We all understand the old adage of what rolls downhill, right? Plumbers have certainly known that basic premise since the first toilet was invented, and that’s why drain lines need to slope from the toilet down to the sewer or septic tank.

Simple enough — until you’re remodeling a basement or other below-grade area and want to install a toilet that’s below the level of the main sewer line. If you have a project like that in your future, then you’ll have to consider a different strategy.

Sewage ejector pumps and toilets

One option to consider when it’s impossible to get the necessary natural slope for a standard gravity flow toilet is to use a sewage ejector pump. These powerful electric pumps are capable of handling solid waste as well as liquids, and most can process solids up to 2 inches in diameter.

As with any type of electric pump, sewage pumps are rated in horsepower, ranging from less than one-half to more than one horsepower. The size you need depends on the volume of material being handled and, most importantly, how far the waste material will need to be moved vertically.

This vertical pumping distance from the fixture to the main sewer line — called "head" — is crucial to sizing the pump, and will typically be limited to about 10 feet of head for solids and 15 feet for liquids.

For the typical sewage ejector pump installation, the pump and the float mechanism that activates it sit inside a polyethylene basin that’s approximately 30 gallons in size. There’s a 3-inch or 4-inch diameter intake line that brings waste into the basin, a 2-inch diameter discharge line with a backflow-prevention check valve, and a vent pipe. Most pumps are 115 volts, but some of the larger units are dual 115/230-volt models.

Sewage ejector toilets and composting toilets, as well as sewage ejector pumps and related fittings, are typically available by special order through plumbing fixture retailers and some home centers, or through your plumber.

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