Can I add an ensuite?

wondergirl23

Hi everyone

I have a town house built in 2000 3 bedroom 1 bathroom.

I'd like to know if I can create a ensuite in my bedroom. bathroom is at the back of the house, bedroom at the front, all plumbing at the back.

If I just went for a shower and sink could the waste go though the floor to the bathroom? How would I find out if there is enough fall for this? It would be about 4/5m to the soil pipe.

If not what about a macerator? or are they still bad? I've never had one but don't often find good reviews.

Also what price do you think I'm looking at for installation?

I'm thinking vinyl floor, shower wall rather than tiling.

Would need a extractor and light, there is already a small window.

Thanks

muckybutt

Sounds a simple enough job, with the waste pipes - is the stack at the back of the house ? if that's the case the sink and shower wastes can be core drilled through the wall and go into the stack that way.

If not they could go through the floor / ceiling and run to the stack that way, a pump could be used for shower and sink water that is fairly straight forward too and you wont get the problem of them bunging up like they normally do if there isn't a toilet involved.

phill99

Saniflo? Just don't do it. They were designed by the French and exported here as retribution for Waterloo and agincourt. Awful pieces of engineering.

keystone

wondergirl23 wrote: »

How would I find out if there is enough fall for this? It would be about 4/5m to the soil pipe.

Thats about a 5" fall required under the floor and above the ceiling below across the building! Even with a free run without any structural obstructions you are going to be very tight.

If not what about a macerator? or are they still bad? I've never had one but don't often find good reviews.

The whole point of a mascerator is to chew up the unmentionables so that they can be forced down a 38 or 50mm waste pipe thus avoiding a 4" soil pipe. It will need to be 50mm as you are putting shower and basin grey water down it too and too much risk of syphonage otherwise - even with precautions. A 50mm waste is going to further challenge your pipe run/fall. I'll not repeat my "bon mot" on the subject of mascerators but I'm with Phil.
.

Also what price do you think I'm looking at for installation?

Twice the length from the middle to one end. Its totally unknown due to your pipework routing aspects which really need some floorboards ripping up to identify the issues. One thing is for sure - it ain't going to be thruppence ha'penny.

Finally as you are envisaging a change of use of part of the building to incorporate your ensuite then you will require Building Regs and they will be particularly keen on how the waste is dealt with.

Without actually looking at it I'm tempted to suggest that perhaps the plan should remain where it currently resides - as a dream within the pipe. Sorry.

Cheers

Errata

Apparently the solution to this problem is a bidet, with all big jobs done in the existing loo.;)

wondergirl23

Thanks everyone

So I just measured properly and it's more like 7m to the bathroom from bedroom.

Could I not just have a shower and a sink with the pipes running under the floor or into the loft via a sanishower?

keystone

wondergirl23 wrote: »

So I just measured properly and it's more like 7m to the bathroom from bedroom.

So thats a minimum 7" fall then - it was going to be tight at 5".

Could I not just have a shower and a sink.....

Yes of course you could just have a shower and a basin.

............with the pipes running under the floor........

Looking more and more like thats a no.

.............or into the loft via a sanishower?

Yes. One of those will cope with iro 4m vertical and up to 40 horizontal. Just remember that if ever you need to disconnect it you will have 8 feet or so of water in the vertical pipe just waiting to drop out.

Cheers

yangptangkipperbang

phill99 wrote: »

Saniflo? Just don't do it. They were designed by the French and exported here as retribution for Waterloo and agincourt. Awful pieces of engineering.

The same old story ! Don't get a Saniflo they are awful etc, etc, etc - my mate Fred's cousin met this man down the pub whose brother's next door neighbour's uncle bought one - and they are rubbish ................

The major problem with a Saniflo is the people who use them DON'T read the instructions (like most other things they buy/sign up to).
I had one for years, as did my neighbour (a builder) - neither of us ever had a problem.
Most of the people who criticise Saniflos either have never had one (and just pass on apocryphal stories) or treat it like a garbage disposal unit. They are designed to dispose of human waste and toilet paper which they do quite adequately. They don't like tampons, Durex, baby wipes (which are now a major cause of blocking conventional toilets as well), string, cat litter, Lego, plastic combs...............

keystone

Ha. I've just won myself a tenner on an evens bet.

Cheers

Doozergirl

wondergirl23 wrote: »

Thanks everyone

So I just measured properly and it's more like 7m to the bathroom from bedroom.

Could I not just have a shower and a sink with the pipes running under the floor or into the loft via a sanishower?

There is a solution to every problem. If the solution doesn't involve a traditional drainage solution, then you find another.

Macerators are not as good as the good old fashioned way, but in a situation where you really want an ensuite, they will solve your problem. I'd hate to have a macerator as the only option for waste, but with a regular bathroom, you'll always cope, even if it's out of action for some reason. If it's an ensuite, there's infinitlely less chance of it being out of action due to a careless visitor putting something down it that they shouldn't. It's best to keep it private for you.

Your ensuite will add a bit of luxury for you and will pay for itself eventually, on the price of the house.

I do have a saniflo in my ensuite. There was no way I was running a new poo-pipe down the middle of the front of my house! We did have teething problems initially (it's not a good idea to box it in without vert easy access ) but it's been working steadily for two years now. The kids have their own bathroom but prefer mine for some reason so it gets plenty of use!

phill99

yangptangkipperbang wrote: »

The same old story ! Don't get a Saniflo they are awful etc, etc, etc - my mate Fred's cousin met this man down the pub whose brother's next door neighbour's uncle bought one - and they are rubbish ................

The major problem with a Saniflo is the people who use them DON'T read the instructions (like most other things they buy/sign up to).
I had one for years, as did my neighbour (a builder) - neither of us ever had a problem.
Most of the people who criticise Saniflos either have never had one (and just pass on apocryphal stories) or treat it like a garbage disposal unit. They are designed to dispose of human waste and toilet paper which they do quite adequately. They don't like tampons, Durex, baby wipes (which are now a major cause of blocking conventional toilets as well), string, cat litter, Lego, plastic combs...............

It's nothing to do with 3rd party comments or hearsay. Far from it. I comes cross them relatively frequently in a professional capacity. They are awful.