The plumbing for a bathroom or kitchen is often relatively standard with a few potential variations such as differently sized drains or added appliances and fixtures (a hot tub or bidet, for instance). But some areas in your home can require a specialized drainage system, especially if you have a specialized room such as a pool room in your home.
A plumber can install the following specialized types of drainage systems for you.
1. Fish Tank Overflow Drains
If you love tropical fish, you may have one large fish tank or several tanks set up in your home. If any of the tanks overflow, leak, spill, or flood the room, you’ll want to have an overflow drain system in place to protect against flood damage.
A floor drain along with a flood detector alarm can help cover all your bases. You can even install overflow drains in each fish tank that feed into the floor drain or a sink drain.
2. Pool Overflow Drains
If you have an indoor pool room, you’ll want to ensure that any overflows don’t cause water damage in your home. If your indoor pool doesn’t already have overflow drains, talk to your plumber about installing an overflow drainage system to protect against spillage, splashes, and similar issues.
3. Laundry-to-Landscape Drains
If your home has a washer/dryer hookup area, then you already have a way to connect your washing machine to the sewer or septic system. But some homeowners prefer a laundry-to-landscape drainage system. If you have a septic system, diverting laundry water to your landscaping could help avoid septic overwhelm.
Even if you’re on city water and sewer, a laundry-to-landscape system can be helpful in several ways. First of all, you’ll be able to keep your lawn and shrubs green with reused water, reducing or eliminating the expense of watering your landscape. Second, you’ll be better able to keep plants alive if your area is in a drought. Finally, you’ll be able to recycle and process the wastewater from your laundry rather than sending it to a sewage plant for treatment. This is considered a more eco-friendly way to handle your laundry wastewater.
4. Basement Flood Control Drains
If you struggle with basement moisture issues, a drainage system in your basement can be a great option. Often, this means your plumber will dig a trench along the basement wall to install a drainage pipe. Your plumber will also install a sump pump to pump the water out of your basement once it drains through the drainage pipe.
5. Sink to Toilet Drains
Another way to use drains for a greener lifestyle is to install a sink-to-toilet system. This connects the drain line from your sink to the tank of your toilet, allowing you to send the water from washing your hands to the tank so you can re-use it later when you flush. Or you can have a sink installed above your toilet’s tank that drains into the tank directly.
6. Floor Drain for Dehumidifier
The air can get very damp in Seattle, and you may want to use one or more dehumidifiers in your home. In some cases, you’ll need a floor drain in the room where you use the dehumidifier, so it can run around the clock instead of stopping when its internal water reservoir is full. Talk to your plumber about having floor drains installed wherever you need them.
These are just some of the types of specialized drainage systems that your plumber can install for different situations and different needs. Get in touch with a local plumbing contractor like Quality Plumbing to discuss drainage systems for your home.