Health Issues From a Garage Floor Drain

A convenient way to stop water, mud and other tracked-in moisture from pooling on a garage floor is to install a drain. These drains are simple pipes that dip straight down into a U shape before draining out of the building and either onto the ground or into a sewer. Regardless of where the drainage goes, though, these drains can present certain health issues if people aren't careful.

Gases

• If a garage floor drain is connected to a sewer pipe or a sewer system, then it can let gases into the garage. Some of these sewer gases may be relatively harmless and they'll carry nothing more than a bad smell, but others such as methane may build up and cause health issues (to say nothing of the risk of fire and/or explosion). Be sure your floor drain maintains a certain level of water in it, because these gases won't be able to travel up through the water and into your garage.

Backup

• If the drain backs up because of flooding then the garage could also flood. (This may be problematic if the drain is connected to a rain water runoff culvert in times of heavy downpours.) If the water isn't clean water (a possibility if the drain is connected to a sewer) then there is the risk of sickness and a residue of disease and filth that will be left behind even after the flooding is dealt with. Even if the water is clean, though, the dampness could lead to mold and mildew, both of which are unhealthy.

Environmental Health

• One of the most common health issues stems from homeowners using the drain irresponsibly. If you pour chemicals such as oil, transmission fluid, old windshield wiper fluid, cooking grease or other household chemicals into your drain, then those chemicals will be ferried into the water supply. Either they will contaminate the soil near your home, or they will contaminate creaks, rivers and streams. If these chemicals are allowed to seep into the soil they can contaminate the groundwater.