The Garage Pit

[Ryan]

Lifts are great and all... But you know what has been intriguing to me lately? A simple garage pit. You don't see them much these days short of quick change oil places. Why, ...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

 

[HTGTS350]

Most local councils have banned them due to people having been asphyxiated by oxygen depleting gases that collect in them(Like CO from exhausts)and explosions caused by vapours.
Places that work on heavy equipment generally still have them but most now have forced ventilation.

 

[jmlcolorado]

Most local councils have banned them due to people having been asphyxiated by oxygen depleting gases that collect in them(Like CO from exhausts)and explosions caused by vapours.
Places that work on heavy equipment generally still have them but most now have forced ventilation.

I kinda like the idea of a pit in a garage. Maybe not for the normal Joe Schmo, but for some, it fits.
Do you know what type of ventilation system these places use? I wonder if you could legally put one in a home with the proper ventilation of if building jurisdictions just figure they are too dangerous without the proper training that service centers provide.

 

[Mastertomos]

I used to work at a tire and lube express and we had a pit. It sucked because the pit was about 6" deep and I'm 6'4", and had to wear a hard hat on top of it. I had to work like a hunchback. If I were to build one into my garage it would have to be suited for myself, and pretty much useless for anybody else who might use or for somebody potentially buying my house some day. Step stools can help, but can be a pain to work on and around too.

Anymore, a nice lift can be had for a few thousand dollars and most designs can be moved as well.

Also, the walmart tire and lube express I worked at only had a shop fan for ventilation, which was rarely on.

 

[skulldrinker]

---cut-- Step stools can help, but can be a pain to work on and around too.--cut--

A raised floor made with 2x6's or whatever amount of height you'd need would do the job. At least you can always go higher but as you know can't go lower. Or during the open house get one of the carnival signs saying you must be this tall to buy this house.

 

[rvr6000]

My old garage had one but I ended up filling it in myself because it was just a little too wide for me to comfortably pull my S-10 in without fear of dropping one side in. A few years later I rebuilt the garage so I would've had to fill it in anyhow. I rarely do any of my own work on the vehicles but I wouldn't mind having another garage with a pit now that I have a full size pick-up.

 

[HOTFR8]

I have not long built a pit see the topic about the Sheddwellers extensions. They do need to be well ventilated for safety. As mine is not for commercial use I am ventilating it with a pipe and a wind generated system. I still have power and light and they are all as per the safety requirements being intrinisically safe.

 

[HTGTS350]

At my parents house I built the shed and left a hole in the concrete for the pit, started digging and hit bedrock in a few spots, bought a jackhammer and attacked it again, finally got to a point where I had about 5 ft of pit at about 6ft, 5ft at about 4 ft and the rest about 2ft. I have promised myself several times I would finish it but I used it for years as it was, dirt floor, walls and all. We had intended to brick up the walls so the pit is about a foot wider than it needs to be which makes it hard to drive over as you have to turn into the shed from the alley through a 9 ft door, I used to try to line up then get out of the car into the pit, leaving the car in neutral, then pull the car over the pit by hand while watching the wheels. When I was happy with the position I would chock a wheel.

 

[HTGTS350]

I have not long built a pit see the topic about the extensions. They do need to be well ventilated for safety. As mine is not for commercial use I am ventilating it with a pipe and a wind generated system. I still have power and light and they are all as per the safety requirements being intrinisically safe.

Did you get a permit or just do it? I would have thought Victoria would have been one of the first places to ban them.

 

[DesertSparky57]

I could be wrong but aren't pits considered a hazardous location building-code wise? This may have something to do with why you don't see them so much.

I can't remember the terminology, I believe it was class III div II ? It's been years since I installed electricity in a pit location...

 

[Mike Miller]

Had one in the shop I ran, used up a work bay and the mechanics hated it. Always dirty and full of trash, either too tall or too short. They work out in muffler shops if big enough to have the tube bender and welder in.

 

[HOTFR8]

Did you get a permit or just do it? I would have thought Victoria would have been one of the first places to ban them.

No one asked when I got my permits for the extension so they know nothing.
I still have all the safety requirements in place with the exception the ventilation that will be wind driven all the time and not by the power.

Read about it in the Sheddwellers topic.

 

[1953mercury]

I got a lift so I wouldn't have to crawl around under my cars and trucks. Can't see why I would want to have to climb in and out of a pit all the time unless you just don't have the head room, but to each there own. Mike

 

[HOTFR8]

I got a lift so I wouldn't have to crawl around under my cars and trucks. Can't see why I would want to have to climb in and out of a pit all the time unless you just don't have the head room, but to each there own. Mike

One on my reasons for a pit was my building does not have the headroom or the design to take a lift. Many things are easier to work on when a vehicle is at ground level and sitting on all wheels.

 

[skulldrinker]

How do you raise a vehicle when over a pit. Say you want to remove a wheel to R&R a rack and pinion. Do they sell jacks like 4 post racks have in the middle. Those slidable ones.

 

[lilredex]

More pit discussion...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184820

 

[Justanoldguy]

I have a 40' long pit in my workshop.
It gets used but not often.
Yesterday I installed a 2 post lift so
I guess the pit will be used even less.
I have never seen it as a safety issue.
Just a bit dated with lifts so cheap now.

 

[sberry]

I got a lift so I wouldn't have to crawl around under my cars and trucks. Can't see why I would want to have to climb in and out of a pit all the time unless you just don't have the head room, but to each there own. Mike

Just a bit dated with lifts so cheap now.

Both of these. A pit is primitive, I can see using it if you already had one but no way would I invest in it.

 

[Stephenw]

I have promised myself several times I would finish it but I used it for years as it was, dirt floor, walls and all.

That pit can collapse and bury you alive. In construction, the walls of a trench must be braced before a worker can enter.

 

[Stephenw]

Trench support...

 

[farmtruck]

A pit is kinda primitive, but if you're working on heavy trucks/farm tractors you need a HUGE lift which is big cash. Digging a hole is cheaper than buying that sort of lift Have a drive through garage on the farm with a pit and it works out great, so long as you don't fall into the damn thing.

Edit, here's a better pic of the pit, haven't ever really taken pictures of just the pit itself...

 

[NUTTSGT]

That pit can collapse and bury you alive. In construction, the walls of a trench must be braced before a worker can enter.

Not necessarily. It depends on the depth and type of soil. Seeing as HTGTS350 stated his was in bedrock, I believe that would exempt it from needing any shoring.


Trench Safety Measures

Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater
require a protective system unless the excavation
is made entirely in stable rock. If less than 5 feet
deep, a competent person may determine that a
protective system is not required.

Besides the fact that it was in a personal garage and not a workplace, OSHA isn't going to be visiting.




http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/trench_excavation_fs.pdf

 

[Brad54]

The Iron Lords car club in Charlotte has an old garage building they use as their club shop--it's got a really big pit that takes up a whole bay. It's got two rails going across it that you drive the car onto... they don't go across the whole thing, they are just long enough to drive the car on, so you can walk around the front of the vehicle without ducking under the rails. (They're supported by steel posts at one end, and I believe a sill level with the floor at the other).

The pit is big enough off to the side for a big tool chest, a bench, a chair, and shelves.

It's kinda cool, but it really does limit the potential of the area.

-Brad

 

[Texican]

My grandpa had one in his barn for working on the heavy farm equipment. I wouldn't mind having one but I am 6'5 and don't want to dig a really deep whole or stay stooped over.

 

[TruckJunkie]

I put a shallow pit into my garage by taking advantage of the grade on the property and putting in a long stairwell between the levels. It is only 4' deep, but works out rather well for me to work in when sitting on a rolling, adjustable height stool. By being open at one end it is easy to get in and out of, does not have the problem of capturing fumes, and I can roll a tool box up to it to keep things convenient. The four sockets around the perimeter are for an easily removable railing, and each has a short length of chain attached to rebar inside it for anchor points.

 

[ed_v]

The Iron Lords car club in Charlotte has an old garage building they use as their club shop--it's got a really big pit that takes up a whole bay. It's got two rails going across it that you drive the car onto... they don't go across the whole thing, they are just long enough to drive the car on, so you can walk around the front of the vehicle without ducking under the rails. (They're supported by steel posts at one end, and I believe a sill level with the floor at the other).

The pit is big enough off to the side for a big tool chest, a bench, a chair, and shelves.

It's kinda cool, but it really does limit the potential of the area.

-Brad

I LOVE THEIR SHOP! Never been there, but the pics i've seen of it on the HAMB has the coolest vibe.

Ed

 

[ed_v]

I put a shallow pit into my garage by taking advantage of the grade on the property and putting in a long stairwell between the levels. It is only 4' deep, but works out rather well for me to work in when sitting on a rolling, adjustable height stool. By being open at one end it is easy to get in and out of, does not have the problem of capturing fumes, and I can roll a tool box up to it to keep things convenient. The four sockets around the perimeter are for an easily removable railing, and each has a short length of chain attached to rebar inside it for anchor points.

That is genious!

That is great how you took advantage of the situation.

Ed

 

[roncastle]

not to mention the danger of walking into an open pit - I know most pits have wooden covers or 2 x 6"s to cover them - but covers don't always get put back on right away if at all

 

[Oldbear]

not to mention the danger of walking into an open pit - I know most pits have wooden covers or 2 x 6"s to cover them - but covers don't always get put back on right away if at all

Most commercial shop pits have a safety net on rails - but ours at the farm is just the 2x8s...

 

[porschedude996TT]

Call it a wine cellar and your ok for a permit. LOL

 

[KSB]

We had a pit in our old shop. It was not used very often. It was to code, ventilation system, explosion proof switching and lighting.

Personally I used it a couple times and found it to be more hassle then it was worth. There was a cover system that had to be removed before use, run fan for 5 minutes before entering, then you had to replace the cover afterwards.

It was useful for servicing the differentials, transmissions on some of our equipment but that was about it. Anything major you were jacking and using jackstands.

Our new shop is a completely different story

 

[66dave]

My grandpa had a pit, and I remember that after the first few years (maybe 5) there was always a 1/4" of water in it...maybe that is why I have a hoist

 

[ears]

A pit is kinda primitive, but if you're working on heavy trucks/farm tractors you need a HUGE lift which is big cash. Digging a hole is cheaper than buying that sort of lift Have a drive through garage on the farm with a pit and it works out great, so long as you don't fall into the damn thing.

Exactly. Pits rule for trucks and big stuff. Our new shop doesn't have one and I hate it. 11 gallons of oil coming out a 1" hole into a 5 gallon drain pan is a guaranteed mess. Wrestling a heavy starter into place or trying to get some *** into a breaker bar in a bad spot is a whole lot easier on your feet.

I think the danger aspect is a little overblown. Cover it if you're having drunken dance party's in the shop.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I want a basement garage under the main garage.

Nothing against a pit or lifts.

 

[c39er]

I have a very nice dry fully optioned ventilated pit below one of my lifts. Built it just to build it.

 

[HunterWare]

Not necessarily. It depends on the depth and type of soil. Seeing as HTGTS350 stated his was in bedrock, I believe that would exempt it from needing any shoring.

Trench Safety Measures

Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater
require a protective system unless the excavation
is made entirely in stable rock. If less than 5 feet
deep, a competent person may determine that a
protective system is not required.

Besides the fact that it was in a personal garage and not a workplace, OSHA isn't going to be visiting.

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/trench_excavation_fs.pdf

The post about digging a pit said he "reached bedrock in some places". I was thinking about loose dirt on those pit walls too...

Having done trench rescues, I won't go above my waist in a dirt wall trench that is deeper than wide. More power to them if someone else wants to, but I won't. Those walls close at over 45 mph (66 fps) so you'd have .2 seconds to get clear, and contrary to popular belief most trench collapses that kill don't give warnings. Dirt weighs about 100lbs per cubic foot and people have died covered by 1ft of loose dirt (that's a 400lb person sitting on your chest). That's how I was trained, and the collapses I've seen bore mute testimony.

I know plenty of people have worked in trenches like that their whole lives without a problem, but it's surely something to consider. I rather save my luck for other things when possible.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

It seems that the low price of home garage lifts coupled with the safety challenges a pit presents have shifted the desire for these pits.

I worked in one as a youth as well and it was super convenient for oil changes, drive-shafts, starters, lubrication, hiding from the boss, etc... Not very good for much else.

 

[wssix99]

Most local councils have banned them due to people having been asphyxiated by oxygen depleting gases that collect in them(Like CO from exhausts)and explosions caused by vapours.
Places that work on heavy equipment generally still have them but most now have forced ventilation.

Or how about heavier-than-air CO2? That will kill you also - I love how the picture in the OP has a tank of CO2 leading down to equipment in the pit... lol

These are great for heavy equipment or commercial applications. The catch is that they necessitate expensive commercial safety features and construction.

 

[ctb]

I have an outside pit that came with the house. Lined with concrete. I've had steel covers, wooden covers. They all disintegrate over time. Now I've parked my old honda accord over top to prevent accidents. Works better here than when it was running!
When I need to use it I just pull the accord backwards with a come a long, drive the vehicle to be worked on over top, and put an extension ladder down.
It's not used much but when it is, it's a lifesaver for sure. Oil changes, suspension work, brake work, exhaust work, gas tank removal, it can't be beat.
Besides, I'm getting old and the joys of working on your back under a vehicle on jack stands is best left to the younger generation.
One day If I ever get enough money I'll build a garage over the pit.

 

[coljar]

I have one in a room in my older garage that I don't use, but it's not because I'm afraid of it. I have two lifts and don't need it and the room is used for storage. It's a nice pit and has a stair case. The walls in the pit go to the outer walls of the room, so it's kind of a short basement with a hole in the top. I store a lot of stuff in there and have it planked off in sections that are easy to remove.