Condensate pump pipe codes?

[Kaizen]

I have a dehumidifier in my basement that has a simple line to outside for the pump to drain it. In winter it freezes so i need to plump it into the drains for the house. I have no existing traps in the basement to just put the line into. I am guessing i cannot just tap into the main drain line with a tapped fitting as sewer gas could push back through pump ? I have an old line into the drain that is capped that i can either add a trap to or tap into like i described. It is at the main branch in the house and i am unsure if i am allowed to put a trap there?

 

[PoorUB]

No sump pump in the basement?

If you cut into the main stack I would think a separate trap with the drain from the humidifier just dumping into it.

You can buy a clamp on saddle tee that you would just have to drill a hole in the main and clamp the saddle over it and build your trap from that.

Here is one example.

https://www.plumbingsupplynow.com/4...nXr0dxNvlPxGenNPeS9gii0dbe-4GhaBoCphAQAvD_BwE

 

[Jim greengo]

Pictures?

 

[jlv03]

Any washing machine down there to borrow its drain?

 

[jbfsr]

I have a similar setup. I kept the line that goes outside from the pump short. Just outside the house and it doesn't freeze. My pump is on the floor and discharges thru the house 8' up.

 

[Kaizen]

sorry no pics. The cast iron main comes in and branches off 3 ways. all are pvc from there and i can either cut in a t and a trap or tap into it with a threaded to barbed fitting. No washing machine or sump in basement currently nor any other trap. As far as anyone knows there isnt a problem/code with putting a trap within x distance to the entrance? I have a 4th branch intended for cleanout that i think i'm going to extend and put a trap up near the ceiling so its 4 feet above all the flushing water activity.

 

[Kaizen]

I have a similar setup. I kept the line that goes outside from the pump short. Just outside the house and it doesn't freeze. My pump is on the floor and discharges thru the house 8' up.

I tried that. made a frozen plug just outside of the hole and then backed up into the basement. Its -20 windchill tonight up here.

 

[rlitman]

How dry do you really need it to be that you're running a dehumidifier below freezing outside? Something seems wrong here.

Let's assume it is 31.9F outside, and 100% humidity. By the time you warm that outdoor air to an indoor temperature of 65F, the relative humidity will have dropped to 30% (the absolute humidity both inside and outside is the same, at 4.5476 g/m3).

What this means, is that if it is below freezing outside, and your heated space is above 30% RH, you have an interior source of humidity, and don't need a dehumidifier.

 

[Kaizen]

How dry do you really need it to be that you're running a dehumidifier below freezing outside? Something seems wrong here.

Let's assume it is 31.9F outside, and 100% humidity. By the time you warm that outdoor air to an indoor temperature of 65F, the relative humidity will have dropped to 30% (the absolute humidity both inside and outside is the same, at 4.5476 g/m3).

What this means, is that if it is below freezing outside, and your heated space is above 30% RH, you have an interior source of humidity, and don't need a dehumidifier.

Oh trust me you are right. 120 year old house with rubble foundation and sand floor. I'm working on water intrusion but in the short term i have mold issues so i need to keep humidity very low. Its not running much but i installed an hrv which also needs a drain so I need to do this. Thanks for trying to look out for me. I'm trying to keep things simple on my questions.

 

[rlitman]

Oh trust me you are right. 120 year old house with rubble foundation and sand floor. I'm working on water intrusion but in the short term i have mold issues so i need to keep humidity very low. Its not running much but i installed an hrv which also needs a drain so I need to do this. Thanks for trying to look out for me. I'm trying to keep things simple on my questions.

Yeah, I saw your post in another thread. Is there any way you can put down a vapor barrier on the floor? I have a crawl space under my porch, and found that a 6mil poly sheet helped a lot at keeping the winter moisture down to stop mold growth. Maybe cover it with carpeting to make it walkable.

There are a number of options for waterproofing foundations. A cheap and simple one would be to attach pink foam insulation up along it.

As for the drain, your condensate pump must drain into a trap, and the trap must have a vent. If you've got a vertical piece of PVC you can cut, you could install a sanitary tee, a horizontal trap arm, and then a trap with a riser. That's the typical setup for a washing machine drain without a sink. Condensate pumps can lift enough to raise up to the next floor, so one option is to go under your kitchen sink, and pump into a dishwasher tail into that drain.

 

[Kaizen]

Yeah, I saw your post in another thread. Is there any way you can put down a vapor barrier on the floor? I have a crawl space under my porch, and found that a 6mil poly sheet helped a lot at keeping the winter moisture down to stop mold growth. Maybe cover it with carpeting to make it walkable.

There are a number of options for waterproofing foundations. A cheap and simple one would be to attach pink foam insulation up along it.

As for the drain, your condensate pump must drain into a trap, and the trap must have a vent. If you've got a vertical piece of PVC you can cut, you could install a sanitary tee, a horizontal trap arm, and then a trap with a riser. That's the typical setup for a washing machine drain without a sink. Condensate pumps can lift enough to raise up to the next floor, so one option is to go under your kitchen sink, and pump into a dishwasher tail into that drain.

No great solution for a sand basement and mortared rock walls. From what i've read putting any kind of water stop or insulation on the inside is asking for trouble. Without sealing the outside (6 feet down) with new type waterproofing it will continue to come in. If it was a concrete floor i'd do a outer wall trench drain and pump but at this point i'm just trying to kill the mold and keep humidity down using the dehumidifier and hrv. I'll see where i can tee in and do that. I don't think it will need a vent as its kind of a wet vent setup. If i need to i'll put in an island sink type vent.

 

[PoorUB]

Is it possible to drill a hole through the floor and up into the kitchen cabinets and run the line up there? Put a dish washer drain hookup on before the kitchen sink trap?

 

[Kaizen]

Is it possible to drill a hole through the floor and up into the kitchen cabinets and run the line up there? Put a dish washer drain hookup on before the kitchen sink trap?

Probably but the point where i am putting this is only 5 feet from the service entrance. Kitchen is like 20 feet away. Not a big deal to just do it in the cellar. Just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing some code requirement.

 

[65ranchero]

How about a temporary solution of heat tape.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Run it to the laundry tub, where ever it is.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

You can't tie driectly to a waste line even with a trap. It has to be an indirect line and a trap is required.

Tommy

 

[rlitman]

You can't tie driectly to a waste line even with a trap. It has to be an indirect line and a trap is required.

Tommy

I'm not sure what your terminology means here. Can you elaborate?

If you're saying that a trap cannot be directly tied into a waste line, I agree. There are minimum and maximum lengths for trap arms, plus you need a vent of some sort (wet venting through the stack should be fine), plus you must guarantee that the trap will not run dry.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I'm not sure what your terminology means here. Can you elaborate?

If you're saying that a trap cannot be directly tied into a waste line, I agree. There are minimum and maximum lengths for trap arms, plus you need a vent of some sort (wet venting through the stack should be fine), plus you must guarantee that the trap will not run dry.

A condensate line must have an air gap or break between it and a waste line. There is no requirement for a trap primer. Because of the requirement for an air gap/break and the fact that it cannot be tied directly to a waste line, there is no requirment for a condensate trap to be vented. The waste line must be properly vented, though.

Tommy

 

[Jim greengo]

Here's 1 of several hundred screwed up things I found on a job I bid on a couple weeks ago.
The big hose was a butchered up dishwasher drain,smaller 1 was from condensate pump on side of furnace.
I'm guessing it was an old vent line somebody just wacked off,and shoved the hoses in to.
I didnt follow it too far,was making my head hurt! Hahaha