macerator in loft.

[Jacko74]

An architect has just viewed my loft for a potential conversion.

If we put a shower up there, will there be any need for a macerator?
He mentioned putting one in. But I (niavely) thought a plumber would just be able to run the waste under the floor, out the wall and connect into existing soil pipe??
Thats all my neighbours had done for their conversion anyway....

Thanks in advance.

 

[stem]

Macerators are used to err..chop up solids, not to put to fine a point on it, and then pump them to a drain using small bore pipe. They are normally needed when;

1. The source of the 'solids' is in a basement, below the level of the drain and so would need to be pumped up hill, or follow a torturous route.

2. Is is not possible to have a suitable gravity run of soil pipe from a WC with sufficient gradient using normal 110mm diameter pipe to a drain, and so a smaller diameter pipe has to be used.

You only mention a shower, so it has a small bore waste anyway, and I can't see what a shower could produce that would need macerating. If a gravity run isn't possible, (although from what you say it sounds like it could be) then maybe a just a pump would be all that is required.

If you did want to add a WC, then you may need a macerator. Running 110mm diameter pipe under floor boards can be impossible if it needs to cross the joists, and can be difficult even if its parallel with them, because of the fall required.

Macerators are noisy, and nasty when they fail. Personally I see them as a last resort to be avoided at all costs if possible.