# emergancy overflow pans



## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

Hope someone can give me some direction. Philadelphia recently adopted boca 2006 building code. I'm currently plumbing a six story, six unit building with stacked typical laundry/hot water heater rooms. The overflow pans are not part of our plumbing code. I have no problems with the pan requirement I think it a good idea. I installed a 1" riser picking up all 12 pans, 6 hwh 6 washers. The inspector said that 1" is to small and I need to size the riser as if it were a drain. All I can find in the building code is a miniumum 3/4" requirement but it kind of refers to a single pan. In my neck of the woods, any thing over a three unit building requires cast-iron and copper, so it's not a cheap fix. I don't mind calling him on it if there is nothing in the code to say he is correct. It's probably as new to him as it is to me. Sounds like alot of you guy's deal with the ipc codes hope someone can help.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

I have never seen a code that allowed a stack smaller than 1½", and what you are installing would be considered a stack here.


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't consider it a stack because it not tied into the drainage system, but also as I said there is no refrence to it in our plumbing code, only the overlap of the building code.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

gladerunner said:


> I don't consider it a stack because it not tied into the drainage system, but also as I said there is no refrence to it in our plumbing code, only the overlap of the building code.


Here, everything, including storm drains, tie into the house drain, no drain is allowed to dump on grade.


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

From what I read in the building code my options are to run to a safe waste, floor drain or dump on grade outside between 6-12 above ground. Just a thought if a washer in the basement dosn't require a pan, then why can't I dump it in the basement where the washer aint? As far as I can tell the reg is to prevent damage to cealings


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Your inspector is blowing smoke up your ass. Drain pans are required IPC and UPC but a 1" drain line is plenty big enough. You can not tie the drain into the building service for obvious reasons and typically the best place to terminate them is someplace where it can be seen and the problem taken care of. Remember, it is an emergency drain pan, designed to handle discharge at a fairly slow rate such as a weeping relief or a leaking tank. It would have to be 4' deep to handle catastrophic failure.


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

my thought's exactly. but the question is still is there any part of the code that directly address sizing of the manifold


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Well, I done been through what I have and cant find anything and I doubt BOCA has anything either. It all seems common sense though. Have the moron take a look at the size of the hole the manufacturer puts in the pan. Most every water heater pan I've seen has a hole for 1". give him my number, I'll ***** slap the sucker for you. :whistling2:


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Your inspector is blowing smoke up your ass. Drain pans are required IPC and UPC but a 1" drain line is plenty big enough. You can not tie the drain into the building service for obvious reasons and typically the best place to terminate them is someplace where it can be seen and the problem taken care of. Remember, it is an emergency drain pan, designed to handle discharge at a fairly slow rate such as a weeping relief or a leaking tank. It would have to be 4' deep to handle catastrophic failure.


You wouldn't size it to allow for all six floors to be flowing at the same time? And if so for what reason other than to save a buck or two?


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

I appreciate it. he's talking like there a probability of multible failures at the same time.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

gladerunner said:


> I appreciate it. he's talking like there a probability of multible failures at the same time.


Probably right. If you think about it the main is calculated to handle the load if everything was dumped into it at the same time


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Our code says:

"All indirect waste shall discharge to a vented trap located as close as possible to the fixture and in the same room. "

If they were going to spec safe pans, they also should have spec'ed floor drains with trap primers in each unit. We are also required to run the T&P valve to the floor drain.

If I were to tie 6 together I would install a 2" stack.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

I don't think emergency drain pans are listed as an indirect waste fixture, due to the fact that they are just that. Emergency drain pans. I have never had to pipe them to the waste system. We have done 5 and 6 story apartment complexes in the big city (Boston) and the inspector only wanted the drains piped down to the basement where they could dump into the sump pit. On other jobs they got piped down through the walls and dumped beside the entrance door so that anyone coming or going could see if there was a leak.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Got it!
Ask the engineer. His word is final!


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I believe drip and overflow pans are directly referenced in the International PC as indirect waste drains. 

I'm too lazy to look it up


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

My problem is that we don't follow IPC, Philadelphia has it's own plumbing code. Our plumbing code makes no refrence whatsoever to overflow pans. unfortunately the city has adopted boca 2006 building code which refrences the need, but thats the only refrence I can find


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

OK. Sorry man. I had it in my head Phili adopted IPC with virtually no changes. I shall shut up now


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## plumber1a (Jan 3, 2009)

Here there are considered indirect waste piping, they must be independent of each other (separate) you can't interconnect them.


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