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Garage Drain

bozobozo

bozobozo

Bronze Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Messages
36
Location
Building in Central PA
When we build our new house, I want to install a floor drain for the garage to handle snow melt from the vehicles. Since I will also be using a heavy floor gasket under the garage doors (as a weather seal) water will pool to the inside if I don't drain it. I have this very problem in my current home. The door seal works too well!

My question - can I connect this drain to the footer drain outside (at the garage footing)? It will exit to daylight.
 
Short answer, yes. In fact, a lot of jurisdictions (mine included) would require you daylight it rather than connecting to the sanitary sewer. Snow melt is stormwater, plus the added sand, and possible fluids from vehicles, don't want those in the sanitary system.
 
I would suggest you contact the AHJ. 5 years ago, our response would have been exactly as Fatboy's. Now - we require that drain into the sewer, precisely so we CAN take those fluids to the sanitary system, rather than allow it to enter the storm drainage system (can you say EPA?). If the garage is anything other than residential - grease/sand interceptor required.
 
would not an oil interceptor be required anyway, just due to the fact that the vehicle may leak, wouldn't want that draining into your yard, would you
 
codeworks, what do you do with any other garage? It drains out, to the the street. A drain is just redirecting it in my opinion. But yes, every AHJ is going to have their own opinion.
 
When there is a drain in a garage floor people will pour anything down that drain with no thought of where it goes. Oil seperator required here and connected to the sanitary sewer not storm.
 
oops, i just spilled a jug of antifreeze, I'll just wash it down the drain thats connected to the sanitary sewer, public works would'nt care? would they?

Now what am I going to do with this old nasty fuel? Hum

Junior, "that drains not an ash try!"

pc1
 
oil separator required, floor pitches from all four corners towards the center where the drain is located, connected as above to sanitary not storm
 
I just heard back from the local authorities, turns out I can connect the drain to either the footing drain (to daylight) or to the sanitary. If fact he told me that a drain was "required" if I did not slope the floor. Since I'm doing both (drain & slope) I should be good to go. I will use the footing drain since I do not want to contaminate my septic with road salt.

Thanks to all for your input.
 
I like the separator. After seening what some do as builders, it would give me pause to know they might be at home being mechanics.
 
Again, what's the difference between having a floor drain that daylights, or a floor that slopes to the door, that will still reach the curb/gutter. storm drainage system?
 
I agree with fatboy. I'll be sitting about in the middle of well sloped (avg 15% grade) forested area. My well will be well over 250' from where this exits to daylight. No streams or creeks. There is a pond about 1000' ft away from the planned "daylight". I am not a mechanic, no plans to be a mechanic. My brother-in-law is and he will be just a couple of miles away.

Anyone have any links to an oil separator so I can check them out. My quick search just turned up commercial sized separators.
 
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