# Sump systems that mount above grade?



## wackman (Nov 14, 2005)

I've got a peculiar situation with one house where someone has dug down the basement to get more head height. This has caused the cast iron to be above the floor grade. We're in there now completely redoing the foundation/slab and we need to figure out the sump system. I've never had to do one of these, all the baths we've put in basements the cast was always sub grade.

So one of my plumbers is recommending the traditional sump pit and motor in a closet. This causes a problem with the intended layout of the basement and he is very unfamiliar with the other suggestion. 

The other plumber is recommending a saniflo system where the sump pit mounts to the back of the toilet under the tank and has inlets for the shower and lav to tie in. Then it uses a macerator (basically a garbage disposal) to chew it all up, even feminine products, and expels it through a 3/4" line. This system would give us much more flexibility with the layout and be simpler than the normal way, if it works as advertised. All my suppliers sell thos product and they say fine things about it but seem a bit unfamiliar with it.

Any experience with this system? Pros? Cons? Any recommendations would be great.

Thanks,

Wack


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Sure will be listening in on this one!
Personally I don't believe in the 
Tooth Fairy, and I've never believed 
in that ¾" line stuff either. :whistling
Hope some one here has been up close
and personal.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

wackman said:


> The other plumber is recommending a saniflo system where the sump pit mounts to the back of the toilet under the tank and has inlets for the shower and lav to tie in. Then it uses a macerator (basically a garbage disposal) to chew it all up, even feminine products, and expels it through a 3/4" line. This system would give us much more flexibility with the layout and be simpler than the normal way, if it works as advertised. All my suppliers sell thos product and they say fine things about it but seem a bit unfamiliar with it.


Someone is trying to set himself up with a lifetime of service work fixing this horrible mistake.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Wow that's a coincidence...I looked at that same basement today hehehe...

The HO was thinking macerator toilet. I was thinking cut into existing sump pit and change to a sewage pump. I've looked around a little, and most say they need 18" D pit. How critical is that?


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## Putty Truck (Oct 6, 2007)

I love complicated systems...they make me money, but to make life easy do the following.

Redo the drain and sewer:

Get a camera/locator with depth finder first to figure out if it is possible.
Bury the house drain under the new slab accirding to local codes. You will have to replace the outside sewer, at least to the point where grade normalizes. Most sewers nose-dive at the property line, so be prepared to go that far. You may get lucky and it will go deep right outside the house.

Don't forget clean-outs outside.


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## wackman (Nov 14, 2005)

Putty Truck said:


> I love complicated systems...they make me money, but to make life easy do the following.
> 
> Redo the drain and sewer:
> 
> ...


Boy, are sump systems that bad? I can get the sump done for around $800. To completely redo the line out to the street would be more like $3k. I have a hard time believing I'm going to be coming back for warranty work on a sump pump to the tune of $2200.

The city made us redo the entire foundation so now there's a 18" deep X 36" wide "L" shaped footing on the inside of the existing unreinforced brick foundation. Tons of bar in it too. It'd be a lot of work to go through or under that now, where as the sump pit can just be dug in the field before the slab.


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## masterk (Dec 29, 2007)

Put a liberty or meyers sewage injector pump and pit package in. The discharge is 2". The system you are talking about I've seen alot of problems with and I won't install them.


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## Putty Truck (Oct 6, 2007)

wackman said:


> Boy, are sump systems that bad? I can get the sump done for around $800. To completely redo the line out to the street would be more like $3k. I have a hard time believing I'm going to be coming back for warranty work on a sump pump to the tune of $2200.
> 
> The city made us redo the entire foundation so now there's a 18" deep X 36" wide "L" shaped footing on the inside of the existing unreinforced brick foundation. Tons of bar in it too. It'd be a lot of work to go through or under that now, where as the sump pit can just be dug in the field before the slab.


Job killer.


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## wackman (Nov 14, 2005)

Putty Truck said:


> Job killer.


Tell me about it. 3 meetings with them before I bought it asking what they'd require to be done and none said a word about all this.


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