I am trying to finish my homemade bar/pub in my basement, and wanted to include a small ‘wet bar’ sink…15" by 15".
Basically, this sink will be used to rinse an occassional glass, or dump an occassional drink, or fetch a glass of water. Light duty to say the least.
The bar is just below the sewer line, so gravity cannot drain the sink into the sewer…so…I need a utility pump to pump water up about four feet into the sewer pipe. Pretty easy.
I can find a number of pumps anywhere from 100 - 200 dollars USA. They all require a vent pipe to be run outside, which is going to be a big pain in the butt (since I never dreamed of it when hacking out the design).
This is a light duty sink, and the pump is going to pump out anything dumped into it. The sink will have screen to catch debris. Why do I need a vent pipe run? What gases could possibly build up?
Am I missing something? I read product literature by a number of manufacturers, but they don’t explain.
OK, sinks normally have traps, part of which is shaped like a J. The bottom of the J holds water that acts as a seal to prevent sewer gasses from escaping from the sink drain. It’s not gasses from what goes down your sink, it’s gasses from what’s already in the sewer.
The vent is used to prevent the water flowing down the drain pipe from sucking the water out of the trap. The vent prevents the column of water from creating enough of a vacuum to drain the trap.
Now in your case the pump arrangement may eliminate the need for the trap and vent. Do you have a URL of the equipment you plan to use?
You local building department will be able to offer advice. They sometimes get a bad rap, but they really just want to prevent problems.
Actually, I saw pumps in Home Depot and Lowes, and had the darn URL when I searched.
Both were supposed to include a catch valve to prevent siphoning…one maker included it and one reccommended it be installed.
But, it does make sense to vent it, because I never thought of the sewer gases making their way back should the trap drain or dry up.
Well, Andy, if anything you made me determined to run a vent to the outside.
ON A RELATED NOTE - I didn’t see this addressed anywhere either: Does the vent have to be straight up and out, or can I run it a 45 degrees for a bit, then up and out?
In other words…have it go up along a wall…then at 45 degree climb angle, then out the side of my house?