Public Servant Lifestyle

Is the plumbing overstretched in your home? Well fitting an extra loo is easier than you think, according to the folk in the know at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC).

Such is today's plumbing technology that it's well within the realms of possibility to have a loo - plus a wash basin, or even a shower - just about anywhere in your home. And the beauty is you don't even need enough room to swing the proverbial cat, nor does the new loo need to be close to your home's main drainage system.

Indeed, if you've got a couple of square metres of spare space, it's quite straightforward to provide an en suite toilet facility or a lively shower, that could ease the strain on an already busy bathroom. Or may be there is room to create a special closet under the stairs?

Bathroom

What's more this extra facility can be built for a few hundred pounds, with the minimum of fuss and disruption.

Small Bore Sanitary System

So what makes this all possible? Well it's called a domestic small bore sanitary system which works with a macerator that chews up the waste and can pump it over a considerable distance to a convenient soil pipe via small diameter discharge pipework.

The technique was pioneered in the UK several years ago and is fully endorsed by the Water Companies and the British Board of Agreement, which is your assurance that it won't let you down.

The latest units fit unobtrusively behind a close-coupled toilet and accepts organic waste and water from the WC, a wash basin, bidet and shower. The system is based on a ceramic WC with an integral pump so it's ideal as a dedicated loo. Both units can pump waste and water up to 4m vertically or 40m horizontally to the domestic soil system through the appropriate combination of pipework.

If you are a proficient DIY-er you could probably fit one or other of the systems yourself, but it's far better left to the professionals. Saniflo offers pre- and post-installation technical support plus a nationwide network of service engineers to back up its comprehensive guarantee.

So, with the company's range of pumping systems the freedom exists to install extra loos, cloakrooms en suites - even kitchen and utility rooms - virtually anywhere. There's no doubt that small bore technology has certainly opened up new horizons for householders who want a modest addition to make a major impact on their lifestyle.

Information supplied by the National Home Improvement Council.

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