The Chicago Plumbing Code

§ 18-29-412

Floor Drains.

§ 18-29-412.1 Approval.

Floor drains shall conform to ASME A112.21.1 or CSA B79.

§ 18-29-412.2 Floor drain trap and strainer.

Floor drain traps shall have removable strainers. The strainer shall have a waterway area of not less than the area of the tailpiece. The floor drain shall be constructed so that the drain is capable of being cleaned. Access shall be provided to the drain inlet.

§ 18-29-412.3 Size of floor drains.

Floor drains shall have a minimum 2-inch diameter (50 mm) drain outlet.

§ 18-29-412.4 Required location and construction.

Any building or structure in which plumbing is installed under a concrete floor or concrete over a crawl space shall have at least one trapped floor drain. Additional floor drains shall be required if the installation of fixtures and appurtenances requires the use of floor drains. In a multifamily dwelling, each unit shall have a floor drain if fixtures and appurtenances installed therein require the use of a floor drain.

§ 18-29-412.4.1 Underground floor drains.

Underground floor drains connected to a building drain or a building sub-drain within 4 feet (1220 mm) of a stack shall be individually vented. All other floor drains shall be vented as required by Article § 18-29-9.

§ 18-29-412.4.2 Sanitary waste drain.

Each floor drain shall be connected to a sanitary waste drain. Area drains should not connect to any subsoil drainage system, but may be connected to the storm drainage system where they receive storm drainage exclusively.

§ 18-29-412.4.3 Masonry or concrete floor.

At least one floor drain shall be located in every restroom having a masonry or concrete floor except those for private use.

§ 18-29-412.4.4 Hospitals and nursing homes.

In hospitals and nursing homes, floor drains will not be required in toilet/bath facilities serving four or fewer individual residents where access to the facilities is direct from no more than two resident rooms. Toilet/bath facilities in hospitals and nursing homes serving rooms with greater than four residents or consisting of multiple toilets, lavatories. etc., are required to have floor drains.

§ 18-29-412.4.5 Public laundries and multiple-family dwellings.

In public coin-operated laundries and in the central washing facilities of multifamily dwellings, rooms containing the automatic clothes washers shall be provided with floor drains located to readily drain the entire floor area. Such drains shall have a minimum outlet cross section of not less than 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter.

§ 18-29-412.4.6 Size.

Each floor drain shall be sized for its intended use and the surface area that it drains. Any floor drain or drain trap installed below a basement floor or underground shall be no less than 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter.

§ 18-29-412.4.7 Accessibility.

Floor drains shall connect into traps, shall be accessible and readily cleaned, and shall be located so that they are easily visible.

§ 18-29-412.4.8 Provision for evaporation.

Floor drain seals subject to evaporation shall be of the deep seal type, shall be fed by means of a priming device designed for that purpose, or shall be filled with vegetable oil.

§ 18-29-412.4.9 Floor drains in food establishments.

If floor drains are installed in coolers, freezers, refrigerated holding areas, dressing rooms or processing rooms in any food (meat, milk, vegetable, fruit) establishment, they shall meet the following requirements:

  1. Floor drains shall have a minimum inside diameter of 4 inches (102 mm) and be of metallic construction.
  2. Drainage lines from water closets and urinals shall not be connected with any other sanitary drainage lines having floor drains located in the above places within the building.
  3. Floor drains must be indirectly discharged to the drainage system, or a backwater valve that conforms with the requirements of Article § 18-29-8.