Older models have a reputation for being unreliable and for frequently breaking down. These two things are not quite as much of a concern these days due to advances in technology, but a macerator is not likely to be quite as reliable as a regular toilet with a normal sewage pipe connection.

The common rule regarding macerator pumps, is the machine, which will usually last up to 15 years, if handling a small amount of waste. With standard usage in a main bathroom in a domestic home, you can assume a macerator to last at least for about 10 years.

The water inlet device, solenoid (available in 12V/24V/110V/230V) or inlet pump, delivers clean water to the inside of the toilet bowl. The macerator pump, integrated in the ceramic toilet, grinds the waste and then moves it to the black water holding tank.

The reduced effluent is pumped away from the macerating unit, through a 3/4 or 1 inch in diameter pipe, into a sanitary gravity drain (a soil stack or a septic tank) through a discharge pipe. A non-return valve in the unit prevents back-flow of the reduced effluent into the unit.