- Joined
- Jan 7, 2016
- Messages
- 3,266
@7milesup Okay minisplit drain will go outside. Yes I want my floor flat also. A bathroom and sink would be nice. I was just going to drain the sink into a 5 gallon pal. Not sure how I would do the bathroom. It is quite a long run to the septic tank. I guess it would be smart to get it plumbed in at least then decide later.
@Dhal22 I don't about freeze protection, that's what I need to find out. The excavator mentioned a french drain? Maybe I should go with an electric boiler and not have to concern myself with the drain. Will probably have 100-150 amp service so didn't want to use electric but probably would be okay.
I would certainly plumb the bathroom in. This is my second shop that I built for myself and the first with running water and bathroom. It is just great to have and did not realize how much I would use it.
If the in floor heat is your primary source of warmth, I would not use an electric boiler. If you have natural gas, use that. The difference from NG to electric will pay for that drain in just a couple of years. Insulation and heating sources done properly are more expensive up front but if you plan on being there a while the ROI will be shorter than you think. Also, the convenience and comfort is worth investment.
The boiler drain could also be run to a condensate pump. The tank fills up until the float is activated then the pump runs until the tank is empty. This allows you to run the condensate to a drain that would not normally be accessible by gravity feed. ---> Condensate Pump <----
A french drain is basically what a super mini mound system would look like. Some sand and rocks placed around a pipe that is slightly buried allows the waste to "percolate" away. Not sure how that would work in our climate though. Usually they are used for rain gutter downspouts and such.