Floor drains and oil separators: What’s required in your garage

The issue of whether or not the floor drain in your garage floor needs to be connected to an oil separator before being discharged to the ground has been a topic of discussion several times in the past couple of weeks.

This was being required some ten years ago in all garage floors; however, it has never been part of the Residential Code…

It has, however, always been part of the Building Code that applies to commercial uses.

Straight from the code pages, here are the two basic standards:

RESIDENTIAL CODE of New York:

R309.3 Floors.

Garage floors shall be of approved noncombustible material.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

R309.4 Carports.

Carports shall be open on at least two sides. Carport floors shall be of approved noncombustible material.

Carports not open on at least two sides shall be considered a garage and shall comply with the provisions of this section for garages.

Exception: Asphalt surfaces shall be permitted at ground level in carports.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

FIRE CODE of New York SECTION 2211 REPAIR GARAGES

2211.2.3 Drainage and disposal of liquids and oil-soaked waste.

Garage floor drains, where provided, shall drain to approved oil separators or traps discharging to a sewer in accordance with the Plumbing Code of New York State.

Contents of oil separators, traps and floor drainage systems shall be collected at sufficiently frequent intervals and removed from the premises to prevent oil from being carried into the sewers.

So there it is. This has not changed in years. For a house, residential type of construction and use, oil and water separators are not required.

The floor does need to be sloped to facilitate the drainage of water either to the overhead door or to a floor drain.

But collection and separation is not required. But in repair garages the floor must be sloped to a drain that is connected to an oil separator.

There is another type of building or use that requires the use of oil separators and that is in aircraft hangers.

If you are thinking of building yourself an airplane hangar take a look at:

BUILDING CODE CHAPTER 4 – SECTION 412 AIRCRAFT RELATED OCCUPANCIES:

RESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT HANGAR. An accessory building less than 2,000 square feet (186 m2) and 20 feet (6096 mm) in height, constructed on a one- or two-family residential property where aircraft are stored.

Such use will be considered as a residential accessory use incidental to the dwelling.

It is amazing what you can find in the Code… Contact your Code Office for more information.