Saniflo provides compact plumbing solution for floating-home community in Quebec

Saniflo Canada provides compact, macerating plumbing solution for floating-home community in Quebec

Homeowners use Saniflo’s Sanimarin 4 to create the feeling of a spa oasis in a nontraditional, tiny home with limited space in the bathroom.

Problem

CHAMBLY, QUÉBEC — Nestled in the heart of Chambly, Quebec, is a unique neighborhood called Eau Villa. Located in the Chambly marina, Eau Villa offers an extraordinary floating-house experience.  With over 245 square feet of space each, you will find four floating mini houses with modern style and small-cottage ambiance on the water, offering a panoramic view of the Richelieu River.

For homeowners, creating that luxurious feel throughout the home is an essential. However, installing conventional plumbing on a floating home presents some unique and formidable challenges, especially with the limited space.

That’s why the Eau Villa enlisted the help of an installing contractor, Mathieu Hamelin of Bauhaus Habitat, to help with this project. Bauhaus Habitat specializes in the conception and design of tiny houses. Entirely designed and produced in Quebec by a team of experts, they can be installed on land or on water.

The Eau Villa project’s scope involved installing the plumbing for a toilet.

Solution

Eau Villa was thrilled to discover Saniflo, a manufacturer of above-the-floor macerating and grinding toilets and drain pumps. This partnership became the perfect solution for the floating home.

“We decided on the Sanimarin, due to the ease of use and compatibility with black and gray water,” says Hamelin. “Because of the 12-volt operation, it was a no-brainer to use this product in the home.”

According to Hamelin, the Sanimarin 4 toilet was also ideal because they had limited space in the 36-inch x 72-inch bathroom. The fixture is a sleek, one-piece macerating unit that makes installing plumbing a simple task in tight spots. The fact that it flushes and resembles a traditional toilet was also appealing, given Hamelin and Eau Villa’s goal of creating a spa-like feel.

Hamelin says he installed the unit in under one hour, despite it being his first time working with a Saniflo system.

Users can control water consumption with a two-position rocker switch that commands the unit either to add water with the built-in freshwater pump or to macerate and pump out waste. This function makes the unit eco-friendly, since it allows water and power consumption to be kept to a minimum.

In Hamelin’s application, the unit receives water from the home’s water supply. Waste is macerated and then pumped out of the unit 12 feet into a septic tank via a small-diameter, PVC discharge line.

Results

Following the installation, Hamelin has had no problems with the unit. “It’s been performing well,” he says. “It operates quietly, especially with its soft-close seat, and is easy for everyone to use.”

“Overall,” he continues, “it was a great fit for my application. Other floating homes and their owners can benefit from its compact design, simplicity and ease of operation.” Hamelin will use the Saniflo system in the other three homes as well.”

When asked if he will continue using Saniflo in the future, Hamelin said he will definitely recommend and will continue to install Saniflo systems.

Saniflo Canada provides compact, macerating plumbing solution for floating-home community in Quebec