Is a hot/cold utility sink in CO garage a bad idea?

[Brian]

Is a utility sink in a garage a bad idea? Here's my option:

Looking for both hot/cold lines and a normal sink drain (not a 5gal bucket option), tied in to plumbing through the basement (currently unfinished).
The wall is an interior wall, but the location is also within a few feet of the 2-car garage door (currently not insulated). Garage is not heated.
There's a hose spigot there currently that I'm going to need to move about 6 inches anyway, so I'll likely replace it and have hot water brought in next to it if so as well. See pic, you can see the spigot and just barely see the garage door opening on the right.
Sink would be semi-built in - not sure if I'm going to spend the cash on this expensive NewAge option, but something like this: (https://shopnewage.com/products/pro-series-3-0-gray-garage-sink-cabinet-52014)
Probably best to assume I won't always turn off the lines underneath the sink, assuming that is an option. So something that stays hooked up more or less all year long, even when I "forget" it.
Bottom line though, I don't need a flooded garage.

So before I get a plumber out here and sound too stupid, is this a realistic option for Colorado temps? Do they make freeze-free sink lines like they do for hose spigots? From what I've read, you can maybe put the trap on the interior (basement) side of the wall to prevent the trap from freezing too...

https://i.imgur.com/SR0oJ1o.jpg?1

[Irving]

Seems like you could get creative and insulate the sink lines since under sink storage in a garage probably isn't as important an option. Could also use heat tape around the lines, but then that just moves your freeze point to the actual faucet. Same as with insulating though.

[mb504]

Plumb the faucets in with some Frost Proof Anti-Siphon Outdoor Wall Faucets. You turn them off and there is no water in there.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Merrill-1-2-in-x-8-in-MIP-x-SWT-Frost-Proof-Anti-Siphon-Outdoor-Wall-Faucet-MAD8/308176700

Your next problem is the water that will be left in your P-trap. I guess you could plumb that into the basement and put the p-trap in the heated area of the basement.

[SAnd]

What kind of heat do you have? If you have forced air maybe you could you run a 2 or 3 inch heat duct through the wall to the cabinet under the sink.

[Robb]

I put a utility sink in my garage about 13 years ago, probably one of the best house mods I've ever done and no problems as of yet. And handy as hell, we use it all the time.
I fully insulated and sheetrocked my entire garage, which is probably key. My sink sits against a house wall so there's plenty of heat seeping from the house, it's never frozen and I don't believe anything in my garage has ever frozen and I never unhook the sink - plenty warm enough during the winter. My lines came from the basement, all PEX so it was easy to tie into, drain was easy also. 84001

[battlemidget]

I have a janitor sink in my garage, on the north wall with exposed h/c plumbing like a normal janitor sink, S curve is exposed under the sink. No problems, ever. Get a VERY good drain strainer, as all the bugs in your garage will die in the drain as they drink their last.
I do have an insulated garage door. I suggest you hang a thermometer in that garage as well.

[.455_Hunter]

We had a garage sink in our Arvada house. The unit was mounted on the house wall away from the garage door and had no issues.

[earplug]

I had one near the garage door, within my unheated garage. drained into a bucket. Was handy until the cold water pipe froze. One feature I liked was a hot water hose bib. Washing with hot water was nice.
Much depends on how much heat you have in the garage.

[newracer]

You cold do something like this and have the benefit of a hot hose spigot too.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71IOJ6zL1DL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[Great-Kazoo]

Is a utility sink in a garage a bad idea? Here's my option:

Looking for both hot/cold lines and a normal sink drain (not a 5gal bucket option), tied in to plumbing through the basement (currently unfinished).
The wall is an interior wall, but the location is also within a few feet of the 2-car garage door (currently not insulated). Garage is not heated.
There's a hose spigot there currently that I'm going to need to move about 6 inches anyway, so I'll likely replace it and have hot water brought in next to it if so as well. See pic, you can see the spigot and just barely see the garage door opening on the right.
Sink would be semi-built in - not sure if I'm going to spend the cash on this expensive NewAge option, but something like this: (https://shopnewage.com/products/pro-series-3-0-gray-garage-sink-cabinet-52014)
Probably best to assume I won't always turn off the lines underneath the sink, assuming that is an option. So something that stays hooked up more or less all year long, even when I "forget" it.
Bottom line though, I don't need a flooded garage.

So before I get a plumber out here and sound too stupid, is this a realistic option for Colorado temps? Do they make freeze-free sink lines like they do for hose spigots? From what I've read, you can maybe put the trap on the interior (basement) side of the wall to prevent the trap from freezing too...

https://i.imgur.com/SR0oJ1o.jpg?1

If you want hot water. Install an on demand unit, instead of running 2 lines from point a-b. If you run water from the house. I'd do a shut off valve, so once the garage is not in use, you tun the water off.


Plumb the faucets in with some Frost Proof Anti-Siphon Outdoor Wall Faucets. You turn them off and there is no water in there.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Merrill-1-2-in-x-8-in-MIP-x-SWT-Frost-Proof-Anti-Siphon-Outdoor-Wall-Faucet-MAD8/308176700

Your next problem is the water that will be left in your P-trap. I guess you could plumb that into the basement and put the p-trap in the heated area of the basement.

You need water in the p-trap. No water, allows sewer gasses to seep back in to the dwelling.

[bradbn4]

Another option is to cut the water to the area and drain that part of the line during the cold weather. I have seen people use antifreeze to fill the p-trap to keep the smell down, or seal the drain from the top side so the gas can't escape.

[mb504]

You need water in the p-trap. No water, allows sewer gasses to seep back in to the dwelling.

I was envisioning moving the P-Trap into the basement on the backside of the wall. Probably would be a huge code violation, though.

[Fentonite]

You cold do something like this and have the benefit of a hot hose spigot too.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71IOJ6zL1DL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

Thanks for posting this. I have hot and cold spigots outside that I connect with a washing machine Y-hose (ghetto, I know). One of the spigots needs replacing, so I ordered one of these (similar).

[Brian]

Maybe the first thing I really need to do is get a thermometer out there that keeps track of the coldest days/nights. Lots of options here, really appreciate all the ideas so far.
With the new insulation and drywall up, I'm curious anyway how much warmer it might be on the coldest days anyway. Will have to see if it makes sense to insulate the garage door too or not.

[Irving]

I have a single forced air duct running into my garage and it never drops before about 55 degrees. I gave a much smaller garage though.

[Wulf202]

There's multiple options. The easiest one is to get a thermostat operated gutter heater and some zip ties.