Floor drain for bathroom?

In the past my son has twice allowed the bathtub to overflow, flooding the basement. I am renovating the bathroom and am replacing all the cast plumbing with ABS. I bought the supplies and included in my plans a floor drain which I am going to put behind the toilet (slightly to the side), so that next time my son floods the bathroom, most of the water will make it down the drain, the flow of least resistance.

Just wondering what others thought of this idea?

Gary

Reply to
Gary
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Is the "overflow" plugged on the tub? Was your son made to mop up the water using only a sponge and a bucket?

If you can't do something short of drowning him to impress upon him not to let the tub overflow, I think the installation of a SHOWER stall would accomplish the same thing with less expense and work.

Reply to
DaveW

Bad idea. You'll be smelling sewer gas almost on a weekly basis from the water evaporating & being sucked from the trap. Bathtubs have (or are suppose to have) an overflow. Find out why yours is not working and fix it. That's the simplest way anyway.

Tom J

Reply to
Tom J

I bought a floor drain that connect to a 1-1/2" trap.

Reply to
Gary

I haven't seen a bathtub overflow that can accept all the water that comes out of the tap at full flow. Must run in the family because my brother did it too at his condo. Started the tub and then went to bed!

Reply to
Gary

Spank son each time he floods?

Reply to
C. H. Stevens

No, make him clean it up. The consequences that are most effective in promoting learning and behaviour change are "natural" ones. Spanking is not a "natural consequence", and is just as effective at teaching people to lie and hide mistakes as it is at teaching them not to make mistakes.

I'm not anti-spanking--sometimes I think it's appropriate. But I know what it taught me and my siblings. IF there's no proof, "I didn't do it", even if I did. ;-)

Rick

Reply to
Java Man (Espressopithecus)

The floor drain sounds like a neat idea. And not just as an overflow drain -- just think, then you can clean the bathroom with a hose!

The issue about the trap drying out is there, but in practice lots of folks have basement floor drains, seldom-used showers in guest bathrooms, etc. with little trouble. If you decide later that it was all a mistake, you can get an expandable rubber plug to install in there -- it won't drain anymore but it will block the sewer gases.

Now I am curious, though, about the effect of trap design on the drying-out problem. It seems to happen less with sinks. Does the long reach of the drain above the trap inhibit evaporation of the water in the trap? Another question -- could you enhance your trap (make it less prone to dry-out) by increasing the drop as much as your joist space will allow? (see diagram) Or would that make the drain work less well?

good better???

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Reply to
Heathcliff Bambino

An idea inspired by visits to Australian pubs of yesteryear? Some of the rougher ones were tiled up to the windows to facilitate nightly cleanup . . . with a hose.

Rick

Reply to
Java Man (Espressopithecus)

Room floor drains are standard in handicapped showers where it is not possible to have the lip to hold the water in the shower.

Reply to
Marilyn and Bob

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