Trailer company uses Saniflo grinder pump to create user-friendly bathrooms inside its handicap-accessible products

As a leader in the mobile specialty trailer industry, Aurora-based Comforts of Home Services, Inc. creates trailers used for private events, construction projects, and anywhere else temporary facilities are needed. The trailers’ built-in fixtures are designed to provide users with the same quality, comfort and convenience as their bathrooms at home.

To maintain efficiency for the trailers, there is a need for a plumbing solution that can effectively handle waste and any other sanitary products with minimal maintenance. After doing some research on the various options available, Comforts of Home’s engineering team concluded that Saniflo would be the most cost-effective means of equipping their products with drainage. 

In the following interview, general manager Aaron Ward describes his company’s successful experiences using the WaterSense-certified Sanibest Pro heavy-duty grinder system for its trailers, as well as the Sanishower drain pump for its portable showers.

Q: What is the particular need that Saniflo helps you solve?

Aaron Ward (AW): When it comes to sewage disposal, we normally use gravity to our advantage. Most of our trailer designs sit slightly off the ground and above the waste tank (roughly 12 inches tall), so when the fixtures flush or drain, the waste flows “downhill” into the tank.

We cannot do that with our handicap-accessible trailers, which we must bring close to the ground to make them wheelchair-accessible. Consequently, we place the waste tank in the front of the trailer, so the tank and trailer are now on the same level. Since the toilet and other plumbing fixtures no longer sit on top of the tank, we need a way to pump the sewage to it.

Q: What led you to using Saniflo?

AW: Our use of Saniflo goes back about 10 years when we first developed the handicap-accessible trailers. We knew it would be necessary to pump the waste, and other options — wall-mounted toilets and flush valve systems — would not produce the pressure we needed to move the waste in the trailers.  I came across the macerators and grinders from Saniflo when we did our research. We looked at the Sanibest Pro and thought it would be the ideal solution.

Q: Why did you go with the Sanibest Pro? 

AW: Because it’s a heavy-duty grinder system, able to handle any kind of waste, including sanitary products accidentally dropped into the toilet bowl. Also, we know the mechanics of the product very well, so it is easy for us and our customers to service, especially with the removable service panel.

In our business, the trailers are specifically customized to the needs of the customer. Since the specifications of each bathroom do not change, we are able to easily reposition the Sanibest Pro inside the trailer to help pump the waste without much hassle.

Q: How is the Sanibest Pro installed in these trailers?

AW: We have a team of employees who understand how to do plumbing and other installations.  We have a mechanical mindset, so it is very easy for us to perform the Saniflo installations in less than an hour. The Sanibest Pro requires only a few simple connections, simplifying the process.

Q: Were there any initial misgivings you had about the Sanibest Pro?

AW: The only fear we initially had was about the power of the grinder. We worried that it would not be strong enough when used in our trailers. However, after installation, we saw that this product worked without any issues.

Q: Has there been a need for any other Saniflo products in the handicap-accessible trailers?

AW: In the case of the shower trailers, we use the Sanishower system, because it can effectively pump waste water from a shower into the waste tank. Also, much like the Sanibest Pro, it makes for a quick installation in these trailers.

Q: After 10 years’ experience with the Sanibest Pro, what are your current thoughts about the product?

AW: We have installed hundreds of the Sanibest Pro systems, and we are extremely happy using them for our trailers — they work incredibly well. Not only have they saved us time on installation, but — most important of all — they also help ensure our customers have the best experience with our trailers.

For more information on the Sanibest Pro, a 1-HP pump system that comes with either an ADA-compliant elongated or round-front toilet bowl, please click here.