- Make sure you’ve determined a good place for the macerator. Before you get into the installation process, make sure you know that the tank will be installed into the wall behind the toilet. For this, you’ll need a much longer extension piece to be able to connect it directly to the ball. You also may need a removable wall panel behind the toilet for repairs.
- Use soft bends when lining the pipe. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to keep it to 45-degree angles instead of a hard 90-degree turn.
- The vertical turn should be as close to the macerator as possible so that it can distribute its power early enough. Lining your pipes is a skill that can really impact the function of your macerating toilet so take it seriously!
- Make sure you’re installing your toilet close to an outlet. This might be tricky since most outlets are generally at least 40-inches away from the shower.
Price tag
Depending on your budget, you might want to look for a toilet that fits your monetary range. If you’re looking at the lower end of the market, the Jabsco 37010, our budget pick, can be a choice that’s right up your alley.
There are macerating toilets for most kinds of budget, so with a little research, you should be able to find the perfect product for you.
Features to consider while buying the best macerating toilet
Before you choose from one of the products above, here are a few features to look out for in a macerating toilet. Familiarizing yourself with these smaller details can really help you pick out the right one for your home and situation.
Toilet type and bowl style
Looking at the broader spectrum of things, there are a few different types of macerating toilets and bowl styles.
Bowl Styles: When it comes to bowls, you can either choose from a standard one or a round one.
The round ones are generally much smaller in dimension—which can be helpful if you are working with a smaller space. Elongated bowls, on the other hand—which are the standard types are generally much bigger and take up much more space.
On the money side of things, round bowls—since they are smaller—are a lot cheaper.
Toilet Styles: I bet you never thought you would read those two words in the same sentence! The two different types of toilets are the two-piece and the one piece.
With the two-piece, the tank bolts directly on top of the main bowl section. They are generally much more comfortable. Two-pieces are also much cheaper—but can lead to a higher chance of being poor for you on a hygienic standpoint.
With the one-piece, the two parts cannot be separated by hands.
Flushing and water consumption
Especially since most of us are getting more and more environmentally-friendly (hopefully), the more “little” things you can do, the better. For example, switching to a macerating toilet can help decrease the amount of water you use on a daily basis.
The ability to be able to decrease your water use in such a simple but daily-used thing can make a huge impact on our environment.
Blades quantity
Blades and toilets—a strange but wonderful friendship.
With blades, these toilet models use their function to chop up the waste to make it much more manageable for the macerating box. Some of these toilets come equipped with two blades while others may have just one.
The blades found in the majority of these quality macerating toilets are made from stainless steel. Although there are other, more affordable options, they might not last as long.
Tank volume
Each of these toilets has a tank that contains an insulated liner. This liner can help prevent the possibility of condensation “seepage”—especially during those warm, summer seasons. When there’s colder water in the tank, condensation will easily form.
If you have air conditioning in your home, however, you don’t have to worry about getting that double tank.
Macerating pump
These toilets are called “macerating” because maceration, when done in a sewage treatment setting, is when a mechanical device will work on those solids to reduce them to small enough pieces that grind or blend much better when working with pumping and plumbing.
The entire process is to ease the strain of the plumbing, which is what the macerating pump is all about. Make sure the toilet you choose has a quality one!
Designs
As I mentioned before, the design of the toilet doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal—however, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that even when on the market for sanitary equipment, you can actually choose from various colors and styles.
Take a look at the decor and layout of your bathroom and home—you can enhance and capitalize on the uniformity of colors, shapes, and finishes to help match these toilets to the rest of your appliances.
Normally, the various macerating toilets pictured here will be offered in white, off-white, beige and black colors.
Certification
A certified product—no matter what it is—will always be a good choice.
These macerating toilets should have some sort of certification, the WaterSense tag is actually one o the best. This means that the flushing device has met certain criteria to receive the diploma.
To be crowned with the certification, the macerating toilet has to be able to flush at least 350 grams of solid waste in a single flush. This criteria, among other factors, have to be met in order to receive a certification to back up its function.
Hardware included
You definitely want to try and minimize your level of effort when buying a macerating toilet. To do so, try and see if hardware is included, like the toilet seat. This will help you avoid a goose choice when looking for the right toilet seat to match the rest of the appliance. Unfortunately, however, most base models only come with the bowl, which means that finding the toilet seat to match will be up to you.
Choosing a toilet that comes with both a tank and a pump is also helpful. This can help you with installation issues and connecting it to a pump.
Warranty
Most of the macerating toilets featured here are only backed by a 1-year limited warranty. However, a few options, like the Liberty Pumps Ascent II, among others, has a 3-year limited warranty. Especially if you are planning on installing and then living in that home or renting it out for the next few years, you’ll definitely want to consider the guarantee.
Upflush toilet maintenance tips
First and foremost, we just want to advise you that these macerating toilets are ideal for bathrooms that are found on the ground floor or the basement, since it means you don’t have to break up cement for installation.
Once you’ve installed a macerating toilet, you definitely want to make sure you are maintaining it to the best of your abilities. Cleaning it correctly will help you not only keep it functioning properly, but will help keep your bathroom in a healthy and clean environment.
To help you with maintenance, here are a few tips:
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- Before you clean, make sure you’ve fully turned off all power connecting to the up flush toilet.
- To clean, simply pour 2-3 cups (depending on the size of the bowl) of non-acidic toilet bowl cleaner down the toilet. Leave it alone for about three hours. This will give the toilet time for it to break the deposits and grime up.
- After waiting for the allotted time, turn the power back on and let the toilet macerator do its thing. It is virtually self-cleaning at this point.
Especially if your home or apartment is struggling with low water pressure, a macerating toilet can be a simple solution to solve any problems that may present.
