A slot drain is a linear drain used to evacuate water, runoff or liquids in a facility. The difference between a slot drain and the traditional trench drain is that the slot drain has no grating. In recent years, this drainage concept is more often used in both indoor and outdoor applications, such as

fire station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire apparatus, fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equ ...

s, car washes,

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

, shower rooms and garages, as well as highly-sanitized environments like

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the mak ...

plants and breweries. A slot drain is a modified trench drain. "Slot" describes its appearance on the ground. It is preferable in areas with heavy traffic, or which require intense cleaning, because its absence of a grating simplifies cleaning and

sanitation Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...

Features

Compared to grated trench drains, the slot drain has several advantages, as it does not have any kind of grating that deteriorates, rusts or needs replacement. Slot drains are frequently used by architects, particularly landscape architects, because they can be seamlessly installed with paver stones and other outdoor landscape materials. ;Easy to clean To clean a grated trench drain, the grates on top must be removed. This can be difficult or frustrating if the grates are stuck, or tools are needed to pull them up. If it is a long run trench drain, it is time consuming to remove the trench drain grates and put them back after cleaning. Slot drain can be cleaned by moving along a cleaning paddle to move the

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

into a catch basin. ;Heavy Load Class If the grates are not suitable for heavy loads, the drains could quickly deteriorate, accidents could happen when traveling across the area with a forklift, vehicle, pallet truck, cart or pedestrians. The grates increase the risk of personal injury and result in lost time. The slot drain concept was first introduced to solve such problems. By eliminating the needs for grates, there is no concern about breaking. The concrete sustains most of the weight and the slot opening is usually only 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1 to 4 cm). ;Capacity of evacuating water It is a common misconception that flow rates are determined by open surface area alone. Other factors, such as drain material and surface material, play an important role, too.{{citation needed, date=March 2024

Disadvantages

Retrieving accidentally-dropped objects can be more difficult where a slot drain is placed, as it is not easy to put fingers through the slot and get objects back, especially when the slot opening is small. A stick or paddle may be needed to move the object to a storm drain. Inspecting the drain body is also a concern. Some technicians may use a borescope when a detailed inspection is needed.

References

Drainage

Features

Disadvantages

See also

References