Draining dehumidifier into sewage pipes in crawlspace?

I'm thinking of putting a dehumidifier in the crawlspace.

The humidifier I like most (dry eaz cmc 100) has a built-in pump. However, it can pump water only 3 feet high, that means I cannot pump the water up one floor into one of the sinks.

There is no foundation drain visible in the crawl space that I can use. There are 3 and 4 inch black drain pipes that leads out to the city sewage. Can I drill a small hole in one of these black pipes and stick in the dehumidifier's drain hose? This would be less than 3 feet above the dehumidifier. But I wonder if it would cause any problem if large amount of water is being flushed down from the living area. Is there anything in (USA) building code on this issue?

Reply to
james
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You need a T and a trap. If the black pipe is plastic it would be fairly easy to add a T and trap.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

If the dehumidifier's pump were strong enough to lift the water an additional twelve feet, and you punched holes in the floor, etc., such that you got the condensate line to a sink, where do you think the water would go then?

Reply to
HeyBub

rather than drilling a hole, i would put in a "Y" fitting, and properly adapt down to your 3/4 or whatever hose. Also have the hose loop UP higher than the "Y" when you install it. shouldn't be any problems, unless the sewer backs up real bad, and if that's the case, a little junk in your dehumidifier is probably gonna be the least of your worries.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Can you not drill a hole through the foundation and dump the water outside on the ground?

Pump it up 2-3 feet and add a gravity line to the outside. I have a condensate pump on a 90+ furnace and AC that works just fine using this method.

You are risking drain leaks and sewage in your crawl space when you tap a drain line.

Reply to
Colbyt

It would disappear by magic?

As to the soil pipe in the cellar. Hate to have one of those leak. Best to tap in from the top, and seal the new puncture with a lot of silicone caulk around the new fitting.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

The dehum can (and should) be put on a shelf above floor level. So it can get some air circulation.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Can you? Yes. Should you? Maybe. It is in compliance with your local code? Maybe. If not, do you care?

Where I live, it violates code. Our county code prohibits all sources of liquid that are not directly related to our water supply from draining into our sewer system. So, by our code, air conditioning condensate, and the condensate from our high efficiency gas furnace must be pumped outdoors. If we had a stand-alone dehumidifier, it would pertain to that condensate as well.

Don't get me started on the logic of the code.

Reply to
Peter

Buzzzz, incorrect answer. He has to have a trap. Anything draining into the sw has to have a trap.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

Reasonable alternative but also extend the line at least 10 ft from the house foundation. It's a given if he is putting a dehumidifier in his crawl he has water issues.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

Buzzz, another bogus answer.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

Bzzzt! It was a question, not an answer. Admittedly, in the Socratic Method, the answer to one question is often hidden in the asking of another. Example:

Question: "Why is their air?"

(Hidden answer) Response: "Have you ever tried breathing Cool-Whip?"

Reply to
HeyBub

a simple dip in the hose would serve for that. So it's not a "buzzzzzzzzzzz".. It's a use common sense.

Reply to
Steve Barker

So, let me get this straight: You have a tail-gate party at your home with a few friends. You watch the game. You and your friends consume copious quantities of beer that originated from pristine Colorado streams and brought directly to your town without ever having reached room temperature.

Do you have to go out to the street and pee in the storm drain? Piss in an empty five-gallon water bottle and FedEx the used beer back to Colorado? Take a large container of urine to your mayor's houe with the notice "It's not mine, it's urine!"

Perplexed minds want to know.

Reply to
HeyBub

Dr. Laura Schlessinger mentioned that concept as being common with Jews. She'd ask "What, you don't like my dinner?" and a Jewish guest would reply "what's not to like?".

Was Socrates a Jew? Would that be an issue? Which came first, the question or the question? Was one better than the other?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Good thing the cans in that year were inflated with carbon monoxide.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I doubt a simple dip in the hose meets the local plumbing code. And doing it the right way, installing a trap is gonna be a major pain in the ass. With a 3' lift capability, in almost all cases, it should be possible to run a small hose outside the crawlspace to let the water drain.

Reply to
trader4

Perhaps I'm not picturing what you mean by crawlspace.

The crawlspaces in houses I've lived in were not sealed - there was plenty of air transfer. Therefore, running a dehumidifier is equivalent to trying to dehumidify the whole neighborhood. It would run continuously and accomplish nothing.

Maybe your set up is different, but I'm inclined to think ventilation is a better answer than dehumidification.

Reply to
TimR

This may be the best answer yet. Another part of the equation might be a vapor barrier over the ground. I have yet to see a crawlspace with a dehumidifier.

Reply to
trader4

Any water under the house increases the likelihood of mold growth not to mention a mess and possible structural problem. Dehumidification as you know can produce quite a bit of water. This water is essentially distilled water and is pure water (better than our well water). We collect ours an a 5 gal pail and use it for watering the garden and house plants rather than run it out on the ground to make a summer time mud puddle.

Reply to
hebintn

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