Above-floor grinder pump system supports powder room addition in split-level basement renovation

Case Study | June 2026

Challenging structural conditions, including an elevated main drain line, prompted Nenno Construction Services to use SFA Saniflo’s Sanibest Pro for above-floor drainage of a toilet and a sink, resulting in a compact, efficient, and minimally invasive installation.

Problem

EAST AMHERST, NEW YORK — Donald Nenno, owner of Nenno Construction Services, regularly takes on residential remodeling projects. In the plumbing business for 13 years, he has consistently used and recommended Saniflo products to his customers.

When a homeowner wanted to add a powder room to a split-level basement, Nenno was tasked with finding a plumbing solution that worked within the space’s limitations. Creating the basement powder room presented several challenges because the home’s main drain line was located higher than the proposed powder room, requiring wastewater to be pumped up into the home’s drainage system rather than relying on gravity-fed plumbing. 

Solution

Nenno chose the Sanibest Pro grinder pump because he believed it offered the best functionality for an upflush system.

“I’ve used Saniflo products for many years, and I think the extension tube and overall design give a much better look for residential applications compared to competitor models,” says Nenno. “The installation process has always been easy, and with the available parts, I felt it was the best option for the homeowner.”

Nenno built the powder room by constructing the floor system over an existing sump pump. He raised the framing off the concrete slab using plywood and modified the joists as needed to fit the grinder pump system while keeping both systems accessible.

The installation is designed so that both the sump pump and grinder pump can be easily removed for servicing if needed. As Nenno explains:

“I built it over a sump pump to make a bathroom-sized space,” adding that the system was configured so “you could remove the sump pump and also remove the Sanibest Pro with the Ferncos [flexible couplings] attached to it for servicing. This easy removal is another reason why the Saniflo product worked well.”

The system handles drainage from two fixtures, a rear discharge toilet and sink, discharging the effluent through conventional PVC piping: a horizontal run of roughly two feet and another two to three feet of vertical lift into the home’s main drain line. While Saniflo recommends that the discharge line diameter be ¾-inch (see box at right), Nenno chose to go up a notch: “I still like at least an inch because you’re pushing waste.”

As for venting, Nenno says he used a wet vent because a new vent stack could not be added in the basement.

“Installation included framing adjustments, fixture placement, and the construction of a raised back ledge to accommodate the grinder pump system,” he says.

Results

Despite the confined space and unique construction requirements, the installation process went smoothly. Nenno estimates the total installation time for the plumbing system and fixtures at roughly three to four hours of active work, with most of the additional time spent coordinating materials.

The finished installation provided the homeowner with a practical basement bathroom solution while preserving service accessibility for both the Sanibest Pro and the sump pump system.

Nenno continues to recommend Saniflo’s grinder pump systems for similar basement bathroom projects because of their reliability, compact design, and ease of installation.

“I recommend it to anyone that I get projects like this with,” he says. “When I think of grinder pumps, Sanibest Pros are the products I hear about most often. When walking into basements completed by other contractors, I typically see Saniflo products.”

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ABOUT SANIFLO
SFA SANIFLO NORTH AMERICA – whose France-based parent company, SFA Group, originated macerating plumbing technology — offers a complete line of waste and drainage pumping systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications. SFA Saniflo developed its innovative, “above-floor plumbing” technology 65 years ago and has led its commercialization worldwide. Today, the company markets macerating technology through 27 subsidiaries doing business in more than 70 countries and has sold more than eight million units worldwide since 1958. SFA Saniflo markets through independent sales agents throughout North America, and the product line is currently available at distributor and dealer locations throughout the continent.

For more information, contact SFA Saniflo USA at 1-800-571-8191, or visit the website at SFASaniflo.com. To contact SFA Saniflo Canada, dial 1-800-363-5874, or visit SFASaniflo.ca.

For editorial assistance, contact Helen Tran ([email protected]) c/o GreenHouse Digital + PR: 708-428-6385.

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