LESLIE: David in Kentucky, you’ve got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?
DAVID: Yes, I have a question on putting a utility sink in my basement. (dog barks) I don’t have a drain …
LESLIE: Because you want to wash that dog? (Tom and David laugh)
DAVID: You’re right! That’s one thing I could do. I didn’t even think about that.
LESLIE: Of course.
DAVID: But I don’t have a drain there. I just have a sump pump hole.
TOM: OK.
DAVID: (chuckles) Can I put my waste drain – drain it into the sump pump hole and have the sump pump pump that waste water out? (dog barks)
TOM: Well, let’s just say that that is not technically correct but I’ve seen it done. The better solution is something called a lift pump and what that is, it looks like about the size of a sump – maybe a bit smaller – and it’s kind of like a sealed, plastic bucket that is sort of underneath the utility sink. And what happens is it’s float-actuated so as the water drains into this reservoir, a float comes on when the water gets to the top and kicks on a pump and then it pumps the waste water up high enough so that it could be drained into the main drain-waste vent pipe that’s going out of the house.
DAVID: And that’s right there so that wouldn’t be a problem. Are you talking about – I mean how does it get into that pump?
TOM: Well, it actually sits right on the floor under the sink.
DAVID: OK.
TOM: It’s about the size of a small trashcan is kind of the way to describe it.
DAVID: I see.
TOM: And not too hard to install and not terribly complicated or expensive to buy.
DAVID: Well, I appreciate that. I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
TOM: Yep, it does and you’ll find that online, in a plumbing supply house or probably even a big home center.
DAVID: OK. Awesome.
TOM: Just describe what you want to do and they’ll hook you up with the right parts.
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