Best upflush (macerating) toilet for a basement below the sewer line: the maker spec sheets sort Saniflo, Liberty and Zoeller by lift, run and which fixtures they accept
Maker sheets compared: Saniflo Saniplus 15 ft lift, 150 ft run, 1/2 HP; Sanibest Pro 25 ft, 1 HP grinder; Liberty Ascent II 25 ft; Sanicompact 9 ft, sink only.
- Verified
- Updated
- 12 min read
- 17 sources
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OwnerSpec compares published manufacturer specifications, certification listings and sourced technical documents. Unless a page explicitly states otherwise, OwnerSpec has not laboratory-tested or used the products it compares. Editorial policy
Short answer
For a full basement bathroom (toilet, sink, shower or tub) whose drain line sits no more than 15 ft above the floor, the pick on paper is the Saniflo Saniplus: its catalog sheet prints a 1/2 HP motor, 15 ft of vertical lift, 150 ft of horizontal run, 17 GPM at 15 ft and two 2 in side inlets. For a climb of up to 25 ft, the Saniflo Sanibest Pro is the runner-up: a 1 HP grinder, 19 GPM at 25 ft, and the only sheet here that lists a washing machine, through a laundry sink. The Liberty Pumps Ascent II also prints 25 ft and 150 ft, at 1/2 HP with a 36 ft shut-off head. Skip all of them if the slab can be cut and the sewer runs at or below the basement floor: a gravity drain needs no motor. Skip them too if the inspector wants a sewage ejector basin for the bathroom group; Zoeller says that route often means cutting concrete.
The picks
A full basement bathroom with the drain no more than 15 ft above the floor
Saniflo Saniplus two-piece (002 macerator, 087 elongated bowl, 005 tank)
Saniflo catalog sheet: 1/2 HP, 120 V, 4.5 A max, 15 ft vertical and 150 ft horizontal, 17 GPM at 15 ft, 3/4 in or 1 in discharge, two 2 in inlets for a sink and a shower or tub, 1-1/2 in vent; prints CSA (IPC, NSPC) and IAPMO (UPC) with no standard number
A 25 ft climb, a rental or office, or a washer draining through a laundry sink
Saniflo Sanibest Pro + elongated bowl + tank bundle
Saniflo spec sheet: 1 HP grinder, 110-115 V, 9.0 A max, 25 ft vertical and 150 ft horizontal, 19 GPM at 25 ft, 3/4 in discharge, toilet, sink, shower, bathtub and washing machine via a laundry sink; CSA and IAPMO to ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9 printed
A 25 ft climb at 1/2 HP, with a WaterSense 1.28 gpf bowl and a top service panel
Liberty Pumps Ascent II ESW (1/2 HP, elongated, complete system)
Liberty sales sheet: 1/2 HP, 115 V, 7.9 A, 25 ft vertical and 150 ft horizontal, shut-off head 36 ft, 1 in discharge with integral check valve, 1-1/2 in vent, side inlets for a lavatory and/or shower; CSA certified to ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9
The same 15 ft full-bath job as the Saniplus, with a service hatch on top
Saniflo Saniaccess 3 + elongated bowl + tank bundle
Saniflo spec sheet: 0.5 HP, 110-115 V, 4.5 A max, 15 ft vertical and 150 ft horizontal, 17 GPM at 15 ft, 3/4 in discharge, toilet, sink, shower and bathtub; CSA and IAPMO to ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9 printed
A toilet and a sink only, under a stair or in a closet, with a 9 ft climb at most
Saniflo Sanicompact self-contained half-bath toilet
Saniflo spec sheet: toilet and macerator in one body, 0.3 HP, 110-115 V, 7.2 A max, 9 ft vertical and 100 ft horizontal, 13 GPM at 9 ft, 1 in discharge, dual flush 1.28 / 1 gal, designed to function with a sink; CSA to ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9 printed
If you have not yet measured the vertical distance from the basement floor to the drain line you will tie into, stop here: every unit below is sold by that one number, and each 90 degree bend in the pipe takes 3 ft off it.
How was this shortlist built?
Every figure here is a manufacturer-published specification read on 2026-10-11 from the document named beside it. Nothing was installed, flushed or run by this site, and every listing was confirmed in stock the same day. Units were compared on vertical lift, horizontal run, the fixtures the sheet says they accept, motor horsepower and amperage, discharge pipe size, bowl type, vent and electrical rules, the do-not-flush list and the standard numbers printed.
A certifier is named only where the maker names it, and a standard number only where the maker prints it. That matters here: Saniflo’s Saniplus sheet prints CSA (IPC, NSPC) and IAPMO (UPC) with no standard number, while its Sanibest Pro, Saniaccess 3 and Sanicompact sheets print ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9.
Two gaps are stated, not filled. The Zoeller Qwik Jon Premier has no complete-unit Amazon listing, so it sits in the table without a pick. Saniflo’s Saniaccess 2 is a 230 V European model and is replaced by the US Saniaccess 3.
An upflush, or macerating, toilet is a rear-outlet bowl that empties into a box with a rotating blade and a pump, which cuts the waste and pushes it up a small pipe to the sewer line. A sewage ejector is a sealed basin set into the floor with a solids-handling pump inside it.
How do the units compare on paper?
| Unit | Lift / run | Fixtures the sheet lists | Motor | Discharge | Bowl | Standard printed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saniflo Saniplus | 15 ft / 150 ft | Toilet, sink, shower or bathtub | 1/2 HP, 120 V, 4.5 A | 3/4 in or 1 in | Rear-outlet, round or elongated | CSA (IPC, NSPC), IAPMO (UPC); no number |
| Saniflo Saniaccess 3 | 15 ft / 150 ft | Toilet, sink, shower, bathtub | 0.5 HP, 110-115 V, 4.5 A | 3/4 in | Rear-outlet, round or elongated | ASME A112.3.4, CSA B45.9 |
| Saniflo Sanibest Pro | 25 ft / 150 ft | Toilet, sink, shower, bathtub, washer via laundry sink | 1 HP grinder, 110-115 V, 9.0 A | 3/4 in | Rear-outlet, round or elongated | ASME A112.3.4, CSA B45.9 |
| Saniflo Sanicompact | 9 ft / 100 ft | Toilet and sink only | 0.3 HP, 110-115 V, 7.2 A | 1 in | Self-contained one-piece, dual flush 1.28 / 1 gal | ASME A112.3.4, CSA B45.9 |
| Liberty Ascent II | 25 ft / 150 ft | Toilet, lavatory and/or shower | 1/2 HP, 115 V, 7.9 A | 1 in (reducible to 3/4 in) | Rear-outlet, 1.28 gpf WaterSense, round or elongated | ASME A112.3.4, CSA B45.9 |
| Zoeller Qwik Jon Premier 201 | 29.5 ft max; 45 GPM at 5 ft to 13 GPM at 25 ft | Tub, shower, sink via two side inlets | 1/2 HP, 115 V, 9.6 A | 1 in (reducible to 3/4 in) | Bowl and tank sold separately | cCSAus; ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9 with a 1.28 gal tank |
Lift and run are not independent. The Saniplus manual says the vertical lift must come first and that 3 ft of lift equals 30 ft of horizontal run; the Saniflo sheets assume a 1/4 in per ft fall on the horizontal leg. Liberty’s Ascent II sheet footnotes that horizontal distance varies with vertical head.
What rules do the makers print?
| Rule | Saniflo (Saniplus manual and sheets) | Liberty (Ascent II manual) | Zoeller (Qwik Jon data sheet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vent | Required; no air admittance valve or spring-loaded vent. Sanicompact: unit itself needs none | Required, 1-1/2 in; no air admittance valve or one-way mechanical vent | 1-1/2 in vent on the tank |
| Power | Single-phase 120 V, 15 A supply on a GFCI receptacle | GFCI-protected outlet; no extension cord | GFCI-protected receptacle |
| Toilets per unit | One water closet | One water closet | Not printed in the documents read |
| Washer or dishwasher | Not intended for either (Sanibest Pro: washer via a laundry sink) | Not intended for either | Not printed in the documents read |
| Do not flush | Sanitary items, cotton swabs, acids, solvents, paint, food waste, plastic, metal, wood, kitty litter | Acids, alkalis, solvents, oils, paint, paint strippers, food waste, cotton swabs; no bleach blocks in the tank | Not printed in the documents read |
| Shower or tub base | Raised at least 6 in (sheet) or 7 in (manual) so the trap drains into the inlet | Side inlets take 1-1/2 in or 2 in pipe | Side inlets 2 in NPT or 1-1/2 in slip |
| Power outage | Winterize in freezing areas | Toilet can be used twice; do not use the shower or tub | Not printed in the documents read |
Saniflo’s own documents disagree on the shower base by 1 in, which is why the table prints both.
Saniflo Saniplus: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if the drain line is within 15 ft of the basement floor and you want the standard full bathroom: Saniflo’s catalog sheet prints 1/2 HP, 17 GPM at 15 ft, a 30 ft shut-off head, a 3 gallon capacity and two 2 in inlets for the sink and the shower or tub. The maker page calls it the full-bathroom pump for black and gray water.
The flaw is the paperwork: this is the one Saniflo sheet that names its certifiers without a standard number, and the manual limits it to family use, with no sanitary items of any kind.
Skip it if anyone but your own household will use the toilet. Saniflo points rentals and offices at the Sanibest Pro. Pair it with the elongated bowl only if the room has the depth: the round vs elongated seat page gives the measurement.
Saniflo Sanibest Pro: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if the climb is more than 15 ft, or the toilet will be used by people who do not read instructions. Saniflo’s sheet prints a 1 HP motor, 25 ft and 150 ft, 19 GPM at 25 ft and 38 GPM at 3 ft, and calls it an actual grinder; the maker page says it is designed for the sanitary products a rental or office toilet collects.
It is also the only unit here whose sheet lists a washing machine, on the condition that the washer drains into a laundry sink first. If laundry is the only fixture, the laundry sink drain pump review is the cheaper class.
Skip it if the climb is under 15 ft and the toilet is your own: the 9.0 A draw is double the Saniplus for lift you do not need.
Liberty Pumps Ascent II: buy it or skip it?
Buy it if you want 25 ft of lift without going to a 1 HP grinder, or a bowl with a WaterSense label. Liberty’s sales sheet prints 1/2 HP, 7.9 A, 25 ft and 150 ft, a 36 ft shut-off head, a 1 in discharge with an integral check valve and a 1.28 gpf toilet listed by IAPMO to ASME A112.19.2/CSA B45.1. The product page adds a removable service panel.
The flaw is a line in Liberty’s own manual: the pump has been evaluated for use with water only, though human waste and toilet paper are permitted. Liberty also limits the first horizontal run to 12 in before the pipe turns up.
Skip it if laundry is on the list: Liberty’s manual excludes washer wastewater outright, and its side inlets are listed for a lavatory and/or shower.
Saniflo Saniaccess 3 and Sanicompact: buy them or skip them?
Buy the Saniaccess 3 if you want the Saniplus job with a sheet that prints ASME A112.3.4 and CSA B45.9: 0.5 HP, 4.5 A, 15 ft and 150 ft, 17 GPM at 15 ft, toilet, sink, shower and bathtub, and a service hatch on top of the box.
Buy the Sanicompact if the room is a closet or the space under a stair and the only fixtures are a toilet and a sink. Saniflo’s sheet prints 0.3 HP, 7.2 A, 9 ft and 100 ft, 13 GPM at 9 ft, a dual flush of 1.28 or 1 gal and a 95 F temperature limit, and says the unit itself does not need venting.
Skip the Sanicompact for anything with a shower: the sheet lists a sink and nothing else.
Measure the climb before you buy
Do not order any unit until two numbers are written down: the vertical distance from the basement floor to the drain line, and the count of 90 degree bends between them. Saniflo’s and Liberty’s manuals both take 3 ft off the printed lift for each bend, so a 15 ft unit with three elbows is a 6 ft unit. If the bowl is new too, the toilet rough-in page explains why a rear-outlet bowl ignores the 12 in rule the best toilet review is built around.
Who should skip an upflush toilet altogether?
A basement where the slab can be cut and the sewer is at or below the floor. A gravity drain has no motor to fail and nothing to winterize. Price the saw cut before the pump.
A full bathroom group where the inspector wants a basin. Zoeller, which sells both classes, writes that an ejector needs a tank, pump, piping and a deep basin and often means cutting the concrete, while its Qwik Jon sits above the floor. Liberty’s Pro380 is that ejector class: a 24 in by 24 in simplex system with a 41 gallon tank and a 2 in or 3 in discharge, which Liberty pitches for bedrock and difficult soil. No code text could be opened for this page, so the only honest rule is to ask the plumbing inspector which class the bathroom is allowed before buying either. An ejector basin is a different purchase from the sump pump review: a sump handles groundwater, never sewage.
A sink, shower or laundry with no toilet. That is gray water, and Saniflo’s Saniswift Pro page prints a 1/3 HP drain pump, 14 ft and 140 ft, 24 GPM and 3/8 in solids for exactly that job, with the note that it is not a toilet pump.
What goes wrong?
The pipe cannot keep up with the elbows. Each 90 degree bend costs 3 ft of printed lift on both the Saniflo and Liberty manuals, and the Saniplus manual trades 3 ft of lift for 30 ft of run. A unit chosen on the headline number alone ends up short.
Something went in that the blade cannot cut. Saniflo’s Saniplus manual lists sanitary items, cotton swabs, kitty litter and plastics; Liberty’s lists oils, paint and food waste. A jam behind a rear-outlet bowl is a service call, not a job for the plunger and auger guide.
The vent is a valve. Every full-bathroom sheet here forbids an air admittance valve or spring-loaded vent, and Saniflo’s Saniplus manual says the unit must be vented. An installer who fits a one-way valve to save a pipe run has built the one thing both makers rule out.
The power goes out. Liberty’s manual allows two flushes and no shower or tub until power returns. Saniflo’s Saniplus manual adds that the unit must be winterized in freezing areas.
Frequently asked questions
How high and how far can an upflush toilet pump?
It depends on the unit, and the maker prints the two numbers. Saniflo's Saniplus and Saniaccess 3 sheets print 15 ft vertical and 150 ft horizontal; the Sanibest Pro sheet and Liberty's Ascent II sheet print 25 ft and 150 ft; the Sanicompact sheet prints 9 ft and 100 ft. Both Saniflo and Liberty manuals deduct 3 ft of lift for every 90 degree bend.
Does a macerating toilet need a vent?
Yes for every full-bathroom unit here. The Saniplus, Saniaccess 3 and Sanibest Pro sheets and Liberty's Ascent II manual all require a vent connection and all forbid an air admittance valve or spring-loaded mechanical vent. The Sanicompact sheet says the unit itself does not need venting, though sink traps may still need it under local code.
Can I connect a shower, sink or washing machine to an upflush toilet?
The sheets say which. Saniplus, Saniaccess 3 and the Ascent II list a sink and a shower or bathtub on their side inlets. Only the Sanibest Pro sheet lists a washing machine, and only through a laundry sink. Liberty's and Saniflo's manuals both say the units are not intended for dishwasher or clothes-washer wastewater. The Sanicompact accepts a sink only.
Does an upflush toilet need its own circuit?
No maker document opened for this page says dedicated circuit. Liberty's Ascent II manual requires a GFCI-protected outlet and forbids extension cords. Saniflo's Saniplus manual calls for a single-phase 120 V, 15 A supply on a GFCI receptacle, and its Saniaccess 3 sheet says a GFI circuit is highly recommended. Zoeller's data sheet calls for a GFCI-protected receptacle.
When is a sewage ejector pit the better route than an upflush toilet?
Zoeller, which sells both, says an ejector needs a tank, pump, piping and a deep basin and often means cutting the concrete floor, while a Qwik Jon sits above the floor. Liberty's Pro380 ejector is a 24 in by 24 in basin with a 41 gallon tank and a 2 in or 3 in discharge. Which one your bathroom may use is a question for the plumbing inspector.
Fact sheet and how to cite this page
- Answer
- For a full basement bathroom with the drain up to 15 ft above the floor, the pick is the Saniflo Saniplus: 1/2 HP, 15 ft vertical, 150 ft horizontal, 17 GPM at 15 ft. For a 25 ft climb, the Sanibest Pro (1 HP grinder, 19 GPM at 25 ft) or the Liberty Ascent II (1/2 HP, 36 ft shut-off head). The Sanicompact is a 9 ft, toilet-and-sink unit.
- Comparison basis
- Manufacturer spec sheets and installation manuals for the Saniflo Saniplus, Sanibest Pro, Saniaccess 3 and Sanicompact, the Liberty Pumps Ascent II and the Zoeller Qwik Jon Premier, compared on vertical lift, horizontal run, fixtures accepted, motor horsepower and amperage, discharge pipe size, bowl type, vent and GFCI rules, the do-not-flush list and the standard numbers each sheet prints.
- Assumptions
- The discharge runs vertically first and then horizontally with the 1/4 in per ft fall the Saniflo sheets print; Saniflo’s manual equates 3 ft of lift to 30 ft of run
- Each 90 degree bend costs 3 ft of lift, the figure both the Saniplus and the Ascent II manuals print
- Local plumbing code decides whether an upflush unit is accepted at all; this page reports what the makers print and tells the reader to ask the inspector
- Method
- OwnerSpec compared manufacturer-published specifications read on 2026-10-11 and confirmed each listing in stock the same day; it did not install, run or flush any unit, and reports only the figures the cited document states.
- Primary source
- SFA Saniflo, Saniplus (Part 002) catalog spec sheet (retailer listing or retailer-hosted document)
- Facts verified
- Last updated
- Cite as
- OwnerSpec, "Best upflush (macerating) toilet for a basement below the sewer line: the maker spec sheets sort Saniflo, Liberty and Zoeller by lift, run and which fixtures they accept", https://ownerspec.com/plumbing/reviews/best-upflush-toilet-macerating/, facts verified 11 October 2026.
Every figure above also appears, with its source, in the article. All sources ยท How OwnerSpec verifies numbers
Sources
- SFA Saniflo, Saniplus (Part 002) catalog spec sheet (retailer listing or retailer-hosted document)
- SFA Saniflo, Saniplus installation and maintenance instructions (8452 229) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- SFA Saniflo, Saniplus product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- SFA Saniflo, Sanibest Pro spec sheet (Part 013) (retailer listing or retailer-hosted document)
- SFA Saniflo, Sanibest Pro product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- SFA Saniflo, Saniaccess3 spec sheet (Part 082) (retailer listing or retailer-hosted document)
- SFA Saniflo, Sanicompact spec sheet (Part 023) (retailer listing or retailer-hosted document)
- SFA Saniflo, Saniswift Pro product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Ascent II macerating toilet system sales literature (LLIT006675-R10/24) (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Ascent II installation manual 5755000_EN (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, macerating toilet systems (Ascent II) product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Liberty Pumps, Pro380-Series simplex sewage system (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Qwik Jon Premier Model 201 technical data sheet FM3344 (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Qwik Jon Premier sales sheet FM3290 (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Model 201 Qwik Jon Premier product page (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Plumbing a Basement Bathroom (manufacturer or vendor document)
- Zoeller, Sewage Ejectors vs Above-Floor Plumbing (manufacturer or vendor document)