New Sugarhouse floor drain

[DaveB]

I've just purchased a complete new evaporator (a Leader 2x6) and after years of doing this on a flat pan on a concrete arch, I'm looking forward to having a complete setup. I'll be taking delivery later this year, so in the mean time, I need to build my sugarhouse. I have the basic design and shape down (12'x16'), but I have some questions about some 'features' that I want to include.

One of the features is a floor drain so I have a place for water to go. The only issue is that I am no where near my septic system so I can't drain it there (not that I would want to anyway!!). The site is rather flat so just draining it outside the cement slab might might not be good enough. I do have a 'pit' of sorts about 15' away that I could drain into.

I'm looking for input from others that have sugarhouses out in the bush and how they drain water from their sugarhouses. Any input would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Dave

[Grade "A"]

what is the soil like around your sugarhouse. If the soil is gravel or sand I would put in a small drywell made out of concrete block about 4' or 5' square. If the soil is hardpan or clay it may not drain out that good or it might even fill up with ground water. If it is dry around the sugarhouse most the year you should be ok. I can't see that you would be putting that much water down the drain at one time.

[tessiersfarm]

I have solid clay soil and I drain my hydrant in my barn into a stone bed about 5' down. I simply dug a hole 6' deep, 3' wide and about 10' long. Put in crushed stone about 1' thick, 2" styrofoam insulation and then backfilled it. the hydrant feeds the cattle waterer in the barn and comes on every time the cattle drink any volume of water, and I have never filled the bed. The hydrant doesn't have a large volume of water draining but it does drain every time the water is used. I would think the bed should be able to hold at least a days worth of drain water. It also needs to be down lower than the frost line or insulated in some way.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I cant tell you how I love my floor drain.I use more water than a brewery. I know sugarmakers that only have the water from the preheater in a bucket so water is a luxury. Now to my two cents run the drain pipe out into a pit about 10' from the slab give it more slope than the required 1/4 per ft.A 55 gallon drum full of holes buried with river rock around the outside with the drain into it works great holes in the bottom so it drains completly put cover on it and cover with dirt.As for the drain put it in the middle of the room so when you put the finish pans on the floor and wash the sugar sand out it goes down the drain. If you do the floor or have it done insist that you get a nice slope to the floor. Im about ready to get groves cut in ths cement to aid in the water draining. If you are going to use a garden hose for water plumb the inside just like a house and have the hose couple to the outside. I run a hose from my cabin over to the sap shack about 300' and i let it run in the sink 24/7 so it doesnt freeze.I have 2 15' hoses in the evaporator room and 3 in the kitchen. hoses are like outlets you never have enough. I put one by the bulk tank for cleaning the sap hauler. Do it right and you will love it. Put in a small hot water heater or plan for expansion. You will use more water than you think. there isnt much that we use that is toxic pan cleaner or soap wont hurt much. My drain daylights out the back and runs on the ground and has never frozen if you have good slope to the drain and its coverd it wont freeze dont use a trap it will freeze and need heat to stay open. Dirt sand and sugar sand in a trap is a pain just do a sanitary 90 and go to the pit so you can run the hose down it to keep it clean. Go with a 4" ABS will never clog

[Sugarmaker]

I agree that the drain/s is a must. We have two, one near the sink in the "kitchen" and one under the arch. It worked out real well putting it under the open part of the arch and sloping the entire floor towards it. No standing water. Yea we use a LOT of water too! Hot and cold. Always cleaning washing or rinsing. I have a hose in the evaporator room for "emergencies" one in the kitchen that I take out to clean the gathering tank and a hose upstairs for rinsing the sap storage tanks.
I am a couple weeks away from cementing my wood shed (10 x 24) and will just slope the cement to the doors as it is only 10 feet deep.
Your doing a good job planning a lot of the things ahead!:)
Regards,
Chris