The plumbing a second suite needs
Toronto allows secondary suites in many houses, and Scarborough has thousands of them. A basement suite needs its own bathroom and kitchen drains tied into the building drain, enough hot water for two households and protection against sewer backup, because the suite is the first room to flood.
What we install and repair
- Below-floor drains for a new bathroom, cut into the slab and tied into the building drain
- Sewage ejector pits where a fixture sits below the sewer line
- Backwater valves on the main drain to stop city sewer water coming back in
- Larger or second water heaters when two households share one tank
- Separate shut-off valves so the upstairs owner can isolate the suite
How we plan a suite bathroom
- Locate the building drain and measure its depth at the cleanout.
- Decide whether the toilet and shower can drain by gravity or need a pump.
- Pull a City of Toronto plumbing permit and book the inspections.
- Cut the slab, lay ABS at the right slope, and have it inspected before concrete goes back.
Landlord note: Show your tenant where the main shut-off and the backwater valve are. They are often home when a leak starts.
Hot water for two households
A 40-gallon tank sized for one family will run cold when two showers run back to back. We look at the burner or element size, the recovery rate and the space available, and size the replacement for the actual number of bathrooms.