Basement floor drain and saltwater

[phisigs79]

Can you pump saltwater waste in to floor drain without issues? House was built in 2003 not sure if its metal or not. Anyone see this being a issue? The drain is close to my sump so it would make life easier

[tecsavi]

I did the same thing on my 125gallon for water changes and RO waste water, made my life so easy. It is most likely a PVC pipe but I would pull the grate off the top of the drain to verify. Mine had a metal grill covering it which I replaced with PVC so it wouldnt rust. I also drilled holes in it for my RO waste line and a 3/4" hole for tubing I used for water changes. That way the hoses don't have a chance to slip out and flood your floor.

 

During a water change I would use a mag pump to pump water out of my sump and to the drain. If you are doing this instead of gravity fed then keep an eye to drain can handle the make sure the volume of water. I had a brute mix container beside the drain so I would pump out from sump, switch pump to the brute can and pump water back into the sump. 20 minute waterchange, sweet!

 

 

[Coral Hind]

That is the way I have been doing it for over three years now. I don't see any issues with it.

 

 

[phisigs79]

I have a valve off my main pump that i will use for pumping water in the drain. Grill is metal

[Origami]

I know that my floor drain dumps into my sump. The pump there is active on occasion and dumps the water into my backyard. Since I had easy access to one of the soil stacks nearby, I chose to install a deep sink rather than to dump salt beneath my basement slab. Since I change 30-40 gallons out per week, I figure it's better to put that 15-20 cups of salt mix (per week, or 750-1000 cups per year!) into the sink drain (letting the the county deal with it) rather than into my floor drain and, ultimately, into my yard.

[dakotasreef]

If you have a sump pump then be careful. I had my first sump pump go bad due to rust. Now I flush it with tap water if I drain water into my sump.

[phisigs79]

I do have a sump pump and didnt realize that the floor drain wasnt attached to the regular drain that the house is hooked up to

[thewire]

Everytime I dump saltwater into the basement drain, I always flush it with some tap water...

[tecsavi]

Not all basement drains are hooked to your sump pump, the majority hook into your main sewer line. You can test it by running a garden hose to your floor drain. If it is hooked into your sump then you will hear your sump pump kick in to discharge your water. If not you are hooked into the sewer.

 

 

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[Origami]

Not all basement drains are hooked to your sump pump, the majority hook into your main sewer line. You can test it by running a garden hose to your floor drain. If it is hooked into your sump then you will hear your sump pump kick in to discharge your water. If not you are hooked into the sewer.

 

That may be true and it's easy enough to check. I'd open up the sump, though, and look for the water. (While you're at it, raise the float and check to see if the pump is still operational.) If connected to your sewer drain though, you need to ensure that the trap stays wet (or is capped), otherwise it opens your basement up to sewer gas leakage. That's why a number of these "drains" actually dump into the sump. They're actually dry lines most of the time. "Roughed in" drains for tubs, toilets, and sinks are always connected to the sewer system and are often capped if not used.