In floor heat

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arcticman

Member
Okay guys looking for some advice. Putting up new pole barn with in floor heat and I have been told that there is no need for floor drain since the moist will evaporate. Okay great while the heat is on, but what about washing vehicles in the summer? I think I'll install the drain any way. Agree or disagree let me know what you think.

Jim
 
oldguy

oldguy

Member
I have in floor heat in my garage. Last winter the drain froze. I ended up pumping the melt water from the drain to the outside. I was bringing in snow filled sleds and snowy cars, my heated floor it did not evaporate the melt water fast enough. The problem may have been exaggerated by the sloping floors
 
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xcr440

Well-known member
That's why you pump it out from time to time. Without a sand bottom to that drain (Which in most if not all communities is now illegal) you have to pump it out.

And I agree, put in a drain. If the codes don't allow it, put one in there that the cement workers can cover, and you can later tap open yourself.
 
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booondocker

New member
Put a drain in there, and a trap to collect the sand and debris that can be cleaned out from time to time. Make sure there is enough drop in the drain thereby avoiding issues such as frozen drain lines. As XC says, put it in even if you have to chip out the cement later. But TELL the cement guys so that the floor slopes right to the drain it only takes 1/2 inch over 20 feet. You KNOW that stuff you will be storing will drop all the salt and dirt on the floor particularly with heat in there so the clean up will be inevitable. Put in the drain.
 
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arcticman

Member
Have to call building inspector to check on codes. I am orignally from Decatur IL but I am Jim H.

Thanks for comments,
 
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polarisrider1

New member
In Michigan You really should put a dry well in for your drain. This will keep up with the snow melt. I made my own with <font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font> gallon plastic drum. Drilled a million holes in it. I put some pea gravel in it to keep it in the ground and keep it from colapsing. It also helps water to filter out into the ground. Backfilled with sand. Kinda like a mini septic tank and drain field combined. get a decent drain for garages/barns. Not a wimpy house drain. Heated floors ARE SWEET. I install A few in my day. Run it off a hot water heater. My system is simple, closed loop (no anti freeze in it) preasure tank, tubing, hot water heater, circulation pump, some misc. copper tubing and a mixer valve. This is a must for the shop. Plug in in fall, unplug in spring. Beats a sink hands down. Building inspector???? Yea right, more like property tax raiser. Don't need to pay more taxes for being comfortable in the garage. You can Google the "how to do" for free.
 
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arcticman

Member
polarisrider, yes this is to give me a place to work on sleds and misc. when we were transfered here we found a great place with five arces, but it only had a single car garage attached to the house. After six years my wife said no more 2 cycle smoke in the house.
 
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doug_miller

New member
Agree, no question floor heat is awesome, dial in a temp and leave it for the entire season. I run mine at 58 degrees and its plenty warm to work. A drain is also the way to go.

Be certain to insulate around the concrete perimeter; I would say 2+ inches of styrofoam, three feet down.
 
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wiboo

New member
So what is the deal with no floor drains in garages? Instead they slope the cement to the garage door then all the water and ice stands by the door. Guess that works in areas where there is no snow or ice but not in Wisconsin. This year I got sick of the standing water in my garage. Cut a 3 foot wide by 16 foot long hole in the floor. Installed a barrel and put in a trench drain. Covered it with 1/4 aluminum diamond plate. Trench is 8 inches wide by 15'6" long. Water drains easily now. Really hope it works for the winter.
 
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redrev

New member
check local codes a lot of times it is illegal to put them in without a variance from yout township. a lot of people prob dont care about whats legal but if you resell they are getting strict with that stuff. also if you put in anything besides a floor drain in a garage it becomes a catch basin that you need a grease interceptor for because it now becomes like a repair shop. its been a few years since my apprenticeship but im pretty sure how it is in wi. if you check local codes a lot of times you can run a floor drain to grade.
 
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wiboo

New member
That is what I don't get. They want you to slope your garage floor back to the door so all water, oil etc drains out onto your driveway. Which then washes into your lawn or down the street into a street drain. But heaven forbid you dig a hole in your garage floor. Bottom line they still drain to the lawn. Not that I am looking for a place to drain oil and stuff. I take all my oils and fluids in to the recycling center.
 
A

arcticman

Member
Spoke with building inspector and yes a oil seperator is required. It is a simple system consisting of a sump pit and a 90 with a length of pipe 3 inches off the bottom so the oil will float on the water. Then run to a drywell.
 
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coltleader

New member
I really want to try the in floor heat thing. I think that it would be awesome to walk out onto the warm wood floor during the colt winter but I don't know where to get it done. I have heard of floorstoyourhome.com but I'm not sure if they offer that service. Does anyone know?
 
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baken

New member
I did my whole house and garage and it is sweet. It is very easy to do you just have to do a little layout first. Make sure all your tubing runs are all the same length around 250'. Remember that your hottest water should see the coldest areas (outside perimeters). Usually the tubing is on 6" centers on the outside and then switches over to 12" centers to finish out the space. I don't know where you are located if your close I could get you started.
 
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