If you’ve ever wondered why there’s a basement toilet in the middle of the room—we’ve got answers
Pittsburgh toilets go back to the 1880s and up to World War II.
A sewage backup would hit the plumbing fixture lowest to the ground, so these toilets kept sewage overflow contained in the basement.
They’re common all over the U.S., although some homeowners feel they’re a bit of an eyesore.
Consider turning the toilet into a finished basement bathroom.
There’s something strange about walking down the basement stairs to see a random toilet out in the open. But once you discover the history of the Pittsburgh toilet, you’ll have some context for this seemingly out-of-place feature. Whether you decide to keep this piece of Americana or ditch it, it’s up to you.
A Pittsburgh potty is a standalone toilet installed in a basement, usually in the middle of the room, with no walls for privacy. Sometimes, the space also includes a crude shower, sink, or concrete tub. Although they’re called “Pittsburgh” toilets, they’re not exclusive to that city.
Homes built between the 1880s and before World War II may have these fixtures. During this period, sewage backups were common. The filthy flooding would affect the home’s lowest plumbing fixture. Installing a basement toilet prevented sewage from seeping into the home’s main living areas. Homeowners could simply scrub the bare cement flooring to clean up.
Whether you keep your Pittsburgh toilet largely depends on whether there’s a helpful or historical reason to hold on to it and whether you have the finances to rip it out and remodel.
As weird and awkward as it might seem to use a Pittsburgh toilet, you’ll appreciate it if all of the other bathrooms in your house are full. The extra toilet is also helpful if you’re in the middle of a remodel and your usual bathrooms are out of commission. Even if it doesn’t have walls, having that extra toilet downstairs is better than nothing.
For many people, these toilets are an eyesore in the basement. Considering that our modern plumbing system means we’re unlikely to deal with backups and sewage overflows, these toilets are arguably unnecessary.
One thing is for sure—an extra bathroom is convenient. Since the Pittsburgh potty in your home is already functional, all you need to do is to install walls, flooring, and fixtures. This is a bonus when you consider that a bulk of the cost to install a toilet is the labor to put in the toilet and drain pipe. You could DIY parts of the project, but call a plumber in your area when it comes to plumbing work.
Why not take advantage of what you already have, especially if you’re doing a whole basement remodel? There are many reasons to add a bathroom to your basement, like increasing your home’s value. If you want to kick back and relax in your new game room, home theater, or hobby room, having a nearby bathroom in the basement will make the space even more convenient.
The average cost to remodel a basement ranges from $12,000 to $34,000. However, if you plan to pull out the Pittsburgh toilet to turn the space into a more functional bathroom, costs range from $6,600 to $16,500. If your basement is unfinished, you’ll likely have to spend more. The average cost to finish a basement is $32,000.
Adding a bathroom to a finished basement is less expensive, especially when the basic plumbing is already in place. However, costs vary considerably depending on what’s on your bathroom remodel checklist, the space’s current condition, size, and how high-end you want to go with design and fixtures.
You can save an average of 40% to 65% by doing the labor for a basement bathroom remodel project yourself. However, whether you want to tackle this time-consuming and technical job depends on your experience levels and the project's scope.
If the plumbing is already in place and in good working order and the basement is finished, it could easily be a project within reach of a handy homeowner. A large, unfinished basement with dodgy plumbing is a bigger challenge and one often best left to a local bathroom remodeling contractor. You might need building permits and specialized equipment, and a licensed local plumber and electrician should deal with complex pipe and wiring work.
Mizuki Hisaka contributed to this article.
Professional toilet removal costs an average of $50 to $200. If you’re not confident about removing a toilet yourself or don’t fancy struggling up the basement stairs with this bulky item, budget to hire someone to disconnect and dispose of your outdated Pittsburgh toilet for you. It could save you a lot of backache.
The most practical and common setup is a toilet that connects with the sewer line or a septic tank. However, it is possible to install a toilet without a sewer line, and this can be particularly helpful in basements with no or outdated plumbing. An increasingly popular option is an environmentally friendly composting toilet. Other waterless options include incinerating or dry flush toilets, which pull the waste into an airtight container.
Basement toilets don’t always need a pump. However, it is the most common setup because plumbing systems use gravity to move waste away from the home. Basement toilets often sit below the home’s main sewage system, and installing a sewage ejector pump pushes the wastewater and sewage up to the main sewer line. Alternatively, you can use an upflush or macerator toilet that breaks down the waste and pushes it straight to the main sewer line rather than via a sewer line from the bathroom.
