Five items going to floor drain in second floor utility room

Users who are viewing this thread

Rao

New Member
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Washington DC
Friends,

I have a second floor utility room in my condo that I am working on bringing up to code.

I am trying to deal with the floor drain and it has following five items to go to it:

1) Air handler primary drain pan
2) Air handler secondary drain pan
3) (electric) Water heater T&P
4) Water heater drain pan
5) Washing Machine drain pan


I am putting in new vinyl flooring tonight. I have new stacked washer dryer and new 12 year 50 gallon electric water heater waiting in the next room. I have had a plumber come and place new proper valves on my water heater supply and out lines, and a new laundry drain tub and new washer supply (two plumbers told me I could not place standpipe as I had originally planned). I have burst proof hoses also.

My problem I would like to ask about is the floor drain and getting five items in. In the past I had fit them by tying Washer and Water heater Pan drains lines together before floor drain. So I had:
- one 3/4" pvc (a/c primary) going down into center of the opening drain;
- one 3/4" pvc from both washer and WH pans going down into center opening of drain
- one 3/4 copper (T&P) sligtly above center opening in the drain;
These three barely fit the center opening
and
- one secondary air handler pan 3/4" pvc going to the outer area of the drain (Which is fin since that would be slow flow if needed).

I can replicate this and fit. But as I intend to sell shortly I sure would not like to all all this work and new equipment and get called on code.


1) can washer and WH pans be tied together before the floor drain?
2) If not what do I do? I have seen funnels that sit above and give a wider area, but they seem designed for T&P only as leave at the terminal point higher than the drain pans.
3) my old pans were 3/4 fittings but the new ones are 1". Is that a new code requirement? (I am in Wash DC)
i4) One plumber had said T&P can go to laundry tub. But googling I see home inspector forums that say violation due to scalding hazard

I know I cannot fit
two separate 1" pvc from pans (if 1" for pans is new code and I cant tie them); plus
one 3/4 a/c primary;
and have room for the t&P over an 3/4" open space all in that center area

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

By the way I was happy to pay the plumber but I am tapped out!
 
Last edited:

Terry

The Plumbing Wizard
Staff member
Messages
29,942
Reaction score
3,459
Points
113
Location
Bothell, Washington
Website
terrylove.com
They don't like the water heater T&P combined. It's a safety device under pressure.
We typically daylight those above a drain. That way they won't siphon back.

I would think the other drains could combine though.
Most pans drain with 3/4".
It's nice that they give you the 1" option though.
 
Last edited:

Rao

New Member
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Washington DC
Thanks Terry I would not combine the T&P. with anything.
I was going to use cpvc for that but I will go with copper because the OD is less even with same 3/4 Inner diameter.

I was just wondering if there was a known code compliant trick of the trade to deal with this. My plumber is nice, but he knows I am selling nd am concerned about code, and he did not know that running the t&P to the sink was an inspection red flag


I just dont know how to cram all that in.
T&P must be independent
AC primary really should be independent since it is continuous flow and might wet the other pans making it hard to watch for any water in WH or Washer pans
AC secondary would be very low flow in the case of a problem and can be over outer area of drain

I think I can just fit it if I combine washer and HW heater pans, but I would hate to do everything new and get called on that.

FYI in 18 years of living here I have had just two leaks, both slow overflows of washer from incompletely closed fill shut off valves (one on a three year old GE top loader washer), both saved by a drip pan that was plumbed to the floor drain. So ironically placing a drain line from the washer pan is the one thing that is optional, yet it is the one thing I have found to be the most important!
 
Last edited:

Rao

New Member
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Washington DC
Guys, my floor drain is about 5" diameter but the center opening is just about 2". Between the 5" and the 2" hole is an iron ring that is about 3/8" lower than floor level. I cannot see any way to remove this iron ring. It as a bit rusted but mainly I see no screws. It is early 70's construction.

Do I have some kind of weird floor drain? how can I use the full 5" or at least more than the 2" center hole?

If I put a funnel it would kill function as drain for floor and anyway a funnel would raise height and caused no function of drip pans since they are floor level.


Is there some way to exploit the full 5" that I am missing??

(PS that is my ac primary pictured. it is all I have plumbed and powered at the moment.)

Here is a pic:
utility room floor drain].jpg
 
Last edited:
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks