Discharge from T&P valve

All of the installation instructions I've read say that the discharge from a T&P valve should be 6" from the floor drain. What do people do if they don't have any floor drains in the house? Is it okay to route this outside? (My guess is no, you might never notice it is leaking?) While the basement floor is concrete, and a discharge wouldn't necessarily create immediate problems, what's the best way to handle this?

If the boiler and WH tank are in a pan, and the T&P discharges into the pan, can you use a condensate pump to get rid of the water? Will a normal pump handle the (likely) high temp? I'm sure it wouldn't handle a full-fledged discharge of a fully opened valve, but for the more normal leak, it would.

My fixtures will be replaced, and they've been fine just run down towards the floor, but was wondering if that is still allowed, and, if not, what will work.

This was a complexing issue back when I installed water heaters for 3 different brands and had to know codes in 3 states, KY OH and Indiana.


Kentucky > If no floor drain you must send it outside to within 4" of grade. You *can* run down then trap and go up on this drip leg to outside only if you drill an 1/8" hole in that last 90 that turns vertical in direction. If the room the water heater was being installed that had a door with a threshold, either you would have to pipe through the wall to the room with the floor drain or take it outside.

Ohio > Absolutely no way the T&P drip leg can go any direction but down with no exception to going uphill or drilling holes in 90. Defeats any protection to property and safety hazards and I argued that point clearly with a plumbing inspector. Got my ass chewed out back at the shop for the heated words....even though they agreed that what I stated is true.

If no floor drains in the home, run it to within 6" of the floor if no way to indirect into a laundry tub or other drain piping. Must have permissable Air Gap, not Air Break.

In Indiana code enforcement wasn't too great. Half the time we'd charge for inspections and no one would show up. Probably took the money and spent it at the gambling boats.

We would just run it to the floor as if we tried to install it per say code in KY the customer could dispute the upcharges.


Your local authority in your state has the final say on what goes as far as code.

clean solution

jim

in highrise buildings Code says the pressure release valve of a hot water tank has to go into the P trap of the Washing machine. Clean water in both sources, combining in the same P trap. Less risk of back contamination from the other, dirtier, water in other p traps and drain arms / branches.

Code also allows a wash basin on the same P trap. Three fixtures total.

In my plumbing the arm from this P trap goes as far as possible without connecting to the toilet arm. It even connects to the stack separately.

david