Saniflo systems are quick to install and an innovative way to ensure your home turf’s water conservation and energy efficiency. To start with the first step, it macerates (meaning breaks up) human waste in the toilet using a blade. This is followed by flushing. A macerating toilet system uses a centrifugal pump to flush the waste previously broken down into the general waste system instead of flushing the waste via drainage on the floor. Though some models of saniflo toilets don’t require venting, the importance of needing to vent a macerating toilet is further explained below. Now let’s ponder over the question of whether can you wet vent a saniflo system.
1. What is Wet Venting?
To use a wet vent means, in the traditional sense, to vent one or more bathroom groups with all its fixtures, namely the lavatory, water closet, shower, and bathtub. Now, all these fixtures can also be vented by a single dry vent.
In plumbing terminology, wet venting means to protect the traps on two or more plumbing fixtures on a drain pipe by working as both a drain line and a vent. Thereby, it’s considered a time-saving, cost-efficient, helpful method of venting. This is one way you can vent a macerating toilet. If you are intrigued to know whether can you wet vent a saniflo system, read till the end of this blog. (See In What Part of the Boat Gasoline Fumes are most likely to Accumulate?)
2. When can You Use a Wet Vent?
A wet vent’s functionality is dual: it works as a drain line and a vent. This method, known as wet vent plumbing, has been prevalent since 1920. In instances of a bathroom fixture not having a vent, many problems can occur. These are stated below:
- The draining speed of the water in the fixture is slow.
- You are prone to hearing gurgling noises.
- You’re bound to get an unpleasant odor indoors.
- This odor released from a trap that has not been sealed can emit methane gas, threatening your family’s health and sanitary environment.
These circumstances necessitate using a wet vent which can serve as a waste pipe and a vent simultaneously as it drains the water from one fixture while it vents out the air in the other fixtures. The wet vent also protects the drain’s trap for several fixtures, all connected to one system. Given the nature of the wet vent, you can use it when you require a single venting system for all the fixtures in a bathroom group. This way, it reduces the number of individual vent pipes, contrasting with the number of pipes required by conventional systems. So, can you wet vent a saniflo system? Check out the upcoming segments to know the answer.
3. What is the Lifespan of a Saniflo?
The lifetime of a saniflo can typically range from 10 to 15 years with little maintenance. This means if your saniflo is cleaned and descaled annually, the water hardness and quality are good in your place. If the pressure switch membrane is replaced when required, it can last up to the span mentioned above.
The saniflo systems have been tested for their capacity to last. This included a standardized test subjecting the saniflo system to 50,000 cycles. This was done by flushing ten times daily. This amounted to 3,650 flushes a year which signifies that they will last much longer.
Some models last much longer when given proper maintenance and quick repairs when necessary. Appropriate maintenance and timely repairs save your models from expiring too fast and stretch their lifespan longer. (See Which Activity is Not Allowed in a 3-Compartment Sink?)
4. Does a Saniflo Need Venting?
Yes, but there are exceptions. Saniflo offers you the option of choosing from its various models, such as Sanicompact 48 and Sanistar. Some units do not require a venting system since they are self-contained. A vent connection is necessary in cases that concern models other than those. You need a one-and-a-half-inch vent pipe that must be accordingly connected to the main vent stack.
Although the specificity of the venting system is not a matter of concern when it comes to a saniflo system, the fact that they need one is inevitable. The location of your saniflo toilet in your household proportionates to the type of venting system required. Other factors also determine the saniflo kind of model you use. Given the underlying differences, the standard size of the saniflo toilets matches the size of the venting system you use. So as long as they are similar, whichever system you choose won’t matter. Read further to know if can you wet vent a saniflo system.
5. Can you Wet Vent a Saniflo System?
Yes, you can use a wet vent for your saniflo system. However, you have to keep in mind to use a wet vent that upholds the hydraulic pressure that it’s subjected to.
Now, we’ve already mentioned, Saniflo systems have different models. If you use a Sanicompact model, you don’t require venting. In comparison, the other models require venting. This can be done using a macerator pump connected to your home’s venting system. The vent system can be installed as a wet system vent in this process. A wet vent drains out wastewater from the toilet while simultaneously releasing sewage gasses such as methane to the main drainage system via the same drain pipe. The wet vent also oversees the pressure balance in your main drain system.
Horizontal wet venting is widely used for venting multiple bathroom fixtures in the same room, all connected by one drain pipe. We hope this has answered your question, i.e., can you wet vent a saniflo system? (See Which Oil for Ryobi Pressure Washer is Recommended?)
6. Can you Put Bleach Down a Saniflo Toilet?
No, it’s not advisable to use bleach for your saniflo toilets. It can cause adverse long-term effects and can be detrimental to the components of the saniflo system, such as the saniflo macerator. This can result in even more significant problems and bug you with constant maintenance issues.
Bleach is a harsh chemical that will erode and wear down the seal around the macerator valve. This also includes bleach products, which are corrosive to the macerator valve and can make it faulty. As a result, the macerator in the saniflo system fails to detect when to open and close.
7. Do you have to Flush a Saniflo Toilet Every Day?
Yes, it would be best to flush your saniflo toilet at least once daily. In the absence of flushing, the saniflo system’s contents tend to dry, which can lead the tank to break down. Even if you plan to leave home for a couple of days, make sure to flush your toilet a couple of times before leaving. If you stay out of the house for longer, consult with your installer about maintaining your saniflo toilets to prevent them from breaking down.
This is important because the saniflo system is designed in such a way it requires flushing at least once a day. Otherwise, your saniflo system will lose its prime and regress its functionality. This can make it even more difficult to restore and use. (See Who makes Vissani Freezer?)
8. How often Should You Descale Your Saniflo?
While discussing whether can you wet vent a saniflo system or not, note that to descale your saniflo system, you need to know the water hardness in your area. Use a saniflo descaler for your saniflo toilet up to 3 to 4 times annually.
Descaling your saniflo toilet at least three times per year is recommended. It is simple, like pouring water from a jug down a toilet. Upon failing to descale your saniflo toilet, start-stop problems are prone to occur at the 4–5 year mark. This is because of scale build-up over time which doesn’t happen when you use a saniflo descaler.
9. Do you Need to Vent a Macerating Toilet?
After posing the question of whether can you wet vent a Saniflo system, it now comes down to, do you need venting? Yes, you need to vent a macerating toilet (otherwise known as a saniflo toilet). (Also read Why do some people spend a lot of time in the bathroom?)
10. How do You Vent a Basement Upflush Toilet?
An upflush toilet (also known as a macerating toilet) gives you the luxury to install your bathroom almost anywhere. This is in contrast to gravity-flush toilets. Macerating toilets can be installed far away or below your main house venting system, providing many placement options. Saniflo toilets are one the leading brands for these upflush toilets. They are designed for handling overload with separately placed tanks and extension pipes that enable you to fit the toilet tank behind the wall.
Now for the ventilation part, follow these points:
- Every fixture in a bathroom group needs to be vented. In the case of a basement upflush toilet, it can become a bit complicated. There are homes where the basement plumbing lines have already been built with a vent opening through the roof. We recommend that you consult with a licensed plumber to familiarise yourself with the plumbing codes of your locality.
- Another possibility is to connect the drain pipe of your basement upflush toilet to an existing vent system for bathroom fixtures like laundry or floor drain or even a first-floor bathroom vent stack.
- The room must be sufficiently ventilated to remove moisture and odor that can cause problems down the road. According to plumbing codes, a window will suffice to ventilate the room, but an exhaust fan is highly recommended. These can function as dry vents, and they can be positioned horizontally on the side wall.
So, now you know whether can you wet vent a saniflo system or not. Moreover, we can say those saniflo systems are not different in venting like any other bathroom fixture, and wet venting is more advantageous for our domestic purposes. (Also read How many Rockets for Sheet Metal Wall are Required to Break it?)
