Floor Drain Pipe Pitch

A pipe with a very extreme slope of 45 degrees or more is considered vertical.

Floor drain pipe pitch.

This drain pipe slope calculator will calculate the slope and total drop fall of a drainage pipe over a specified length of pipe. According to the international plumbing code drainage pipes should be run with a uniform slope at the following minimum pitches. A slope of less than 1 4 inch per foot will cause constant drain clogs and a slope of more than three inches will allow the water to drain without the solids. The maximum slope for efficient drainage is usually a drop of 1 2 inch per 1 foot of horizontal distance.

A pipe that slopes too much drains water but not solids. Standard horizontal drainage pipe slope. But there are other issues concerning pitch to keep in mind. The term slope is also frequently used and has the same meaning as pitch.

Drainage pipes are usually run at the minimum allowable slope so that ceilings can be kept as high as possible. Larger lines such as 8 pipe actually require less pitch due to the larger circumference of the pipe. With the siphon principle in mind i first make sure that any drain less than 3 inches in diameter has at least a 1 4 inch slope 1 8 inch slope for 3 inch diameter and greater and then i simply measure from the floor assuming that it is level to the bottom of the drain at the trap connection where the trap weir is located. Calculating the slope of your drain pipe is easy.

Lay the pipe with enough slope to drain to a non perforated pipe that carries the collected water to daylight to a drywell to a storm sewer if approved by the local municipality or to a sump pump that will. All of your drain pipe with one exception must slope slightly downhill. Laying a drainage pipe for plumbing is a job for professionals. Note that i said the drain pipe must be sloped rather than the french drain.

Expressing slope in. According to plumbing code drain pipe has to be sloped a minimum of 1 4 inch per foot and a maximum of three inches per foot or vertical. It is generally accepted that 1 4 per foot of pipe run is the minimum for proper pitch on a sewer line. While vent piping generally runs straight to the building s roof in a vertical path drain and waste branch pipes must slope toward main drainpipes which slope toward main drain outlets.

Usually 1 8 per foot is plenty for drainage this is the same as the commonly recommended 1 slope. Install drain pipe to sit outside of not on top of the footings and below the bottom of the concrete slab or crawlspace floor. How to use the calculator. A pipe that doesn t slope enough won t drain.

If you re installing a drain pipe here s an easy way to figure out the slope for a drain pipe. Don t bite off more than you can chew.