Remote Sump - Furnace Room or Garage

Jasontkd · Jun 30, 2020

I am planning a new tank, and I am wanting to set it up with a remote sump in either my furnace room or garage. I have some concerns with both areas and can't make up my mind. I know this question has been asked before, but I am not finding the information I am looking for.

Here is the breakdown. I am not talking a huge system. 90-100 gallon display with 30-50 gallon total water volume sump/equipment.

Furnace room is about 8' x 10'. Temperature isn't a concern because it is in our finished basement. It has a floor drain and a utility sink which make it appealing. My main concern here is humidity. I don't want to risk damaging the furnace or water heater.

Garage is also "finished" and insulated (for the most part) and has heat and a/c vents. However it gets humid in the garage already in the summer. There are no return vents in the garage that allow the moisture to be pulled out by the A/C. So, my concerns are mainly about adding humidity to an already humid environment. But also a little about temp control. I also have concerns about ever leaving a garage door open when doing yard work or cleaning. I don't want to always be paranoid.

I guess I am looking for opinions on one versus the other. Thanks for the help

shwareefer · Jun 30, 2020

If you ever park a car in there, have gasoline or other easily aerosolized chemicals in the garage, that would rule it out immediately. I think the furnace room is a good option and the humidity caused by a sump would constantly be getting sucked out by the furnace/central air action. You can also cover much of the sump with glass or cut styrofoam to minimize the effect.

Jasontkd · Jun 30, 2020

There are no vehicles parked in the garage currently. My 9 year old might park in there once she is driving. I do have a riding mower that is stored down there, but it isn't running in the garage other than pulling in and backing out.

I do have a few gas cans down there, but they don't let off any fumes.

R.Weller · Jun 30, 2020

We use the furnace room. The system is in our finished basement on an inside wall, so the extra heat from the furnace helps during the winter months. We have around 425 gallons total. Our garage faces west, so it gets very warm during the summer.

Jasontkd · Jun 30, 2020

My other (maybe a little more greedy) issue is that plumbing it to the garage lets me get a little bigger tank with dimensions I like better. The location of the tank would be different for the one going to the furnace room and would have to have a smaller footprint.

Jasontkd · Jun 30, 2020

With the garage sump, I could put in a 48" wide tank. With the furnace room sump, I can only fit a 36" wide tank

R.Weller · Jun 30, 2020

Depending on your layout, perhaps you could use both spaces! Stick a remote refugium in the furnace room (biological filtration) & move all the equipment to the garage (mechanical & chemical filtration). Gravity is amazing & gluing PVC is so much fun.

dwest · Jun 30, 2020

My sump is in a room similar to your furnace room. I run a vent in there continuously and also use a dehumidifier to protect the furnace.

JoshH · Jun 30, 2020

Jasontkd said:
With the garage sump, I could put in a 48" wide tank. With the furnace room sump, I can only fit a 36" wide tank

Is it possible to run the plumbing from the garage location along the ceiling in the basement into the furnace room? There are ways you could hide it if the basement is finished but it would be a bit more work... worth it for the extra tank space I would think...

Jasontkd · Jun 30, 2020

Basement is finished. It isn't a long run it is just a very difficult run because of how my house is laid out. It would require cutting/drilling through a concrete wall (which I could do) and routing around the furnace. I could do it, but I don't know if my wife would let me.

JoshH · Jun 30, 2020

shwareefer said:
I think the furnace room is a good option and the humidity caused by a sump would constantly be getting sucked out by the furnace/central air action.

You do not want your furnace sucking up moist air from the sump, it will increase the humidity of your whole house and an even worse downside. Cause corrosion inside the furnace itself which could cause premature failure and a costly replacement. The better option is to seal the sump area off from the furnace and run a vent with its own fan on a humidistat to control the humidity in the room.

JoshH · Jun 30, 2020

Jasontkd said:
Basement is finished. It isn't a long run it is just a very difficult run because of how my house is laid out. It would require cutting/drilling through a concrete wall (which I could do) and routing around the furnace. I could do it, but I don't know if my wife would let me.

I think it would be worth it overall, I wouldnt want my sump in the garage unless I built a separate room inside the garage for it. Totally doable just a lot more work... although your wife might be persuaded easier towards that even if it cost significantly more....