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    smz1014's Avatar
    smz1014 Posts: 3, Reputation: 2
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    #1

    Apr 2, 2007, 11:14 PM
    Washing Machine drain Backing up
    Another drain backing up!

    Every time we do laundry the water backsup & out over the drain.
    The vertical pipe is about 4ft off the floor & drains into its own dry well..

    This has been this way for years no changes or additions.

    This new drainage problem has started I would say in the past 6 months
    It would happen every so often but no its every time we try to do laundry.

    The pipe is clear/no blockage.. When the water drains it seems like air is pushing
    It back out the top of the drain instead of letting the water go down into the well.

    Any ideas for fixing this problem?

    Thank You Steph ~
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #2

    Apr 3, 2007, 12:18 AM
    Found some things on the following site that might help:

    Fixitnow.com Samurai Appliance Repair Man: Appliance Repair Wisdom for the Ages: Washing Machine Drain Pipe Backin' Up Blues
    smz1014's Avatar
    smz1014 Posts: 3, Reputation: 2
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    #3

    Apr 3, 2007, 12:24 AM
    Thank you!
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #4

    Apr 3, 2007, 06:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by smz1014
    Another drain backing up !!

    Everytime we do laundry the water backsup & out over the drain.
    The vertical pipe is about 4ft off the floor & drains into its own dry well..

    This has been this way for years no changes or additions.

    This new drainage problem has started I would say in the past 6 months
    It would happen every so often but no its everytime we try to do laundry.

    The pipe is clear/no blockage.. When the water drains it seems like air is pushing it back out the top of the drain instead of letting the water go down into the well.


    Any ideas for fixing this problem??

    Thank You Steph ~
    Hi Steph,

    If your draiun lines clear and as you say," The pipe is clear/no blockage.. When the water drains it seems like air is pushing it back out the top of the drain instead of letting the water go down into the well."
    This sounds like it may be a blocked vent. A back surge that pushes air ahead of it should go up the vent and not the stand pipe. What size is your trap and stand pipe?

    You say," The pipe is clear/no blockage.. " but something's changed to give you this problem that you have. New washer? Are you QUITE SURE the drain's clear?
    Perhaps you should look a little closer at a washer surge pipe, (see image).
    This goes along with what I've been advising all along. Sealing off the washer hose with a compression fitting,(see image) and forcing the pump to push the water out into the main. If both the drain and the vent's clear,( How do you know for sure?)then you have two options open. You may seal off the washer hose making it a closed circuit or you can build a washer surge pipe. Let me say right now that if the drain pipe's blocked the only thing that will solve the problem is to snake and clear the drain line. Let me know what you decide. Good luck, Tom
    smz1014's Avatar
    smz1014 Posts: 3, Reputation: 2
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    #5

    Apr 3, 2007, 07:02 AM
    Thank you TOM!
    We know drain is clear.. Snaked & nothing!
    Also if we send water down slower than the washer does.. PERFECT!!
    Washer is the same old washer..
    Maybe like you said vent is blocked??
    I have to now show your info to hubby :)

    Thanks again...
    STEPH ~
    Diet Pepsi Girl's Avatar
    Diet Pepsi Girl Posts: 24, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Dec 1, 2008, 09:28 AM
    I just bought my house back in June of 2008. The washing machine came with the house, and is from 2001. The washing machine started backing up at the part of the cycle when it drains the water out. The water was black and nasty, and spilled out onto the floor. I found out that the field lines in my septic tank had failed. Thousands of dollars later, we are switched to city sewer, however the washer still backs up (but the water is clean and soapy smelling- yay! ) The washing machine is in the basement. The main line runs down from the kitchen sink, and splits to allow the water to drain from the washer.

    I have ordered the rubber washer from Sears. I realized it had a crack in it when I was examining the rubber hose that drains the water out into the pipe. I don't think that the pipe is clogged. It was snaked by the company when they first were trying to find the septic tank by running this loud grinding thing through the pipes out to the septic tank (they said that the sound would tell them where the tank was). The drains in the kitchens, bathroooms, etc, never back up and everything works fine. It's just the darn washing machine.

    Do you think it could be overflowing just because of a cracked rubber washer? We have snaked the entire pipe and like I said, are completely on a city sewer now. This plumber keeps telling me he thinks there is a clog in the pipe, but if everything else works fine, and the thing has been snaked, I don't see how it's affecting the washing machine.

    Please help!?

    The washing machine is backing up. Someone suggested that I check to see if the vent is clogged. Can I snake it through the kitchen sink without removing or taking apart the pipes underneach? I don't want to get too technical, and I don't want to climb on the roof if I don't have to.

    The sinks and bathrooms don't back up, it's just the darn washing machine in the basement. I've literally spent thousands hooking up to the city sewer and don't really have any more money to hire a plumber. Can I do this myself?
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #7

    Dec 1, 2008, 11:28 AM
    Can I snake it through the kitchen sink without removing or taking apart the pipes underneach?
    In a word, NO! In the first place it doesn't sound like a clogged vent. It sounds more like a clogged drain. The washer roof vent is what you usually snake from. However it's possible to work a snake past the return bend in the washer trap and run about 15 or 20 feet of snake out to the main. Cycle the washer to check the job and flush the line. Good luck and thank you foir rating my answer. Tom
    Diet Pepsi Girl's Avatar
    Diet Pepsi Girl Posts: 24, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Dec 1, 2008, 11:43 AM
    Well, now I'm back to square 1 again. :confused:
    Please see my other thread, a few discussions down. It's labeled "washing machine drain won't drain" or something along those lines. Same user name. Please help me!! I'm at wits end here. If I could go back and never have bought this house well then that's what I would do but I can't and here I am...
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #9

    Dec 1, 2008, 01:13 PM
    I merged your two posts into one, I gave you your best shot. Snake the line from the washer stand pipe. Good luck, Tom
    Diet Pepsi Girl's Avatar
    Diet Pepsi Girl Posts: 24, Reputation: 1
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    #10

    Dec 1, 2008, 02:48 PM
    Sorry to keep bugging you. What if I installed a sink on the pipe that the washer now drains into? Can't you just install a sink on it and then if it overflowed a little it wouldnt' be a big deal because it could drain at it's own rate without spilling on the floor?

    The amount of water now that we have overflowing since we hooked up to the city and gotten rid of the old, overflowing septic tank, is small. Maybe a gallon a wash in total overflows, probably a little less.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #11

    Dec 1, 2008, 03:30 PM
    As a plumber I got to tell you,, It's a lot easier to snake a drain then it is to install a sink.
    I have ordered the rubber washer from Sears. I realized it had a crack in it when I was examining the rubber hose that drains the water out into the pipe.
    What rubber washer? What are you referring to? Let's put this problem to bed. There is a "fix" that involves neither snaking the drain or installing a sink. Purchase a compression fitting,(Desanco) (see image) in the proper size and install it on the stand pipe. The washer hose will fit tightly and present you with a closed system. It can't back up. Since you only have a gallon or so spill the washer will drain just fine. Good luck, Tom
    Diet Pepsi Girl's Avatar
    Diet Pepsi Girl Posts: 24, Reputation: 1
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    #12

    Dec 2, 2008, 04:33 AM
    Thanks!! :)
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #13

    Dec 2, 2008, 06:52 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Diet Pepsi Girl View Post
    Thanks!!! :)
    You're welcome Girl! But tell us what you decided to do. You were given three options. Which one did you choose? T would have went with door number three. Regards, Tom
    tarliebear's Avatar
    tarliebear Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #14

    Dec 6, 2010, 12:57 PM
    We did it !

    It was a 3 person job. One of us was on top of the roof using the a wet/vac on the vent pipe. One of us was in the laundry room with a Harvey® Clog
    Buster (090640) we got from our local Ace Hardware Store. 1.5 - 3" size. One of us was outside acting as the communicator between the person on the roof and the person in the laundry room and.turning the hose on and off between changes to the wet vac alternating between the blower feature
    (force air out ) and the vacuum feature (sucked air in ) of the wet vac.

    After about 4 or 5 changes from blower to sucker, whatever was clogged seems to have become unclogged because the Washing machine went through a full cycle without backing up.
    tarliebear's Avatar
    tarliebear Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #15

    Dec 6, 2010, 01:05 PM
    We did it !

    It was a 3 person job. One of us was on top of the roof using the a wet/vac on the vent pipe. One of us was in the laundry room with a Harvey® Clog
    Buster (090640) we got from our local Ace Hardware Store. 1.5 - 3" size. One of us was outside acting as the communicator between the person on the roof and the person in the laundry room and.turning the hose on and off between changes to the wet vac alternating between the blower feature
    (force air out ) and the vacuum feature (sucked air in ) of the wet vac.

    After about 4 or 5 changes from blower to sucker, whatever was clogged seems to have become unclogged because the Washing machine went through a full cycle without backing up.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #16

    Dec 6, 2010, 01:59 PM

    So glad to hear that and thanks for the update. Have you ever thought about putting your three man team out clearing clogs? Good job!! Tom

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