# Odd thing for a floor drain



## swimmer_spe (Jun 5, 2016)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums...F-90FD-47A4-AE62-60FE06340CA3_zpsbqik7io8.jpg

I bought a house and in the basement there was this weird thing in the floor that seems to run from the floor drain. Any idea what it is?


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## Snoonyb (Jun 5, 2016)

An eventual stall shower.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 5, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> An eventual stall shower.



There is a bathroom elsewhere in the basement. Wouldn't it need to be vented then?


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## Snoonyb (Jun 6, 2016)

Well, there is the imprint of something having been there previously, which may have involved an AV vent.

Correctly, it should be vented, however, with low flow valves it's really difficult to flood a 2" shower drain trap.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 6, 2016)

Snoonyb said:


> Well, there is the imprint of something having been there previously, which may have involved an AV vent.
> 
> Correctly, it should be vented, however, with low flow valves it's really difficult to flood a 2" shower drain trap.



What is an AV vent?

The local building codes require all drains from sinks, toilets, showers, etc., to be vented. There is no venting for this line.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 6, 2016)

An AV vent is an AIR ADMITTANCE VENT and would be installed in a wall or a cabinet, above a trap.

The floor drain is vented.

If you are really concerned, yet have not determined a proposed use for it, just cap it off.


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## frodo (Jun 6, 2016)

what are you wanting to do?


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 6, 2016)

frodo said:


> what are you wanting to do?



At this time, nothing. I would however like to redo the flooring one day and would prefer that it is relatively smooth. That thing sticks up about 1/4 inch or higher.


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## nealtw (Jun 6, 2016)

It sure looks like it was a shower at one time, Is the floor drain going to the sewer or storm drain.
But it would be easy enough to remove some concrete, cut and cap the pipe and repair the floor.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 6, 2016)

nealtw said:


> It sure looks like it was a shower at one time, Is the floor drain going to the sewer or storm drain.
> But it would be easy enough to remove some concrete, cut and cap the pipe and repair the floor.




I do not know where the floor drain drains into. How would I find out?

Right now, someone put Tuck Tape over it. Once I figure out what it is, I will either cap it properly or use it.


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## nealtw (Jun 6, 2016)

swimmer_spe said:


> I do not know where the floor drain drains into. How would I find out?
> 
> Right now, someone put Tuck Tape over it. Once I figure out what it is, I will either cap it properly or use it.



If it is  attached to the sewer it should have a trap so you should be able to see water in it, if not, have someone flush a toilet and see if you can here that at the drain


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## frodo (Jun 6, 2016)

if it is a floor drain in the basement it is most likely connected to the sewer 

as was suggested by others,  chip the floor, remove the pipe and smoth the floor out with some concrete


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## Snoonyb (Jun 6, 2016)

nealtw said:


> It sure looks like it was a shower at one time, Is the floor drain going to the sewer or storm drain.
> But it would be easy enough to remove some concrete, cut and cap the pipe and repair the floor.



KISS principal


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## nealtw (Jun 6, 2016)

frodo said:


> if it is a floor drain in the basement it is most likely connected to the sewer
> 
> as was suggested by others,  chip the floor, remove the pipe and smoth the floor out with some concrete



Floor drains to the sewer is fairly new up here (20 yrs) and then they have a feed that puts water in to keep water in the trap.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 6, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Floor drains to the sewer is fairly new up here (20 yrs) and then they have a feed that puts water in to keep water in the trap.



House was built in the 1970s. I am guessing it does not go to the sanitary sewer, but likely goes to the storm drain.

I do know there were claims in the 80s and 90s for sewer back up. Part of me wondered if this thing was a backflow preventer.


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## nealtw (Jun 6, 2016)

Ant BFP I have seen are do not look like that.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 6, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Ant BFP I have seen are do not look like that.



What is an Ant BFP?


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## nealtw (Jun 6, 2016)

backflow preventer.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMBznnNV-ss[/ame]


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## frodo (Jun 7, 2016)

IF,    you have a clean out where the sewer exists the building,


couple/3/4  bottles of food coloring in a 5 gallon bucket of water, 

have a buddy pour the water into the floor drain aggressively,    while you look in the clean out.

colored water will tell you the story.


if you cant see the water,  go fishing.

piece of string ,  half a plastic coke bottle,  lowered into the cleanout.

when the water goes by the bottle, it will tug the string.  

if no drains in the house are being used except your buddy dumping water in the trap
the tug was caused by him


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## bud16415 (Jun 7, 2016)

Do you have a sump or sump pump? Most around here if they didn&#8217;t have the drop ran them to a sump pump back then the same one the washing machine was dumped in. The guy that lived there wanted another shower for the oldest kid that was living in the basement so he cut the floor and ran a pipe over to the floor drain to get rid of the water. I have done that myself a few times. When they went to sell the house someone said that&#8217;s not to code so they pulled the shower and left the pipe.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 7, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> Do you have a sump or sump pump? Most around here if they didnt have the drop ran them to a sump pump back then the same one the washing machine was dumped in. The guy that lived there wanted another shower for the oldest kid that was living in the basement so he cut the floor and ran a pipe over to the floor drain to get rid of the water. I have done that myself a few times. When they went to sell the house someone said thats not to code so they pulled the shower and left the pipe.



No sump or sump pump.
There is a drain set up for the washer which is connected to the sewer.

It wouldn't surprise me that it is something that wasn't to code.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 9, 2016)

So, I now know what it is. Talking to a local plumber, I am told it is a drain for a shower. In the picture, you can see the markings of the stall. The Tuck Tape is fine so long as it doesn't get punctured. To be on the safe side, I should eventually break up the concrete and cap the line.


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## frodo (Jun 10, 2016)

I think,  that was an answer given here 2 pages back.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 10, 2016)

frodo said:


> I think,  that was an answer given here 2 pages back.



Yes it was. I just wanted to confirm with everyone and also say what the solution is/will be.


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## bud16415 (Jun 10, 2016)

:rofl:





swimmer_spe said:


> So, I now know what it is. Talking to a local plumber, I am told it is a drain for a shower. In the picture, you can see the markings of the stall. The Tuck Tape is fine so long as it doesn't get punctured. To be on the safe side, I should eventually break up the concrete and cap the line.



:rofl::hide:


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## nealtw (Jun 10, 2016)

swimmer_spe said:


> Yes it was. I just wanted to confirm with everyone and also say what the solution is/will be.



There is nothing wrong with looking until you are sure you have the right answer. I think frodo was just teasing.


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## bud16415 (Jun 10, 2016)

nealtw said:


> There is nothing wrong with looking until you are sure you have the right answer. I think frodo was just teasing.



:agree: me too.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 10, 2016)

I did not take anyone's comments as an insult. I feel a good way to end a thread is to have the orignial poster to say what they will be doing.

Thank you to all who posted.


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