathroom isn’t difficult. Because it’s relatively easy, it’s affordable to pay a professional plumber to do it for you.
- No subfloor plumbing: If you don’t want to break up concrete or can’t go down into the floor, upflush toilets are a great choice. They pump water and waste up and out of the bathroom, so the toilet can sit on top of the existing floor.
Although practicality comes first for compact bathrooms, aesthetics are still an important part of the finished product. With an upflush toilet, you can meet practical goals for space without sacrificing on appearance.
How to Install Upflush Toilets in Tight Spaces
Upflush toilets are a good choice for tight spaces because you can direct their plumbing up the wall to the ceiling. While not every upflush toilet is compact, some models are expressly designed for small bathrooms. Here are the steps you should follow to install an upflush toilet into a small space.
Planning and Plumbing
Start by measuring how much space you have to work with. If your bathroom is really tiny, consider using a compact upflush toilet that’s designed for small spaces. It’s important to look for any obstructions that could get in the way of your installation, like pipes or wires where you need to run the toilet’s discharge pipe.
To operate the macerating pump on an upflush toilet, you’ll need an electrical outlet near the toilet installation. If there isn’t one available, you can hire a professional electrician to install an outlet. You also need access to a cold water supply line to supply the toilet tank with water. Always make sure you turn off the water supply before you start plumbing work!
Installation
The first step for installing an upflush toilet is to mount the macerating unit on the wall behind the toilet. Some models may be designed so everything is installed at once — you can check the manufacturer’s instructions to know the right installation steps.
Once the toilet is in, you should connect the tank to the cold water supply line, then connect the discharge pipe to the nearest drain line. The discharge pipe usually runs up the wall to the main sewer line, since upflush toilets don’t use gravity or subfloor plumbing. Test the toilet by flushing several times to make sure everything works and there are no leaks.
Upflush Toilet Installation Tips for Apartments
Do you need another toilet in your home? Upflush toilets can be a good choice because they don’t require tearing up the floor. If you’d like to install a new upflush toilet in your home, there are several unique considerations.
Approvals and Planning
Before you invest in an upflush toilet, make sure you get approval from your landlord or building management. You should have written permission before you make any changes. You should also look at local building codes to ensure an upflush toilet complies with regulations.
You’ll need to check existing plumbing to see whether you can access a cold water supply line and main drain line. Upflush toilets also require a dedicated electrical circuit. For safety reasons, it should be a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet.
Finally, consider how an upflush toilet could impact your neighbors. If you share plumbing, you may need to hire a plumber to make sure it’s OK to add another toilet to the building’s plumbing system. Macerating toilets can also be noisy when they turn on, so be thoughtful about where you install them.
Toilet Installation Tips
If you don’t have installation experience, consider hiring a professional plumber to install your toilet. They’ll give you peace of mind when working on a property you don’t own. If you do choose to install a new upflush toilet yourself, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. After installation, you’ll need to test the toilet several times to check that it’s not leaking.
What Are the Best Upflush Toilets for Small Bathrooms?
If you’re installing an upflush toilet into a small space, there are a few qualities to prioritize. Not every upflush toilet is the same, and some are better than others for compact bathrooms. The best options have a compact footprint with a smaller bowl and streamlined shape.
You can find upflush toilets with a quieter macerator that reduces noise when in use. Some upflush toilets use less water than others, making them a good fit when sustainability is a concern. There are also different aesthetic options depending on your goals for the finished bathroom’s design.
Find Upflush Toilets at Star Water Systems
At Star Water Systems, we’ve been selling quality pumps with the customer in mind. We pride ourselves on excellent service and a website that’s easy to navigate, so you can find exactly what you need. Look through our upflush toilet options or contact us today for more information!
