What's This Drain in Garage

[bbdude513509]

Hi All - Searched the threads here and didn't find an answer.

Purchased a house and it has this drain in the garage, except it doesn't actually act as a drain. Seems there is some kind of pipe in the middle and a hole of sort as well. I'm not sure if it needs to be cleaned out or not ... seems to have gravel/dirt inside it.

I know it's not a sump, but what is it? My neighbors don't have one and calling a few garage guys up here in Western NY and they don't know what it is. I also can't seem to find where I can buy a new drain grate cover.

Thoughts?

 

[Cairo94507]

Looks like it is intended to be a drain; try running a snake through it.

 

[65ranchero]

I agree, maybe clean the sentiment and another picture . Could get someone to scope it with a pipe camera and then jetted.
Does the floor slope toward it

Most likely it is a floor drain and there are 2 ways it drains
1) into a dry well
2) out to daylight

 

[65ranchero]

That dirt/ sediment is supposed to drop down into a well (being it's heavier) and the water will what looks like it will flow out the pipe on the side

 

[BillK]

Vacuum it out and then pour some water in it and see what happens ?

 

[Treeman]

That dirt/ sediment is supposed to drop down into a well (being it's heavier) and the water will what looks like it will flow out the pipe on the side

Correct, like the picture below. Some floor drains have a sediment trap/cup to catch solids. The OP should also install a proper grate that sits flush with the floor.

 

[BigGarage]

Looks like it is intended to be a drain; try running a snake through it.

It's a cover for a black hole and if you open it up you'll be sucked into it and never heard from again.

 

[Bert_]

Not uncommon auger a post hole and fill it with pea gravel. Water soaks away through the soil. Won't handle huge amounts of water but is nice for snow melting off vehicles and such.

 

[LB-1911]

I also can't seem to find where I can buy a new drain grate cover.

Grab your tape & take a few measurements.
Home Depot carries various Jones Stephens products.
Also try the search term "round surface drain cover"
Good Luck

 

[BigGarage]

It's a cover for a black hole and if you open it up you'll be sucked into it and never heard from again.

 

[Jagmandave]

Other than for washing the car - which I do in the driveway - I'm glad I don't live in a place that gets so much snow that I would need a drain in the garage!

 

[Kaizen]

good excuse to get yourself a boroscope. if you are lucky that direction is on a hill and its a pipe that leads to daylight. Considering my local restrictions my guess is just a dry well of some sorts. defintely vacuum out the dirt till you get to gravel and give it another test. Ground might be so saturated/frozen that it does not work well at the moment. Looks like somoene spent some time on that floor. looks good

 

[bbdude513509]

Correct, like the picture below. Some floor drains have a sediment trap/cup to catch solids. The OP should also install a proper grate that sits flush with the floor.

Thank you, @Treeman ! This is super helpful. Thank you so much!

Going to take @Kaizen advice and get a borescope to take a look. I've used the drain before when I washed the garage floor and it took hours to drain. Guessing the outflow is clogged.

@Jagmandave 80" so far this year, which is right around average. For the record, I didn't move her by choice!

 

[billconner]

Where I live you'd have to have an oil separator at least by building code. A whole other layer of complications.