floor drain, where to terminate?

[fiveohpatrol]

Hey guys,
Still trying to think through some of the details before I break ground in a few months on a new post building.

I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to be putting in a drain, but I'm leaning that way. The question is, what is the most common way to terminate the drain? Dig a dry-well, and let it drain there? I don't suppose it's a great idea to tie into the septic system, or is that okay?

Just curious what others have done.

thanks

 

[slickgt1]

Not sure where you are, but no drains are allowed in a garage where I live. I asked, lol. I can't use a dry well, can't tie into septic, or any other plumbing.

I was also warned that it is something like a $15k fine if an inspector ever sees one. Something along the lines of environmental pollution.

 

[flat350]

It really depends on what's allowed in your area.The problem most areas have with a FD in a garage is the possibility of combustables/oils/chemicals getting into the sewer system,that's why drains in commercial garages/shops go to a triple basin set up(like a grease separater) to separate the materials before it hit's the sewer.

 

[fiveohpatrol]

I'll have to check on that then. I've heard the zoning guys can be a bit **** in my county, so I'll have to check on that. It's not the end of the world if I can't put one in, but it sure would be nice to be able to wash a vehicle in doors.

 

[Ohio Auto]

If you have a septic system...you have field tile I would guess.

Absolutely put in a drain...absolutely run it into your field tile...absolutely tell nobody.

I got lucky when I put my building up. I hit a field tile when drilling to put my piers in for my foundation. I immediately ran a connector to it, put it under my perimeter board and covered it up. When my concrete guy came I dug it back out...ran some tile and bam.

Having a drain in the shop IMO is a neccessity.

 

[jmh21586]

Dug a trench about 20 behind my shop, gug a deeper hole ran the drain pipe through the trench, into the hole and then covered with pea rock. Then graded over it.

Pretty simple. IMO, most drains don't see a serious amount of continual water going through them.

 

[Steevo]

When I built my shop, I considered a floor drain until I saw the price tag for the required oil trap and what a PIA that was going to be to clean out.
And I didn't want to try to roll a creeper around across a grate and sloped floor, either.

 

[trbomax]

I would'nt/didn't put anything except black waste into a septic. Any oil,soaps,sand or grease will kill it.These are the major cause of septic failure. I have both a black and a grey septic system in the house. In the shop its the same way,and the floor drain has an oil separater before it goes to the grey tank. I know,thats 4 tanks and fields,but I really dislike digging one up and replaceing it,so just do it right the first time and then forget about it.

 

[59 wagon man]

just a thought here maybe consider putting a trench drain outside the door to stop the water from coming into the garage then with the slightest of pitch towards this drain outside the garage you would stop any water from infiltrating under the door

 

[slickgt1]

Yea, my opinion is either do it correct, or be scared if something happens, and inspectors show up to check something. You could get owned for having oils, antifreeze, and whatever else comes off the car, draining into the ground and contaminate the environment. Environmental pollution fines are the HUGE by the way.

 

[D KRAGER]

My pole barn is elevated at the back end, I simply ran it out the back end of the building and it drains in the yard.

BUT..... There are no codes here.

 

[ProfessorCook]

You might know exactly how you'll be using the drain and you might be responsible about it all. The problem is the next guy. That's why such drains are often illegal. People get frustrated trying to dispose of waste oil and such... it becomes so tempting to just dump it down that drain right over there.

 

[Scoutman]

I would think it would all depend on where you live and what you intend to use the drain for. Building codes will also dictate whether you can have one or not.

-are you in a snowy climate and plan to park in this garage and let snow run down the drain?
-are you realistically going to wash a vehicle in the garage?
-do you just want to be able to pour cleaner on the garage floor and scrub it to the drain?

For me, I don't think I'd use one that much. If I lived up north with melting snow off my vehicles, then yes maybe. Seems like the potential hangups in the building process woudn't be worth it. If I were to put one in a future garage, I think I would just have a line leading into a gravel leach pit (perforated pipe, gravel, fabric, dirt cap) similar to a washer drain line.

 

[chadman]

I have two in my garage. I wouldn't have it any other way. My wife pulls in with her snowy car and it all just falls off, melts and down the drain. I wasn't "allowed" to have floor drains either. We just conveniently had plywood and vinyl siding stacked up over the drains when the inspector showed up. My house/garage are up on a hill so mine just run to a drain that lets out on the side of this hill.

 

[Addrock]

It depends on what your municipality allows, mine allows floor drains to drain to daylight.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I closed my drain off when I poured the new floor. If I put one, I'd want it to go either to daylight or place that was easily acessable.

 

[hetkind]

run it into an oil/water seperator...

 

[kywildcat]

My runs to back side of the garage to daylight.......no code here either!

 

[mmhouse]

I thought I needed one and had one for years. In my current home it wasn't allowed and I don't miss it a bit. As a matter of fact as someone else mentioned it's nice not to have the slope and grate to deal with.