Re-locating a washer and dryer for a client from their kitchen to their finished basement (1st choice) or to their upstairs bathroom. The problem with the basement is the drain tie in. The only drain possibility is to tie it into the floor drain which is in an excellent location under the stairs and right behind the wall where the appliances would be. Breaking cement floor and tieing into a drain pipe somewhere else is not feasible because finish flooring is already installed. House is about 15yrs old with city sewage system
Is tieing into the floor drain a possibility or is it a big mistake?
Thanks
Kevin
Replies
There are a couple of issues here.
One, where does that drain go? Is it tied into the sewer or does it go to a sump (or daylight)?
What does your area required for gray water. Someplaces require it to go to the sewer/septic system.
Other prohibit it from going to the sewer/sepectic system.
I knew it was too easy!
Thanks for the info. I seriously knew there could be complications but could not figure out what to look for. Your info will point me in a good direction.
Is it common for a floor drain to go to the sump first instead of the drain? Have not seen that here before. It is common here for the french drain to empty into the sump then pumped to the main drain. Maybe I should asked a local plumber about their practices in that region.
Where would the grey water go if not to the sewage or septic system?
There are two reasons for not puting gray water into the sewer/septic.One is to re-use the water for irrigation. The other is where it is difficult to process the sewage. Because of either overloaded plants or the soil is such that septics are marginal.I don't thing that it is very common for places to prohibit gray water into the sewer, but I have heard of a few. Typically in places with limited water and a push to be super green.But most areas now prohibit sump discharge into the sewers.
Edited 1/24/2005 9:36 am ET by Bill Hartmann
"But most areas not prohibit sump discharge into the sewers."
Really? In the town I live in it's illegal. They don't want the extra water to deal with down at the sewage plant.
But it's done all the time. Both houses I own are plumbed that way...
Sex outdoors is great. I'm not an exhibitionist, but I love the possibility that people might be able to see. [Ali Landry]
That was a typo. That NOT was suppose to be NOW.
That makes more sense. I thought you left the "do" out of "do not".Like you were saying they do NOT prohibit sump discharge into the sewers.Guess I should listen to what ya MEAN, not what ya SAY.(-:
The only thing that saves us from bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty. [Eugene McCarthy]
In such a system where would the grey water be pumped into if you are in a suburb and you do not have enough of a lot to have a septic system.
Where they use it for irrigation they will use a holding tank.
Another option is to install a lift pump and pump the water overhead to a more convenient place. (Or, you can stretch it a bit and simply extend the washing machine hose up higher. Not recommended by the mfgr but has been known to work.)
I offered the option of a pump but they did not like it too much. That is an interesting point though about extending the washer hose up a little more but would not try it at a clients house just in case although I would try it at mine if it ever was the case. Clients are funny that way, they want you to know what you a doing with little trial and error... lol!
Thanks
hooked the washer to septic drain for granny suite in basement of customer . drain was approx 6' from floor . only problem was some water coming back into washer , cured it by installing check valve at the end of drain hose (plastic valve) as soap likes eating metal.