Basement Floor Drains In Old Houses

Floor drains are most often installed during original construction often in the utility area to drain away excess water in the basement.

Basement floor drains in old houses.

It s basically a little bowl cut in the floor a couple inches deep and a 2 inch horizontal pipe leads away through the floor. Old floor drains work passively their design based on principles of physics. It s in the middle of the room. The purpose of this drain trap is to hold standing water which seals the drain system and prevents sewer gases from.

The basement floor is often at the maximum depth of the foundation. If the drain connects to the sewer system it s suitable for draining a washing machine water softener or basement laundry sink. The concrete floor around the drain gently slopes towards. The basement floor has just one drain.

There s no vertical pipe involved at the drain. Excavating at the base of an old foundation is risky and best left to those that are experienced with old structural masonry techniques. Situated at the lowest point on the basement floor the floor drain serves as an outlet for water from a leaking water heater condensation from an hvac unit or even seepage due to heavy rain. One of the most common defects that i find in old minneapolis and saint paul houses is a missing cleanout plug in the floor drain especially during truth in sale of housing evaluations a missing cleanout plug can allow hazardous sewer gas in to the home and often indicates a clogged floor drain.

Many new homes also utilize these types of drainage systems. Immediately beneath a sink bathtub or other plumbing fixture the fixture drain opening leads to a curved segment of pipe known as the p trap which is normally a 1 1 4 to 2 inch diameter segment of pipe with a sharp curved bend in it shaped like the letter p. Floor drains are an effective way to remove excess water from a home. Another problem with this type of installation involves the drainage system.