From: vze8f3tq@verizon.net (v)
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: People with plumbing in the basement...
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 22:05:06 GMT

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 06:10:21 +0000 (UTC), someone wrote:


>How deep is your main sewer line buried? It seems to me that if your
>basement is 8' deep then your drain line will be even deeper yet. Do
>people in areas with basements really dig down 10+ feet routinely to install 
>sewer lines?
>
>Dimitri
>
Dim-

Picking up on what someone pointed put, an "8 foot" basement isn't
usually 8 feet clear, and the 7 feet or so that it is, 2 to 3 feet are
often above ground.  In the northern climates where basements are most
common, to be "below frost" the pipes could need to be 4 or 5 (or
more) feet down anyway, so its not a lot more you're talking about.

The house I grew up in, had the plumbing lines under the concrete
floor in the basement.  The house was on a pretty significant mound
compared to the street.  By the time the pipes actually got to the
street, they could have been quite shallow.

The townhouse I used to own, yup, basement apartment, full plumbing
under the slab, this "basement" was half above grade (that's why we
could have an apartment down there).

The house I lived in with my ex, had sink and washer in the basement,
the main sewer pipe ran above the floor.  A toilet tub or shower would
have needed to be either raised (you see "thrones" like this sometimes
when toilets are added) or used a pump.

The house I live in now, the house drain goes out several feet above
the floor, if we wanted any sinks etc. down there we would need to
pump up.

What controls is where the pipe is in the street.  If deep enough, you
can more easily have plumbing in the bsmt.  Remember which is tail and
which is dog here.

-v.


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