Hello all. I am going to finish off a basement and want to put a bedroom and bathroom down below. Any elegant suggestions for getting the drains/sewage from the basement up and out to the septic system? Will I need to put in some sort of a pump (which sounds costly and unlikely to work)?
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You will need to install a sump style basket with a sealed lid into the floor with a sewage grinder pump and plumbing out to the septic drain pipe.
Sounds like a lot... do these things work? Is this common, or should I just forget about putting a water closet in the basement?
What's a lot? You're installing a new bathroom it's not going to be cheap but it ads substantial equity to the home. Yes they work fine but don't skimp on the pump or you get to replace it and that doesn't smell very nice.
I had a pump for my sanitary tubs/washer in my basement. Good pump but pumps do wear out and they are a pain to replace, particularly when they are sewage pumps. For me, I am fortunate to have a portion of my basement open to grade so I just ran a pipe out to a dry well. But i'm only putting out grey water, sewage. If you really wnat to do it, install it yourself but then have a plumber maintain it!
I've researched this a lot. Pretty common thing to do. People I've talked to with such systems say they work well. Installation will probably be costly. The actual component costs will be a few hundred dollars, mostly for the pump, venting, and wiring. Though I'm hardly an expert as I haven't done it yet.
Obviously bathroom layout must be finalized and planned well before you begin as there is concrete cutting ect. involved.
I have a related question. I am told that in the past my basement has had water leakage problems, like 10-15 years ago. Don't see any evidence of it, but it's partially finished now, and wasn't then. So, I'd like to put in a sump pump. I plan to put a 3/4 bath downstairs, so would trench deep enough for the drain tee plus a few feet of sloped drain pipe. I would like to fill around the pipe w/ pea gravel before putting in new concrete.
Is there a way that the bathroom sump pit can also be used as a sump for any groundwater? Or, should I put in a seperate sump pump, to avoid any chance of sewer gas leakage? My thought is to put a seperate drainage pit next to the bathroom pit that is slightly deeper.
Oh, the sewer outlet is about 2-1/2' above the floor, and I have access to add a new sewer vent pipe through the roof of the house.
The way to do what you want to is T off and use a trap to a floor drain just like a shower. Your pump has to be deeper to handle the trap. Doesnt matter how many outlets you have as long as the pump is far enough below. Thus a wet trap answers your question.
Tim Mooney
Thanks, sounds like it's doable.
Guess I'll have to decide how likely I think the ground water issue is.
I intend to put in a floor drain, perhaps that is enough.
Was thinking of putting a sump in to drain ground water slightly below floor level as a precaution, but would only have a small area of drain field to feed it (whatever floor area I tear out and repour). Not sure it's worth the extra effort and expense as it may not stop the water before it comes up through the floor somewhere else. I'm sure there are cracks in the floor under the carpet (about 50%). There are cracks where I can see them.
Thanks for the help. Guess I need to get some local advice. When I cut the hole and dig a sump pit hole I should have a better idea of what's under the floor. If there are a few inches of gravel it might make a sump an option.
First..........never, never, never consider mixing ground water (clear water) with sewerage. You don't want to pump the mixture out on the ground and certainly don't want to add the extra load of the clear water to your septic/soil absorption system.
If you have enough headroom in your basement that your bathroom floor can be raised about 6 inches, you could install a Qwik-Jon. It's a combination tank and pump system that fits within the vertical height of 2x6 joists. The toilet is plumbed into it from the top and your other bathroom fixtures can be plumbed to drain into it.
Well, I would say you are probably right that it's best not to mix ground water and sewage, so a seperate system would be advisable.
It would be pumped into a city sewer system.
I've seen the quick john type systems. Also found several articles that don't recommend them because they're unreliable, noisy, stinky, ect.. Have you installed any such systems? Are newer models better?
My basement ceiling is only 7', 6" would be a deal killer, but this may work for the original poster, if they're a good system.
The sump pump may never come on at all, just insurance in case ground water levels ever rise again in this area. 2 years ago had a serious water line leak (1800 gallons/day) on a 6' deep water line w/ no signs of water problems in my house. It was leaking about 60' from the house. Water went somewhere other then my basement.
But, been told a bunch of new houses on the other side of town w/ basements are having water problems. They're at a slightly lower elevation then me, and have deeper basements. Makes me worry that it could be a problem someday.
I agree, Quik-Jon is one of the easiest ways to put a bathroom in your basement. No cutting holes in the basement floor, I have a high water table where I am so that's out of the question.
Billy,
Nice to see you off the politics !
Good hijack BTWOn An Island By The SEA
I know, I get carried away on the politics.
Gotta get a life.
Though I sometimes think it's easier to get consensus on the political subjects then some of the technical ones here.
I mostly follow the tech stuff. Seldom I know enought to have anything of value to offer, but learn a good deal from them.
As has already been said - Mixing ground water and sewage is nuts.
Imagine having a big thunderstorm. and having the power go out. The sump pump obviously won't work without power. So the groundwater fills your sump crock, and pretty soon you have mixed groundwater and sewage filling your basement.The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was.
Most cities don't let you put groundwater into the sewer system. It costs money to pump teh sewage to the treatment plant, and to treat it, so they don't want to waste money on water that doesnt' need to be treated.
I've read before that most cities don't allow draining a ground sump into the sewer system. Can understand why. Particularly if your pump is operating a lot.
What do you then do with the water? Pump it out to a drain field or drainage pit far from the house?
Gets pretty complex & expensive for an emergency system that may never even do anything. I'd probably be bad and pump it into the sewer, but shhh don't tell anyone.<g>
Thanks
Billy
Agreed, whatever I do, I won't try to have a ground sump/sewage pit.
I suppose I could get the same problem with a floor drain if the power went out. A sewage pit is sealed, and shouldn't overflow from groundwater problems, but if I put the floor drain in, I open up the system so it could overflow.
Thanks for the input
Billy
have a look at these, at least you will not have to dig
http://www.faucetdoctor.com/upflush.html
james