Where does your drain go?

[socapots]

Hello all.
Just wanted to start a post and find out where you guys have your floor drain going? I would love to have a drain. But I'm pretty sure I will have to put in a holding tank for it.
But have no clue how big.
Its pretty much going to catch snow melt during the winters when a vehicle is brought in. Or when it melts off the deere after snow blowing the drive.

No idea where to start. So what do you have and how big?

 

[DodgeMech]

The shop at work has one and i have no I D where the damned thing goes haha

 

[440-6 Shaker]

The drains in my attached 3 car drain out to a vent in the backyard.
I didn't put drains in my current barn build.

 

[trbomax]

My floor drains go to an oil separater,and then to a regular septic drain field with about 200' of pipe.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

My floor drains go to an oil separater

How effect is the oil separator? Easy to clean? get grease and grime and gear lube too? Where does one find one? Thanks!

 

[theoldwizard1]

You had better check with your local building inspector ! Local codes could be drastically different.

 

[SteveL]

My local codes do not allow any floor drains so I covered it with a stack of drywall when the inspector came around. The drain goes out the back yard via 4" PVC pipe that is tied in to the down spouts on that side of the house. Distance from the garage to the end is about 75' and exits under a bunch of large bushes that separate my property from some common ground.

On a side note, I am very carefull to not put any chemicals down the drain so don't lecture about my being bad for the environment. Nothing goes down that wouldn't get washed off the driveway anyway.

 

[Dan_inthewind]

Far as I know mine runs out and under my garden shed. Shed is 10X12. I believe it is perforated plastic piping that runs around and percolates into the ground. Not sure how deep it is but I also have a slope to that side of my yard and I have never found any ground level outlets. It is in my back yard and all services are in the front of the property so it does not hook up to city services. I do keep an eye on my drain as I clean my floor at least weekly due to sand and I have never had any back up, slow drain or problem of any type.

 

[osu69]

When we poured my garage floor, I set a floor drain in the center of the second bay and sloped the concrete toward it-great for washing cars in the winter...and summer for that matter. There's a utility sink tied into the floor drain, too. The 4" PVC transitions to RS pipe under the driveway and discharges in a stand of magnolia trees about 70' away. Never had a problem in four years.

 

[laserman35]

My building codes did not allow for my drain to go into the sewer line. Instead they ran a line two foot off the outside wall. It worked for small amounts of water, well maybe a mop bucket or two.

I later added a french drain when i did the landscaping on that side of the house. The drain has not backed up yet.

 

[socapots]

Some good methods for sure.
I'm pretty sure I will have to go with a holding tank that will be pumped from time to time. But I still have to find out from the powers that be what is acceptable

I do like the idea of tying in a utility type sink.

 

[D KRAGER]

To an undisclosed location.

Codes, what are codes, we don't have any stinking codes here....

 

[laserman35]

If you put in a utility sink you may be able to plumb that in into your sewer line. There was no problems doing that when i built my home. "It was allowed by code".

A french drain would be alot cheaper than a holding tank. If your not dumping oil and other toxic stuff into it. I dug my mine with a small portable back hoe that i rented to dig my pond at the same time.

 

[KinzeMech]

My local codes do not allow any floor drains so I covered it with a stack of drywall when the inspector came around.

Brilliant. Best answer I've seen yet.

I'm all for following codes when there's a reason for them or they make sense, but these floor drain codes just don't. You can grade your concrete so the floor runs out the door...no restriction, but if you put it in a pipe, it's suddenly somehow different?

 

[KPSquared]

My drain is technically supposed to drain into my septic field for my house. . .with that being said, I live on a sand dune so my drain goes into a plastic 55 gallon drum with no top or bottom that is buried 8' down and filled with washed rock. . .water runs in and then dissipates into the ground. I haven't used this shop yet for work but I'm very careful to clean up spills before I wash the floor down in any space I work in. Nothing kills a septic field faster than gas, oil, diesel, antifreeze, brake fluid etc.

 

[dieselgarage]

In Wisconsin we can just run the pipe outside the building and let it go. The only restriction is the outlet has to be visible so it can be checked by the DNR.
The catch is it's up to the individual to make sure it's only gray water. Get caught discharging anything else and you gonna take a hit.

 

[RTcat]

Hello all.
Just wanted to start a post and find out where you guys have your floor drain going? ?

My garage has 3 drains (one for each stall) going to a "mini" septic system. Had the excavator put in the small holding tank he had and appropriate size drain field. It only sees snow melt and water from washing cars in the garage (heated).

My shop has a drain for the condensing boiler. I dug a trench down to about 10' (solid sand) and put in wash rock, drain tube, cover the tube with wash rock, cover the rock with landscape fabric and filled up the trench. Trench and tube is about 25' long.

Good luck and have fun with your project

 

[Blk88GT]

In theory, a small leech field out back.

But my pit is capped on both ends.

I promise.

 

[hedhunter9]

Brilliant. Best answer I've seen yet.

I'm all for following codes when there's a reason for them or they make sense, but these floor drain codes just don't. You can grade your concrete so the floor runs out the door...no restriction, but if you put it in a pipe, it's suddenly somehow different?

Well, there are some reasons.

Ever seen a garage or polebarn blown to bits?
Happens when gas's built up in drains directly under the floor.
Thats why ya want to drain away from the building to the outside
with a drywell or such...

Bob

 

[brianh]

Well, there are some reasons.

Ever seen a garage or polebarn blown to bits?
Happens when gas's built up in drains directly under the floor.
Thats why ya want to drain away from the building to the outside
with a drywell or such...

Bob

Actually no do you have a direct link to any of this information?

Back to the question I installed a drain and ran 4" pvc to a 100 gallon drywell
I put it thinking I might use it haven't yet but its there if I need it.

 

[KinzeMech]

Well, there are some reasons.

Ever seen a garage or polebarn blown to bits?
Happens when gas's built up in drains directly under the floor.
Thats why ya want to drain away from the building to the outside
with a drywell or such...

Bob

If it's flammable fluids going down the drain producing gas, well, you shouldn't be letting flammable fluids down your drain.

If it's sewage gas, then the drain should be draining somewhere to properly handle that sort of drainage, and the drain should have a trap which, when holding water, effectively prevents ignition sources from reaching the drain.

I don't see how that explains the sometimes excessive code requirements for how a floor drain should handle gray water drainage.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Drain? Whats a drain? When we built my place, the contractor said I either had to have a sloped floor or a drain. He said to me "you want your floor sloped to the door, right?" as he shook his head from side to side. I replied "yes, I want my floor sloped to the doors" as I shook my head from side to side.

I really like my flat floors. I have a squeegee If I need to push water, but mostly it gets swept, blown, and wet mopped.

Charles

 

[KinzeMech]

Sounds like your contractor knows the ins and outs of striking a grade...

 

[hedhunter9]

Nope I have never seen one blown up.
But My dad told me about a gas station that had one of those old fashoned pits that they used to use to work under cars ..
Station blew up back in the sixtys..

Many states banned that type of pit...

I was told by code, that the reason they dont allow the drains to flow into a collector
under the floor and that the drains must flow to the outside of the building is because
many types of gases are heavier than air and collect in low areas... IE the floor drain.

I have one in my business that had to run outside to a dry well. My own pole barn at home is set up the same way.
Better safe than sorry.
Bob

 

[hammlm]

My local codes do not allow any floor drains so I covered it with a stack of drywall when the inspector came around. The drain goes out the back yard via 4" PVC pipe that is tied in to the down spouts on that side of the house. Distance from the garage to the end is about 75' and exits under a bunch of large bushes that separate my property from some common ground.

On a side note, I am very carefull to not put any chemicals down the drain so don't lecture about my being bad for the environment. Nothing goes down that wouldn't get washed off the driveway anyway.

Dude. When i read your post I was like did I already answer this???

I am exactly the same, down to the 75'. Weird. Drwyall and studs covered mine.

 

[ketas47]

I have 2 drains in my garage and they drain out the back of my garage. This is the only way the city code will alow it to be installed. I love it because i live in wis and get alot of melting snow in my garage. I have infloor heat and pushing the water out the door would be almost impossible.

 

[ConCretin]

Well they go to a code compliant treatment system including an oil separator, grit screen and reverse osmosis water purification system followed by the holding tank where the effluent is stored before being trucked to an approved HazMat site. Why do you ask?

 

[SteveL]

Dude. When i read your post I was like did I already answer this???

I am exactly the same, down to the 75'. Weird. Drwyall and studs covered mine.

Good minds think alike.

 

[trbomax]

How effect is the oil separator? Easy to clean? get grease and grime and gear lube too? Where does one find one? Thanks!

I built mine.Its built up from a poured pad with double block walls.The outer walls are 8" block,the inner wall is 4" block layed tight against the outer wall,but is only 5 block high as opposed to the outer wall which is 6 high. The lid sits on the ledge formed by this wall method.There is a single baffel level with the intake,and a "T" outlet that is 12" below the baffel.The lid is 1/4" steel plate that sits on the inner block part of the wall,on top of a 2x8 treated wood frame,so its flush with the sides. I put a lifting hook in it for removal,but I dont see ever haveing to do that. The cover was covered with a piece of pond liner thats a foot bigger all around,then covered with drain rock up to grade,which is only a few inches.Its just a glorified septic tank with a full removeable cover. I'm sure the epa and deq wouldnt be impressed,but then there is no requirement for oil separation on a floor drain in an ag building anyway,Its just to keep the goo out of the field.

 

[jvitez]

I have two, and they drain into a sump pit, with the sump pump discharge going about 150 ft onto the back of the property.

 

[laserman35]

I was in demolition for years. You could fill your drain full of jet fuel and all your going to get is a fire.

Now if natural gas leaks from the ground into the garage that could be another story.

I could not imagine this being a huge risk. 1 in a billion type threat.

 

[socapots]

I have two, and they drain into a sump pit, with the sump pump discharge going about 150 ft onto the back of the property.

I like this idea for sure...

 

[trbomax]

I did have my trench drain catch fire once.I wasnt there and a friend had a broken suspension arm on his sled. He pulled it in and they took the suspension out,set it up and started to mig the piece together,when the trench erupted like something in the movies. They said the flash was 15' high. What they did was tip the sled on its side to pull the suspension,gas ran out the overflow and into the drain (it was sitting directly over it) and left it while they welded up the arm,directly over the drain 15' or so away.The sled caught fire and they pulled it out into the snow,and put it out.I'm pretty sure at least one of them pissed himself when it happened.

 

[socapots]

****** deals.
If it wasn't for the trench the gas would have ignited all over the floor. Or even made it to a wall or cabinet before igniting.
That would have really sucked.

 

[ace3]

Our builders plumbed our floor drain right into the house plumbing.

 

[trbomax]

Our builders plumbed our floor drain right into the house plumbing.

That would require a trap which in my experience (s) is the last thing you want in a floor/trench drain. Many,many years ago I had to saw and jackhammer my drain out of my shop after my then 4 yr old son filled it with sockets. "but dad,they splashed!". In another shop the trapped drain lasted a few years and was plugged solid.These were 4" drains too.

 

[socapots]

Now that would ****.. On both occasions.

 

[ace3]

That would require a trap which in my experience (s) is the last thing you want in a floor/trench drain. Many,many years ago I had to saw and jackhammer my drain out of my shop after my then 4 yr old son filled it with sockets. "but dad,they splashed!". In another shop the trapped drain lasted a few years and was plugged solid.These were 4" drains too.

My drain has a trap, but it also has a basket above it. the basket is only perforated along the very top of itself, so if rocks/etc fall through the drain, they get caught in the basket. clean water flows over the top of the basket through the perforations, and finally into the drain.

the trap is immediately below it, so if something were to make its way past the basket somehow, i could (regrettably) dig my hand down there and clean it out.

it does require cleaning out the basket once a year after the winter sand is cleaned off the streets, which can get pretty disgusting