How can you stop the drain pipe from freezing in the garage?

Joan
by Joan
We live in the north so the drain pipe becomes frozen and then thaws in the spring leaving pools of water. We thought of widening the drain but wonder if water will get under the floating concrete and cause more problems.
  9 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 18, 2016
    I think you need to speak to someone who is in the gutter business. This needs professional advice.
  • Frank C Frank C on Mar 19, 2016
    Without seeing a picture of the area. Just guessing that if you have a area where you can dig down under the drain pipe. Dig down far enough say 2 feet by 2 feet and fill it with gravel and make kind of a french drain for it. Depending on the amount of rain that you get you may need to dig deeper. And by the way try to keep it far enough away from the concrete.
    • Joan Joan on Mar 19, 2016
      @Frank C Unfortunately there is no place to dig as the floor is cement with only the drain pipe. thanks for the idea.
  • Judy Riley Judy Riley on Mar 19, 2016
    It sounds like the water table is too close to the surface in spring due to frost still being in the soil. try digging a trench around the garage to just lower than the level of the cement pad. It worked for my son's garage
  • John frankelis John frankelis on Mar 19, 2016
    pour antifreeze down the drain pipe to displace the water. not a permanent fix but a short term solution
  • Arenda Villarreal Arenda Villarreal on Mar 19, 2016
    Would need to see pictures of what you are describing as a drain pipe in the floor.
  • Patricia L Bigbie Patricia L Bigbie on Mar 19, 2016
    Try heat tape in the area, all I know, get the water proof heat tape of course, most are. Good luck!
  • Chris J Chris J on Mar 19, 2016
    We have our water meter and shut off valve in the unheated part of our garage along with the supply pipe that runs into the basement from the meter. I bought a couple of heavy duty heat tapes and wrapped the pipes from the shut off valve/meter on the floor to where the pipes go from the garage into our basement. We then wrapped the meter in fiberglas insulation too. Not sure how it impacts the electric bill, but it keeps our pipes from freezing. We live in Michigan.
  • Elizabeth Elizabeth on Mar 19, 2016
    Try foam insulation sheets, if it's inside your garage give it as much protection as you can. I had a friend her washer was in the garage. When it got cold her drain pipe would freeze. She used a sheet of foam insulation, and no more problems.
  • Joan Joan on Mar 20, 2016
    We are putting rock salt in the drain.