| Standpipe overflow
I wasn't sure, so I copied this over from the plumbing forum.
First let me say how impressed I am with this site and your willingness to help DIY'ers.
For some background;
We have a 30+yr old house designed and built by an old school DIY'er. Suffice it to say we have discovered some interesting engineering. He obviously had a good supply of 2" drill stem, as it is featured prominently in the build of the house and out-buildings. It is a split-level, walk-in basement on a slab which extends to side-walk width outside, with a septic tank.
The Washer (new Maytag Bravos Top Load HE) is on the walk-in wall where the floor is at ground level. The construction of the wall is paneling-studs-cinder block-brick inside to outside. The standpipe abuts the cinder blocks, shares the drain only with a sink on the same wall (junction is below slab) and is not connected to the septic system.
The top of the standpipe is 2" ID PVC (originally 32" high, that I extended to the manufacturers recommended minimum of 39") which (I learned after tearing out the wall) joins a metal pipe approx 1 3/4" ID (probably drill stem; see above)1 foot before passing through the slab, with no clean-out access to be found and no visible gray water discharge outside.
Problem;
With the old washer (it died) we could wash two loads back to back. On the third load it overflowed. Wait a few hours, repeat. Aggravating but manageable.The new washer overflows the pipe during the first drain of the first load.
The manufacturer calls for a drain carry rate of 17 GPM. At an estim. flow of 4-5 GPM it takes a garden hose 3 min. to fill the standpipe.
So far I have tried chemicals, hot water and compressed air (while blocking adjoining sink drain) with no noticeable improvment.
The metal pipe through the slab and/or the prospect of metal pipe in the ground makes me wonder if snaking is a wasted effort.
Any suggestions regarding how to proceed OR best/easiest/most cost effective options would be greatly appreciated.
8up
 | 
Linear Mode
