Pumping water from sink in cellar

[GreenEnvy22]

This summer I added a sink and faucet to my cellar where I age all my wine. Made it a lot easier than lugging over carboys and buckets to the laundry room.

Adding supply line was easy, but there is no drain in the cellar. So I've just got a bucket under the sink and when it gets close to full I go dump it in laundry room. I'd like to get something a bit more permanent setup.

Ideally I would just have it drain via gravity but being a cellar, walls are all concrete. So drilling a 2" hole into the next room (furnace room) would be a pain, plus it's a good 30' to the nearest drain I could tie in to. Not sure there would be sufficient drop over that length for gravity to do it's thing. I could break up the floor in the cellar to tie into the main drain line, but thats way more involved than I want to get. Cellar is just like 25' x 5', and wine making area is just 10x5.

I was thinking of putting a small pump, like an aquarium pump or bilge pump, in the bottom of the bucket, something with a 1/2" or 3/4" output. Those typically do 300-400 gallons per hour, plenty for just occasionally draining the bucket. I'd drill a small 1" hole in cellar wall, and run some PEX over to the bathroom and tie it into that drain. Being pumped, the lack of slope shouldn't be a problem.

Question is, how well do you think these would deal with the sediment/lees that it would encounter? I'd probably build a box around it to keep large debris out, like seeds and stems, but lees would get through.

Anyone have any better suggestions or see anything wrong with my plan?

 

[Johnd]

This summer I added a sink and faucet to my cellar where I age all my wine. Made it a lot easier than lugging over carboys and buckets to the laundry room.

Adding supply line was easy, but there is no drain in the cellar. So I've just got a bucket under the sink and when it gets close to full I go dump it in laundry room. I'd like to get something a bit more permanent setup.

Ideally I would just have it drain via gravity but being a cellar, walls are all concrete. So drilling a 2" hole into the next room (furnace room) would be a pain, plus it's a good 30' to the nearest drain I could tie in to. Not sure there would be sufficient drop over that length for gravity to do it's thing. I could break up the floor in the cellar to tie into the main drain line, but thats way more involved than I want to get. Cellar is just like 25' x 5', and wine making area is just 10x5.

I was thinking of putting a small pump, like an aquarium pump or bilge pump, in the bottom of the bucket, something with a 1/2" or 3/4" output. Those typically do 300-400 gallons per hour, plenty for just occasionally draining the bucket. I'd drill a small 1" hole in cellar wall, and run some PEX over to the bathroom and tie it into that drain. Being pumped, the lack of slope shouldn't be a problem.

Question is, how well do you think these would deal with the sediment/lees that it would encounter? I'd probably build a box around it to keep large debris out, like seeds and stems, but lees would get through.

Anyone have any better suggestions or see anything wrong with my plan?

On our construction sites, we use sump pumps with float valves, thy go on and off automatically and pump silty, nasty, muddy water. They’re a little pricey, but probably easier and more cost effective than your other options. I’ll google around and see if I can find one to show you.

Edit: Something like this would work in your bucket, you’d need to run some sort of discharge line:

https://thelashop.com/products/3-4-hp-550w-submersible-dirty-water-pump-w-float?variant=45219889098

 

[vacuumpumpman]

where is your water table at ?

If you drilled straight down approx 2 feet in the concrete to the drain tiles would that work like a french drain ?

 

[Johnd]

where is your water table at ?

If you drilled straight down approx 2 feet in the concrete to the drain tiles would that work like a french drain ?

I thought of that, but bentonite is one of the best porous soil cloggers, used to seal up leaking ponds. Probably wouldn’t drain for long.

 

[BernardSmith]

How close is your wine room to the laundry room and so to the drain pipes that your washing machine uses? why would that not be a suitable drain for a sump pump? Would that fail to meet city regulations?

 

[stickman]

We were faced with the same issue, my wife wanted a sink in the basement, but we didn't want to cut the floor, so we installed one of these pumps with a basin. I assume similar to what @Johnd referred to.

 

[AkTom]

Looks like a Liberty 404... if I remember correctly. I have one in my basement. So nice not to have to empty a bucket, and clean up after I overflow it.

 

[stickman]

@AkTom that's correct, Liberty 404.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Sump looks like it may be what I want, but need to make sure it can run on a sub 1-inch line.
This is the area of my basement. I'd need to run the line across from the cellar all the way over to either the bathroom or laundry room.
Laundry is a bit further but easier since it's drop ceiling and I can get the pipe totally hidden.

 

[Johnd]

Sump looks like it may be what I want, but need to make sure it can run on a sub 1-inch line.
This is the area of my basement. I'd need to run the line across from the cellar all the way over to either the bathroom or laundry room.
Laundry is a bit further but easier since it's drop ceiling and I can get the pipe totally hidden.
View attachment 44461

If you run overhead, just make sure your sump pump can handle the head pressure. Literature should tell you how high it can pump liquids.

 

[mainshipfred]

You appear to be handy, is there a nearby overhead drain pipe you could tie into? Even if there is a vent pipe which you are not really supposed to tie into your limited use probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[JohnT]

I have pretty much the same problem. I have a sink. it even has HOT water!!! the sink is about 2 feet from the outside door to the winery. I use an old demijohn basket to catch the water and then simply toss out the water when it is getting full.

I also, at times when I am using a lot of water, simply run a 45foot length of schedule 40 PVC pipe from the sink and out the door. Still, this is not an option in winter.

I would LOVE to have a drain. Unfortunately, the winery is a bit isolated from the rest of the basement and there is not any drain plumbing anywhere even remotely close to the sink.

 

[Elizajean]

I have a laundry sink w hot/cold water which drains under the cement floor into the ground. (1950‘s house). So, I take my carboys with lees upstairs, add water from my kitchen sink and flush the sludge down a toilet. Am planning to get a pump because my washer hose empties into the drain system nearby, but I would still flush the lees away.

 

[Doug’s wines]

Home Depot sells a utility sink pump that should work.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AquaPro-1-3-HP-Utility-Sink-Pump-55011-7/206852252?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D26P-Plumbing|&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzIaXj_Xs1wIVRrXACh2vXAs6EAQYBSABEgJzYPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CP_L55n17NcCFUsFgQodsOkHnA

This one is a 1 1/4” outlet, but you can step it down from there. Shouldn’t bind it. Has 1300ft Head so you should have the pressure you need (no measures in the diagram, but should be enough). There are amazon alternatives too. Search “utility sink pump”. Ive used similar in rentals and they work fine. The reservoir pumps also work, but they tend to have standing water and get clogged more often when used in sink / toilet applications from my experience. Also make sure you have a good trap over the drain regadrdless of the pump given you want to step the line down so small.

 

[stickman]

The web page is wrong, not 1300 ft of head, that would rupture your pipes, it is 1300gal/hr at 0 ft, and 550 gal/hr at 10 ft lift.

 

[Arthur Larocco]

True. Have you consulted with a professional? Experts like from plumbing service Morris county NJ would definitely help. They have enough knowledge and experience to guide the homeowners on what option they must choose.

 

[Codfish]

On our construction sites, we use sump pumps with float valves, thy go on and off automatically and pump silty, nasty, muddy water. They’re a little pricey, but probably easier and more cost effective than your other options. I’ll google around and see if I can find one to show you.

Edit: Something like this would work in your bucket, you’d need to run some sort of discharge line:

https://thelashop.com/products/3-4-hp-550w-submersible-dirty-water-pump-w-float?variant=45219889098

Bilge pumps do the same thing and also have float switches. A lot cheaper I imagine.