Floor drain

[Bojans]

Hypothetical question...

Say a guy was building a new garage and wanted a floor drain in it but the county says floor drains are taboo. How might one go about prepping said drain in a way that the inspector would not know about?

One idea - Dig an area out, fill with large stone, cover w/ pea gravel and finish floor as usual. Once inspections are complete drill a hole through the floor, dig out pea gravel, install pipe to get water under vapor barrier and install a screen on top. Other suggestions?

 

[Vicious_Cycle]

I have seen people do all the subgrade work, then bring the riser to 1/8" below finish grade, cover it with a coffee can so no concrete gets in the pipe, then when the floor was poured, the coffee can was just thinly skim-coated over.

This was for a toilet, not a floor drain. A floor drain is going to be useless unless you pitch the floor to it... kind of tough to hide.

 

[ovilla]

I wonder if you can legally install a floor drain that simply drains out to the driveway somehow. I know most municipalities don't want an actual drain in use but how about a drain to outside. Seriously, what's the difference between washing your car in the driveway or doing it in the garage and then pushing all of the water out to the driveway?

 

[Damon L.]

My brother-in-law is a licenced plumber and he says code in the city he works in requires garage floor drains to simply dump out the side of the garage. Too big of an issue with people trying to hide them.

 

[mtwaterguy]

The reason you can't have a drain, any type of drain, is that there is a possibility that fumes could build up inside and possibly cause an EXPLOSION.!!!!!!!!! If this were to happen your insurance company would not pay off and you'd have a big hole where you're garage/house used to be.

 

[ovilla]

How would you have an explosion? Anyway, wouldn't the drain have to have a p-trap and a vent to allow for water to flow?

 

[Vicious_Cycle]

Anyway, wouldn't the drain have to have a p-trap and a vent to allow for water to flow?

No vent is needed. A trap is a good idea so that you don't get wind blowing in through your floor drain (or critters climbing in). A catch basin is better yet.

Gasoline fumes are heavier than air, so they could accumulate at a drain.

 

[Jay H 237]

I've heard of inspectors being present when the floor starts to get poured so they can make sure there wasn't any piping added at the last minute for drains.

 

[kbs2244]

Drains are usually denied for pollution reasons into local sewers. They are afraid of people pouring old oil and anti-freeze and such down them.
Sometimes a drain that drains "to air", that is out the side of the slab but to the surface of the grass will be OK.
Double check the reasons.
If you just cannot do it, do not try to cheat! If you are caught you will have to tear out everthing, bring it up to code, and pay a fine.
Sloping the floor to the door and opening it about an inch is no big deal.

 

[utah997]

The reason you can't have a drain, any type of drain, is that there is a possibility that fumes could build up inside and possibly cause an EXPLOSION.!!!!!!!!! If this were to happen your insurance company would not pay off and you'd have a big hole where you're garage/house used to be.

Unless you were smart enough to have both of the drains in your garage go down through the floor, down the side wall of the basment and connect to the city sewer system.

Again.. all Hypothetical..

 

[rubadub]

I have an open drain in my garage floor with out a trap, so the wind was blowing cold air up through it into the garage.

I took a piece of about 5/16'' threaded rod, Not sure unless I went out and looked, maybe 2' long.

Took about 3'' on the end and bent it 90 degrees, then I took one of those throw rugs, the **** type, wrapped it around the threaded rod, then just took some wire and wrapped it around the rug, not to many wrap arounds, enough to keep it together half way decent, then I took about 3'' on the other end and bent another 90 degree.

I just push it down the drain and put the drain cover over it.

I know it doesn't sound to good, but I've had it in there for maybe 8 years, the drain itself keeps it from falling apart, and it kind of swells up even dry and seals the hole.

Make a few wraps so its a little bigger then the hole, push it down, if it won't go in, just unwrap a little and cut it off, until it will slide in the hole, a little pressure but you don't have to really get on it, once you have it fit right, then wrap the wire around it.

If I bring a car in with ice under it, it will drain right through the rug.

If I want to use a lot of water, that 90 degree angle makes a good handle to pull it out.

I keep my garage heated year round, and cold air won't get through it.

Anyway, thats the deal, I just got lucky the first crack out of the box.

Rob

http://www.1969supersport.com