A macerating toilet, one of the most efficient toilets on the market, is a type of contraption that uses a sturdier, well-designed pump to grind away waste and whatever you throw away (within reason) so that the pumps and drainage system are less harmed in the process. The best macerating toilets are going to be the most proficient solutions if you’re living in a home with low drainage or low water pressure. If you have been struggling with that problem for a while, then this can be your key to a smooth drain.
You might have heard about these toilets under another name, the upflush toilet—which means that the toilet flushes upward…which doesn’t mean what you think it means (everything going upwards instead of down). It just means that it uses the water pressure—even when it’s low—effectively during flushing. In our review, we’re going to talk about the ins and outs (not literally) of the various macerating toilet features and why they’re important to know before you buy—like the toilet dimensions, water consumption, motor power, and warranty information.
Top 7 Macerating Toilets Review 2020
In our guide, after spending hours researching the various brands and products on the market, we’ve laid out the best ones here—with all the details to help you make your decision. From our Editor’s choice that has the best volume down to our budget pick, you can see all of our best-choices products on our comparison table, in-detail reviews of each product, and a buying guide. We hope this guide will help you with your buying decision!
Quite macerating toilet with a powerful 0.5 hp motor capable of 3600 rpm speed Macerating toilet with a 1-inch pipe diameter and a solid state switch technology Great macerating toilet for tighter rooms with a round bowl and a 50-inch power cord length Easy to install macerating toilet with convenient 2-icnh shower inlet and 1.5-inch vent and sink inlet This macerating toilet has 53 dBs of noise levels and a thermally protected oil-filled motor Great for boats macerating toilet is compact and features eco-friendly functions Fairly priced macerating toilet made of vitreous china and featuring a single-button flush
More features: 0.75’’ pipe diameter, elongated bowl, 0.5 hp motor For the best of the best, the Saniflo SaniAccess 3 is our Editor’s Choice for best macerating toilet on the market. Regardless of its impeccable functionality and quality, it still can be bought and installed while maintaining your budget. The Saniflo SaniAccess 3 can be matched and connected with not only the toilet but also the sink, shower, and bath. This macerating toilet uses a .5hp motor that can pump up to 15 ft vertically. It also has easy access panels—which makes it truly unique—making the entire process easier when attempting to disconnect the pump. If you are looking for a highly-adjustable kit, the Saniflo SaniAccess 3 can be the perfect purchase. Instead of just giving you a one-function, one-dimensional toilet, this easy-to-install unit—which simply requires a connection to the water supply, the toilet connected to the pump, and the pump to the pipe, can be a great all-in-one solution. The Saniflo SaniAccess 3 is built with an elongated design, which is one of the most comfortable and common bowl types with the great Although backed only by a 1-year limited warranty, the Saniflo SaniAccess 3 is still a great investment for your bathroom and for the environment. Saniflo Saniaccess 3 – Editor’s Choice
More features: 1’’ pipe diameter, solid state switch technology, 1.5’’ vent, LED display The Liberty Pumps Ascent II is a top-of-the-line macerating toilet system that features one of the best and easiest maintenance systems around. Featuring high efficiency features, the pump can power through up to 25 feet vertically through its discharge pipe. Designed with one of the most advanced RazorCut technology, the Liberty Pumps Ascent II is designed for one of the most up-to-date waste removal systems that provide a service as quickly as possible—you don’t even have to disconnect the plumbing! Some other features that set it apart also include things like IST solid state switching, a built-in alarm, and LED lights with external touchpad for alarm silence and manual override. These features may seem a little extreme but once you use them, it’s hard to go back! The elongated style in the back and round in the front, high-quality macerating toilet is certified by the WaterSense® mark. An extra feature also included in this toilet is the featured insulated tanks, which helps avoid condensation and sweating. If you’re a DIY-kind-of-person, the Liberty Pumps Ascent II is always a great pick since it can be installed with ease and is extremely lightweight to be able to do on your own. When we say easy-to-install, we really mean it—you don’t even need to cut into the bathroom floor, which means that it is EXTREMELY simple. It also is extremely efficient, helping you keep that water bill down (and of course, help the environment). Liberty Pumps Ascent II – Best Maintenance Macerating Toilet System
More features: oil-filled 0.3 hp motor, 1.25’’ sink connection, 50’’ power cord length, 1’’ pipe diameter The Saniflo Sanicompact is one of the most compact models out in the market—with a modern shape and design built to minimize space and save you some extra room in your bathroom. Perfect for the half-bath in your home, the Saniflo Sanicompact can (and should) be installed about 9 feet below the sewer line or up to 100 feet away from a soil stack. It’s also another macerating toilet that is quite easy to install for DIYers and homeowners. If you’re looking for quality through material, the Saniflo Sanicompact is designed with vitreous china and a macerator/pump built into one compact unit. Perfect for home that might not have a lot of space, this compact model is perfect to keep your options open, the floor plan open, and the water bill low. Its modern look is accompanied by optimal functionality, with proper flushing action and its macerating pump cycle working with one another. It operates simply, as well—just with a push button. It also is relatively high-tech, electrically-timed so that only 1 gallon is passing through the toilet at adequate periods. It also doesn’t need to be vented or connected to a vent stack of any kind, which helps ease the process of installation. Lightweight, weighing only around 62 lbs, you can easily tackle this job on your own. The design also fits any half-bath—with chrome hinges and a solid build. Saniflo Sanicompact – Most Compact Macerating Toilet
More features: 6’ power cord, 1.5’’ vent and sink inlet, 1.25’’ discharge pipe, 2’’ shower inlet, automatic flush button As another style on the market, the Thetford 42819 is one of the best elongated, macerating toilets on the market. Coming backed by a 3-year limited warranty, this toilet has the functionality making it hard to say no to the buy—especially to all its features and ease-of-use (as well as installation). Designed with a white finish to match any styled bathroom, the toilet comes built with a unique split design. This sort of build allows for easy access to the macerating pump whenever it is necessary and makes maintenance relatively easy. The Thetford 42819 also boasts superior flush performance, which sets it apart from other toilets on the market. Not only is the system highly functional, the quality of the material and the build is top-of-the-line. Especially as an elongated style, you as a buyer might be a bit hesitant about the space. However, the way it‘s designed—from the inside out—can help you change your mind. You need this toilet! Easy enough to install on your own, the instructions that come along with the toilet contain perfect how-to details that even the most beginner of DIYers can figure out. From the seals to the bushings to the gaskets, most materials on this tank are made out of good, rubber quality that puts it in the height of its class. Thetford 42819 – Best Elongated Macerating Toilet
More features: 53 dBS noise level, 47.5’’ cord length, 0.75 to 1’’ pipe diameter, 3 gal capacity, 1.5’’ vent inlet, oil-filled thermally protected motor The Saniflo Toilet SaniPlus is rated as one of our best, two-piece macerating toilets that we found on the market. Not only is it judged as one of the best, it could be argued that it literally set the standard industry for the next two decades. Rated as a best-seller in its product line, the Saniflo Toilet SaniPlus is a great choice for any household—no matter how big or small the bathrooms are. The macerator can accommodate anywhere from a full bath—which contains the toilet, sink, shower, and tub—to the anything smaller and more compact. The pump can reach up to 15 feet vertically speaking and 150 feet horizontally, which makes it highly reliable. Considered as actually the standard duty system, you’ll receive a package including the pump, the elongated toilet bowl, the toilet tank, and even the slow close toilet seat, meaning that very few accessories are required to buy on your part (apart from the Saniflo Toilet SaniPlus, itself). Designed with vitreous china, this elongated bowl is rated at a standard of being ADA compliant, built with an insulated tank and a white, plastic lever handle. The toilet tank also comes with bowl screws, washers, and wing nuts to help fully with the installation process. The Saniflo Toilet SaniPlus comes backed by a 2-year warranty, which beats the 1-year warranty of most other macerating toilets on the market. Saniflo Toilet SaniPlus 002/087/005 – Best Two-Piece Macerating Toilet
More features: silent flush, 0.75’’ pipe diameter, two kits for seas and regular water, eco switch The Thetford Marine Nano ECO is rated as one of our best marine macerating toilets found on the market today. Fully utilizing the benefits of Turbine Technology, the Thetford Marine Nano ECO produces not only a powerful flush—but also a highly, clog-resistant one. If you’re looking for the ultimate combination of a highly efficient marine toilet and the smallest design capable, then this product is the one for you. Especially since it has a highly compact design, it can offer a lot of the high quality features of those bigger units—without taking up all that extra space. Fulfilling new requirements for the vessels to be below 50′ (45m), the development team for this brand has mastered the balance between elegance and easy to install. Backing itself up in functionality, you can easily use the two check valves and the combined water trap to stop odor in its tracks. It also runs in a relatively quiet operating sound, using both raw water and pressure water flush to function optimally. Unique to other, lower budget macerating toilets on the market, the Thetford Marine Nano ECO actually leaves a clean, dry bowl after every powerful flush. It also uses a user-friendly “eco rocker switch” that reduces the amount of water and energy to help take the utmost control of your water power and electricity usage. Meeting all the quality standards in its path, the Thetford Marine Nano ECO has exceeded expectations with its sound emission as the lowest level possible, as well as the water and electrical consumption levels. Thetford Marine Nano ECO – Best Marine Macerating Toilet
More features: vitreous china bowl, PAR-MAX 4 self-priming pump, single-button flush If you find yourself on a budget but still want to get the most out of energy, water, and electricity with a macerating toilet, the Jabsco 37010 is your pick! Featuring an extremely quiet flush cycle with the functionality of a common household toilet, the Jabsco 37010 is a great option for your home—no matter how big or small. It works with a single button flush actuator with dual function water level control switch. When it comes to design, it is supplied with a PAR-MAX 4 self-priming pump, which uses only high-quality sea water or lake water to rinse the toilet bowl. Made with white vitreous china, it is offered in a small, compact size to fit any smaller-sized space or half-bath. The design of the high capacity waste macerator and bowl discharge pump is also improved upon for optimal functionality—despite its affordable price. The push button easily activates both the rinse water supply and the macerator discharge pump, simultaneously for ease of use. As one of the best electric, marine toilets on the market, it is highly preventative with clogging and leaking. The scavenger pump, in its own right, will help with grinding and flushing—at an exceptionally fast rate. It also is designed with stainless steel, which means that microorganisms like bacteria, mold and mildew don’t have a fighting chance. Jabsco 37245 – Budget Pick
What is macerating and why such a toilet is needed?
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.
Instead of simply sending waster through the pipes like an average toilet, it puts it through a pump system so that it is converted to an easier form to dispose of.
If you know where your soil stack is in the home, you’ll need to install your new macerating toilet as far away from it as possible.
The up-flush toilets can help save you a ton of plumbing problems in the future.
How to install a macerating toilet?
Although it is recommended to get a professional to look in on this job, it’s not impossible for homeowners to tackle this project themselves. If you decide to go solo, here are a few tips that can help:
- 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.
- 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.
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:
FAQ
Before you invest in a macerating toilet for your home and the environment, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions—answered.
Just like with anything else that has to do with power and plumbing, you might not want to tackle this one on your own. Although you technically could install it by yourself, it would be most advisable to consult a professional.
If you have a macerating toilet system, it’s recommended to use a vent, but not completely necessary. If you do decide to use a vent, make sure that you’re tying it in properly—or else this may lead to disruptions with other fixtures after flushing. If you do end up running a vent line on the outside of your home or business, make sure that it terminates well above the line of the roof.
As we mentioned earlier, most warranties feature here will be from 1-3 years, however—these macerating toilets are normally good from about 10-15 full years. Depending on how you care for it, this can obviously vary.
Our Verdict
If you’ve skipped over everything we took the time to explain in the guide or have finally trekked through the whole article, this is the part where we give it to you straight: the top three macerating toilets on the market are—
The Saniflo Saniaccess 3 is our Editor’s choice for the best macerating toilet because of features like its multi-appliance capacity—able to hold a full bath and its compact and round design, which can save you space.
The Liberty Pumps Ascent II is our runner-up for the best macerating toilet. Designed extremely lightweight with an easy-to-install approach, this modernly designed toilet uses extremely low amounts of water consumption and meets that minimalistic design.
The Jabsco 37010 is our budget pick, best macerating toilet. Although it is highly affordable, it still holds quality features like being backed by a 2-year warranty, silent flush, two kits for seas and regular water, and an eco switch.
We hope that this article has helped you pick the best macerating toilet for your home and installation situation. Thank you for caring for the pipes and our environment!
