Routing relief valve line across concrete floor

[Wade Campbell]

My water heater and my floor drain are both located in my basement laundry/utility room, about 8 feet apart. If the T&P valve ever opens, having the water simply discharge onto the floor and eventually make its way to the floor drain is not an option (since water would also make its way into adjacent room which has a floating wood floor). Therefore, I'd like to extend the relief valve drain line to the floor drain. Unfortunately, the water heater and floor drain are on opposite sides of the doorway to the room, and running a drain line on top of the floor is not an option (due to tripping hazard and aesthetics that would not get my wife's approval). So, the question is how can I route the drain line to the floor drain a) with the least effort/disruption, b) while meeting code? (I live near Minneapolis.) My first thought was to create a 1" deep trench in the concrete floor and simply extend the drain line to just above (i.e., touching the cover of) the floor drain.

That's problem one. Problem two is that the previous owner did not ask to have a pan underneath the WH. Due to recent issues with the sewage line (i.e., broken main that caused flooding from floor drain and lots of damage that we've just finished having fixed), I am paranoid about water problems in this area of my basement, so want to do everything I should to prevent another water damage scenario. So, the question is, is it foolish to put in a pan without a drain? If so, I then need to run a second drain line to the floor drain (since I understand that the T&P drain cannot share a line with the pan drain), and, again, my first thought was to create a 1" deep trench in the concrete floor and simply extend the drain line to the floor drain.

I have a polyethylene snap-together tile floor over the concrete that would hide/protect(?) the drain line(s).

Does the open 1" deep trench in the concrete make any sense? Would it meet code?

 

[Cacher_Chick]

No. There is no good way to cut a 1" deep trench in a concrete floor. Also consider that drain piping below grade must be 2" or larger.

I would cut the floor and install a proper floor drain which would tie into the existing drainage system.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

No. There is no good way to cut a 1" deep trench in a concrete floor. Also consider that drain piping below grade must be 2" or larger.

I would cut the floor and install a proper floor drain which would tie into the existing drainage system.

Yes, makes more sense if flooring is being cut to move the drain over.
Some homeowners install the water heater in a pan and also use a water alarm. Just a little moisture will set it off.
The relief line may never open during it's lifetime. Some will put a bucket under it to catch what little may come out. You can also pump it. The water a relief line could put out is normally very small. And it has to daylight above grade so that it's not a cross connection.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

1. Install a larger pan... with no drain..
2. then inside the pan install a small condensation pump and pipe it overhead to any drain..
3. insert the pop off pipe down into the pan...
4. plug in the pump to a near by outlet... if you dont have a near by outlet
take a wet saw and cut a trench through across the concrete floor to the nearest outlet.. lol
oryou could just get an extension cord and run it over head to a power outlet....
..
you can get a pump for under a hundred dollars that will sit in the pan
and only come on when water fills it up an inch or two...



This picture shows a laundry pan installed on the forth floor of some expensive
condos that the cheap assed builder never installed floor drains in ... so every time a water heater
breaks and leaks in the building........ everyone gets an expensive bath