Garage drain issues/options

[xmaciek82x]

Hey everyone,

I recently realized that the drain in the middle of my garage doesn't go anywhere (recently purchased home). Its about 12" deep and 4 inches wide and it just dirt at the bottom. I assume that over 50 years ago when my home was built, they created this drain for not heavy water but maybe more for small liquids spills in the garage I believe they call them drywell drains.

There are no pipes, just a hole in the concrete and eventually dirt. After some snow melt from my cars, the garage floods very easily. Any idea what I should do?

I was thinking about cutting out the opening to a larger size and just dig a larger hole, somehting like a 12x12x12 hole with a grate over it to stop my garage from flooding.

 

[JoeMopar]

Use a steel bar to loosen up the dirt, then with a good strong shop vac **** up the material. Keep repeating this until you make it 3 -4' deep and this should take a lot more water into the ground.

 

[Zeke]

If you have slope to that area and no piping, I see that as a big problem should a flammable spill occur. Anyway, not much you can do if you don't discover a pipe down in there somewhere after evacuation of the debris. First I'd take a shop vac and some sort of long sharp object and clean out what you can as far as you can just to make sure. Maybe you can even enlarge the well in a bell shape before backfilling with gravel.

Or you can do as you say and cut it open for a larger grate and go to work on it with a shovel. You will need to make a ledge for the grate to sit on. That could be done with a metal frame lagged into the sides of the cut or any number of ways.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was thinking about cutting out the opening to a larger size and just dig a larger hole, somehting like a 12x12x12 hole with a grate over it to stop my garage from flooding.

With a hole that big you need something to prevent the dirt from falling in. Get a 12" cathc basin extension (no holes in the side and no bottom) The most common brand is NDS

The hole should be about 24" deep and filled with 3/4" crushed (not smooth) gravel to about 12" deep.. Once the catch basin is installed line the inside with a piece of professional grade landscape cloth. It will clog up from the dirt washed in, but the gravel won't clog up, which is your problem now ! When clogs up, remove and replace.

NDS also has a full line of grates, either plastic, cast iron, brass or chrome. They are carried at HD, but you will find a better selection of parts shoping on the web.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Hope you get it figured out! I'd love to have a garage drain for winter car washing, but garage drains aren't legal in NJ anymore unless they are tied into city sewer.

Tommy

 

[theoldwizard1]

Hope you get it figured out! I'd love to have a garage drain for winter car washing, but garage drains aren't legal in NJ anymore unless they are tied into city sewer.

And to do that I'll bet requires a oil/dirt separator.

 

[xmaciek82x]

Thanks everyone for your input.

With a hole that big you need something to prevent the dirt from falling in. Get a 12" cathc basin extension (no holes in the side and no bottom) The most common brand is NDS

The hole should be about 24" deep and filled with 3/4" crushed (not smooth) gravel to about 12" deep.. Once the catch basin is installed line the inside with a piece of professional grade landscape cloth. It will clog up from the dirt washed in, but the gravel won't clog up, which is your problem now ! When clogs up, remove and replace.

NDS also has a full line of grates, either plastic, cast iron, brass or chrome. They are carried at HD, but you will find a better selection of parts shoping on the web.

Yup, that is pretty much my plan, no bottom basin with gravel.

Probably something like this: http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/NDS-Catch-Basin-Riser-p/nds-916.htm