Hot and cold water in the garage - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Mike Finley · 11-27-2005, 06:35 PM

I have a customer who is requesting I provide them as part of another project while I am there a hot and cold faucet in the garage so they can wash their cars, dogs, maybe kids? in comfort.

Their laundry room shares a common wall of the garage so the plumbing could be run from the laundry room into the garage pretty easily by opening up the garage side of the wall.

The homeowner is pretty particular so they expect a nice finished look and not just some jury rigged spigot sticking out of the wall. Any ideas how to make it look really nice?

Tom R · 11-27-2005, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

I have a customer who is requesting I provide them as part of another project while I am there a hot and cold faucet in the garage so they can wash their cars, dogs, maybe kids? in comfort.

Their laundry room shares a common wall of the garage so the plumbing could be run from the laundry room into the garage pretty easily by opening up the garage side of the wall.

The homeowner is pretty particular so they expect a nice finished look and not just some jury rigged spigot sticking out of the wall. Any ideas how to make it look really nice?

Yeah, - - if you're talking about a utility type sink, - - Lowe's has a nice 'finished' looking utility sink, - - it's a bright white, with a built in soap-holder and side tray and all that, - - made to mount into a cabinet. I did one in my basement, white sink, white cab, white countertop, - - looks pretty sharp.

If I remember right, - - the sink comes with a 'cheapo' faucet and ran about $89.

mdshunk · 11-27-2005, 07:18 PM

I ain't no plumber, but the laundry tub type sink like Tom suggests is the first thing that came to mind for me too. The faucets on them normally don't come with hose thread. Now, mop sinks on the other hand (low, 6" tall from the floor type sink) do have very heavy duty faucets with hose threads. A mop sink would be good for washing a dog in too, I would think.

The mop sink in my picture looks like it has been refitted with an eye wash fountain where a trap primer would normally connect. That's not a normal setup. I didn't want that to mix somebody up. It's just the best picture I could come up with quickly to explain myself.

Tom R · 11-27-2005, 07:26 PM

What happened to good ole' Plumguy??

Anyway, - - here's a pic of the one I'm talkin' about

PipeGuy · 11-27-2005, 07:28 PM

Mike - is a drain required?

mdshunk · 11-27-2005, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom R

What happened to good ole' Plumguy??

Anyway, - - here's a pic of the one I'm talkin' about

Where's your GFCI protection for the receptacles within 6' of a laundry sink?

Actually, I really don't care, but they are supposed to be GFCI protected.

Tom R · 11-27-2005, 07:35 PM

I guess you're asking me, - - the drain runs behind and to the left, - - about 6' to the corner of the basement, - - where a floor-model 'sump-basin' with a check-valve pumps it back up to that sewer-line you're seeing. Doesn't sound like Mike will need all that.

Tom R · 11-27-2005, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdshunk

Where's your GFCI protection for the receptacles within 6' of a laundry sink?

Actually, I really don't care, but they are supposed to be GFCI protected.

I knew that was comin', - - actually it's on my 'to-do' list.

I just finally ran my interconnected smokes and C.O., - - and my electrician is coming in mid-January (at the soonest) to upgrade my service panel from 100 to 200, - - right now I've got 'twin-pushmatics' practically up and down both sides of the panel, - - couldn't even hook up the smokes to the box yet, - - absolutely no more room.

I'll be doing a small 'living-room bump' here this winter (in between things), - - so I've got to get some electrical upgrade while I'm at it.

The house is 1905, - - so, - - the 'to-do' list never ends.

PipeGuy · 11-27-2005, 08:52 PM

Mike, I installed a standard hose bib in my carport. It's mounted on the house's exterior wall (brick). After six years of use, here are (3) of my observations:
1.) Keep the faucet away from foot traffic in and out of the house and, if at all possible, provide a floor drain or pan beneath the faucet. My hose bib is adjacent to the 'travel lane' and makes for a mess when washers aren't seated well, the hose isn't properly tightened, undrained hoses are removed, etc. etc. Once the floor is wet water is tracked in and out of the house. The hose also tends to get in the way of foot traffic.
2.) Mount the faucet at a height comfortable for adults. This makes tightening the hose easier on older backs and serves as somewhat of a deterent for little hands.
3.) Even the smallest things sticking out of wall tend to become an obstacle at the most inopportune time. Recess the fixture if possible.

I think if I was doing this for myself in a finished garage I'd wall mount a pressure-balanced tub/shower valve at waist height and install a simple, low profile, hose thread outlet beneath. The shower valve provides the greatest ease of use and temperature control and the factory provided escutcheon makes for a nice clean finish. The outlet is also easily trimmed with an escutcheon.
Recessed washing machine outlet boxes also provide a clean finish for simple gate valve fixtures.

Mike Finley · 11-27-2005, 09:01 PM

I should have been more specific, they want to hook a garden hose up to it. They want warm water to wash their cars, so a hose reel mounted on the wall with some sort of hot & cold mixing valve. They want it in the garage on a finished wall.

mdshunk · 11-27-2005, 09:33 PM

What about just mounting a washing machine box? That's about as finished as a hot and cold water hookup can be without actually installing some sort of sink.

and hook one of these "Y" hoses to it for mixing:

Just helping you brainstorm...

JustaFramer · 11-27-2005, 09:45 PM

The big option in new million dollar home construction now is the hot and cold faucet in the garage.

Typically what is used it a shower dial valve to a hose spigot in the garage. If you want fancier than that go gold plated.

K2 · 11-28-2005, 01:15 AM

We always did freezeless hot and colds with a running trap in case the next owners didn't want to keep the garage heated. - 30f where I work. Y hose for mixing as long as it is drained when it's cold.

kenvest · 11-28-2005, 09:24 AM

i installed a 4' standup shower in a couples garage while doing working for a local custom builder. they were going to use it as a dog wash which makes sense and didn't cost a fortune.

Mike Finley · 11-28-2005, 08:16 PM

Md, what you posted is actually what started all this. Her neighbor had exactly what you posted installed in his garage. Now she wants it one better. The shower valve sounds interesting. I'm sure one of my plumbers will come up with a nice solution, but at least now I have some ideas also. Thanks all.

scottW · 12-02-2005, 06:13 PM

just my 2 cents how about a prier frostfree sillcock or woodford (2 brands off the top of my head.) they can come w/ hot & cold in one faucet only problem would be will need ot extend into laundry rm. w/ shut off valve

Moscow · 12-05-2005, 01:48 PM

They make lots of hose bibs now that have the hot and cold right on them, even some of them are made just for the upper scale garages and they are the frost free with the AVB on them just like your out side hosebibs. Were I live it is almost standed to have a hot and cold hose bib in the garage. I would have them check out the supply house in the area and see what they like. Make sure if you live in a cold area that it is a frost free type.

Good Luck
Justin

**Leo G** · 12-05-2005, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom R

I knew that was comin', - - actually it's on my 'to-do' list.

I just finally ran my interconnected smokes and C.O., - - and my electrician is coming in mid-January (at the soonest) to upgrade my service panel from 100 to 200, - - right now I've got 'twin-pushmatics' practically up and down both sides of the panel, - - couldn't even hook up the smokes to the box yet, - - absolutely no more room.

I'll be doing a small 'living-room bump' here this winter (in between things), - - so I've got to get some electrical upgrade while I'm at it.

The house is 1905, - - so, - - the 'to-do' list never ends.

Wrong answer Tom, for the correct answer to MD you should have said "It's a circuit breaker GFCI circuit." Yea, thats the ticket LOL.

hauoli63 · 12-06-2005, 08:07 AM

We had a laundry tub in our heated garage in our last house .... loved it! Mmmm warm water to wash the car! Our employees had no excuse to not keep their vans clean! Husband hasn't done it in our new house yet