[lazybug]

I am installing a soft serve ice cream machine, that requires a drain. I also have to put in 3 separate sinks. I have an old kitchen sink in the basement below where I want to put the new items. Can I connect all the drainlines and make them empty into one drain? Also the sink is about 15 feet from the place the new drains will be, is there any particular angle that I have to run the new drains down to the existing drain?

[Milo Dolezal]

Is that commercial property or your own house ?

[lazybug]

It is both

[Milo Dolezal]

Both of your plumbing fixtures will have so-called "open drain" or "indirect drain".

Your Ice Cream machine drain will be draining into your floor sink. Your 3-bowl sinks will combine their drains under the sink in one drain and will, also, drain into your floor sink as well. Your floor sink is the fixtures that is connected into sewer and vented above the roof. In other words, your installation is "surface" installation. If you have a floor sink already installed, you shouldn't have any problems installing them.

But I have seen some old commercial places with 3 compartment sink connected directly into wall. You should call your inspector and ask him/her about this detail. In my location it is not allowed.

If you don't have floor sink, than you will have to concentrate on installing one. (Floor sink is 12"x12" cast iron, enameled, "drain" with cast iron grate over it )

In commercial applications you cannot use plastic. Instead, you use tubular brass or DWV copper. Your drain should slope 1/4" per foot. In your case, his detail should not present any problem...

If this is in your private residence than you could - perhaps - cut corners. But in commercial applications, drains and drain vents are very important for proper functionality of your plumbing fixtures.

[massplumber2008]

Hi Lazybug:

This is a complicated job that will require you to consult with your local plumbing inspector before proceeding with too much work as 1.5" and 2" COPPER TUBING and fittings today are just too expensive to be guessing at how to install/run the work.

In this case I think you will need to run an INDIRECT drain connection from your ice cream machine to a PROPERLY VENTED floor sink or floor drain (2" or 3" minimum drain size). Here, the drain from ice cream machine will be run to within a couple inches ABOVE the floor sink. This INDIRECT connection is required because connecting directly to a drain could lead to contamination of food (ice cream) via a backed up drain... and that would be a very yucky thing!

The 3 sinks themselves may be able to run to the floor sink as well... or may NOT! If allowed to run drain from sinks into the properly vented floor sink then you may also be required to VENT the three sinks or at least the drain line going to the floor sink.

Here, especially, is where you will need to consult with your local plumbing inspector... as MILO has already suggested!

Anyway, just wanted to bring up the idea of VENTING all this plumbing work... it is an expensive but necessary part of the design of a well functioning, self-scouring drainage system!

Let us know if you have more questions...

MARK