Can anyone let me know what to do? I have a new maytag (toploader) washing machine that has been working fine for 5 months. Last week, I noticed suds backing up from the drain area (where the pipe empties water and suds into the wall). There are only suds spewing out, no water. I called Maytag and the service guy said my machine is fine and suggested me getting a roto rooter guy out to snake the drain. Did that the other day. The rotor rooter guy snaked about 15 feet and no "build up" came up. Also should mention my home is only 15 years old and I DO NOT HAVE A SEPTIC TANK. :( So I figured everything should be working fine now, but again, I'm getting suds spewing out all over. I don't use a lot of soap suds to begin with, as I always was told that there's no need to use a cup for a load. But I'm still getting this backup situation. I'm thinking of calling maytag in again and telling them that I've got the drain snaked so it must be a maytag problem, right? Is it possible that the mechanism in the machine is for some reason agitating too quickly to make the suds so "sudsy"? Any thoughts or comments to help me...

Can anyone let me know what to do? I have a new maytag (toploader) washing machine that has been working fine for 5 months. Last week, I noticed suds backing up from the drain area (where the pipe empties water and suds into the wall). There are only suds spewing out, no water. I called Maytag and the service guy said my machine is fine and suggested me getting a roto rooter guy out to snake the drain. Did that the other day. The rotor rooter guy snaked about 15 feet and no "build up" came up. Also should mention my home is only 15 years old and I DO NOT HAVE A SEPTIC TANK. :( So I figured everything should be working fine now, but again, I'm getting suds spewing out all over. I don't use a lot of soap suds to begin with, as I always was told that there's no need to use a cup for a load. But i'm still getting this backup situation. I'm thinking of calling maytag in again and telling them that I've got the drain snaked so it must be a maytag problem, right? Is it possible that the mechanism in the machine is for some reason agitating too quickly to make the suds so "sudsy"? Any thoughts or comments to help me....
... using no soap whatsoever. This will rule out the plumbing as being 'backed-up'.

And noticed quite a few others here had similar issues. From looking at past responses from some plumber guru's (hoping "road runner" and speedball1, might help! ) my question is about the drains and hoses in the washing machine.

First one of you guys mentioned in another post something about a "2x1 1/2 compression fitting" for the top of a stand pipe? Is the stand pipe the thing that is going into my wall? Is there something that can be simply snapped onto the drain pipe and prevent spillage of suds? I would think the drain pipe would not operate correctly if it were air sealed around it, as doesn't the air help make the flow of the suds and water go out the pipe? Someone also mentioned hoses might be the problem. Now the hoses bring the water into the machine, so am I understanding that maybe a hose with a smaller diameter (hot and cold hoses) would help my machine not to give out too much water and thus less suds?

By the way, I noticed too that in the regular cycle, I get suds all over the place (out the drain pipe and onto the floor), but on the delicate cycle I have no problems.

I'm a total chick alone in this situation, and like I said before I've already had the Maytag man out and my house (according to him no problems) and the roto rooter person (snaked and no problems). Should I now hire a professional plumber? If I should, can you all tell me what exactly to say is the problem so I don't need to give him a 4 paragraph thing (as in this case).


Also, why would the problem all of a sudden come up, as I have had no suds overflow problems since the purchase of this maytag... it's just been all of a sudden. I haven't changed operating habits, soap, or changed out parts, etc. so I just don't get it... Also worth noting is that I have no problems in my entire house as far as plumbing, backups,etc. and the house went thru' heavy inspection before buying it. :rolleyes:

The model of my maytag is SAV3655a. It has a "powerful 2 speed, 1/2 horsepower motor".

and noticed quite a few others here had similar issues. From looking at past responses from some plumber guru's (hoping "road runner" and speedball1, might help!!) my question is about the drains and hoses in the washing machine.

First one of you guys mentioned in another post something about a "2x1 1/2 compression fitting" for the top of a stand pipe?? Is the stand pipe the thing that is going into my wall? Is there something that can be simply snapped onto the drain pipe and prevent spillage of suds? I would think the drain pipe would not operate correctly if it were air sealed around it, as doesn't the air help make the flow of the suds and water go out the pipe? Someone also mentioned hoses might be the problem. Now the hoses bring the water into the machine, so am I understanding that maybe a hose with a smaller diameter (hot and cold hoses) would help my machine not to give out too much water and thus less suds?

By the way, I noticed too that in the regular cycle, i get suds all over the place (out the drain pipe and onto the floor), but on the delicate cycle I have no problems.

I'm a total chick alone in this situation, and like I said before I've already had the Maytag man out and my house (according to him no problems) and the roto rooter person (snaked and no problems). Should I now hire a professional plumber? If I should, can you all tell me what exactly to say is the problem so i don't need to give him a 4 paragraph thing (as in this case).


Also, why would the problem all of a sudden come up, as I have had no suds overflow problems since the purchase of this maytag... it's just been all of a sudden. I haven't changed operating habits, soap, or changed out parts, etc. so I just don't get it... Also worth noting is that I have no problems in my entire house as far as plumbing, backups,etc. and the house went thru' heavy inspection before buying it. :rolleyes:
... Speedball1 is the one to answer your plumbing questions (maybe signed off for today) but if you are making too much suds to begin with, it sounds like something in the washer is the culprit. Did you check the drain with a load of plain water to see if the drain is working properly?

Can anyone let me know what to do? I have a new maytag (toploader) washing machine that has been working fine for 5 months. Last week, I noticed suds backing up from the drain area (where the pipe empties water and suds into the wall). There are only suds spewing out, no water. I called Maytag and the service guy said my machine is fine and suggested me getting a roto rooter guy out to snake the drain. Did that the other day. The rotor rooter guy snaked about 15 feet and no "build up" came up. Also should mention my home is only 15 years old and I DO NOT HAVE A SEPTIC TANK. :( So I figured everything should be working fine now, but again, I'm getting suds spewing out all over. I don't use a lot of soap suds to begin with, as I always was told that there's no need to use a cup for a load. But i'm still getting this backup situation. I'm thinking of calling maytag in again and telling them that I've got the drain snaked so it must be a maytag problem, right? Is it possible that the mechanism in the machine is for some reason agitating too quickly to make the suds so "sudsy"? Any thoughts or comments to help me....


Hey Mom,

I'm not impressed by a plumber that only puts out 15' of snake, charges you for a call and leaves you with the same problem you had before he walked through the door.
Let's look at this problem sensibly. Your machine has performed OK for 5 months. We can assume you haven't "souped" up the pump so it is more powerful and pumps out more discharge then your system can handle. So what's that leave us? The drain line. Any time that I have a back up it is ALWAYS been a partial blockage in the drain. I have a rule that I use on repair calls. "IF IT EVER WORKED ONCE, THERE'S NO REASON IT CAN'T BE FIXED TO WORK AGAIN". In my opinion, the fault lies not in the washer making the suds too "sudsy" but in the drain line that fails to carry the washer discharge away.
Flickit put his finger directly on the problem when he said, "Did you check the drain with a load of plain water to see if the drain is working properly?"
Let us know what you come up with. Regards, Tom

I have tried just using the washer cycle with water only, and no problem the hot or cold water flows fine. When I add soap, that's where I get into trouble. The backup is always suds/soap. No water ever comes up, out of the drain pipe. About a handful of soap, comes up and stays on the top of the drain pipe. The problem is that small amount of soap, dribbles down my wall, and onto my floor and in the week that I've noticed it, I've already got water damage on my wood floors from the dribble. A tray on the floor would be ideal, but in all honesty the suds are sticking to the wall and dribbling down the wall, so I don't even think the bottom tray would help my floors! So should I demand Rotor ROoter to come out again? Is there a standard measurement to snake? i.e. 20 feet, 30 feet, etc. Should they be snaking any other line, other than the washer (I have had no other backups in my house). The line to the washer is alone and then hooks up with another line to my small bathroom and then to the city sewer. No problems with the bathroom at all.

Thanks for your help.
:rolleyes:

OK... I'm fiddling with my drain pipe today, as I'm not sure what to do. The rotor rooter guy snaked the drain, and in all honesty I don't think I have any clog, as if I had a clog, there would surely be water backing up and not just suds. And the maytag repairman said everything was going fine too... who else to call?

Anyway, I was fooling around with the drain pipe and discovered that the hose from the washing machine goes about 30 inches up the back of my machine, then loops around and clips to the top of the maytag in one of the matag's clips. Then the drain hose was in my wall pipe, but only about 4-5 inches down in the drain. So what I did was pulled some more slack of the drain hose, so I didn't have this loop and then shoved the drain hose about 8-10 inches into the wall (drain pipe). I'm running it's first cycle right now, and you know what no suds backup. Could this of been my problem all along??

When checking the internet, I could only find one website which talked about how far to push the drain hose into the drain pipe. All it said was "make sure you don't push the drain hose too far down the waste water pipe. This is an extremely common mistake..." "There should be a plastic hoook that the end of the drain hose clips into. This forces eht end of the drain hose into a shepherds hook. Approximately 6 inches of the drain hose should stick out of this hook..."

Now I ask, above the above quote... how far is TOO FAR? Also, my new maytag has a white drain hose with NO CLIP on the end. It just sort of is smaller at the end of the hose than the main part of the hose. There isn't a clip, so I just shoved as much down as I could into my wall. So now if I get a handful of suds, I gather they are about 10 inches down in my pipe, so now I'm not getting all those suds ontop of the wall pipe? Am I a good student, or am I causing more problems?

Let me know your thoughts. :o

OK... I'm fiddling with my drain pipe today, as I'm not sure what to do. The rotor rooter guy snaked the drain, and in all honesty I don't think I have any clog, as if i had a clog, there would surely be water backing up and not just suds. And the maytag repairman said everything was going fine too... who else to call??

Anyway, I was fooling around with the drain pipe and discovered that the hose from the washing machine goes about 30 inches up the back of my machine, then loops around and clips to the top of the maytag in one of the matag's clips. Then the drain hose was in my wall pipe, but only about 4-5 inches down in the drain. So what I did was pulled some more slack of the drain hose, so I didn't have this loop and then shoved the drain hose about 8-10 inches into the wall (drain pipe). I'm running it's first cycle right now, and you know what no suds backup. Could this of been my problem all along???

When checking the internet, I could only find one website which talked about how far to push the drain hose into the drain pipe. All it said was "make sure you don't push the drain hose too far down the waste water pipe. This is an extremely common mistake..." "There should be a plastic hoook that the end of the drain hose clips into. This forces eht end of the drain hose into a shepherds hook. Approximately 6 inches of the drain hose should stick out of this hook..."

Now I ask, above the above quote... how far is TOO FAR? Also, my new maytag has a white drain hose with NO CLIP on the the end. It just sort of is smaller at the end of the hose than the main part of the hose. There isn't a clip, so I just shoved as much down as I could into my wall. So now if I get a handful of suds, I gather they are about 10 inches down in my pipe, so now I'm not getting all those suds ontop of the wall pipe? Am I a good student, or am I causing more problems?

Let me know your thoughts. :o
... as if the water was hitting a sudden bend (elbow, T or what Speedball1 can tell you it is) and doing just what the agitator is intended to do... make suds from soap.

Thought I was a true fixer upper, but no luck. There were not a lot of suds backed up this time around (with the drain hose tucked in the wall about 10inches), but there were still some suds seeping out of the wall and down to my floor.

I just don't know what to do. I mean I will pay someone big $$$$ to fix the stupid thing, but who do I call? I can call roto rooter (I paid them $150 to snake 12-15 feet of drain) and called my maytag repairman (no charge as the unit is less than one year old)... but who to call next? Should I just call my regular plumber? What is this all about venting the roof top vent? Would roto rooter do this? They didn't mention it to me in the first visit. Again, is what I have truly a "backup" if actual water isn't being backed up? :mad:

In another question to talked to a fellow about "compression fittings". And how you can place one on a washing machine drain pipe. When I was searching the internet for these fittings, all I could find were metal fittings for things like toilets and sinks. I'm assuming you are talking about a different kind of fitting, and was hoping to see a photo of what you are talking about or maybe a link to a website with a photo of what exactly you are referring to. I am thinking of heading down to the Ace hardware tomorrow to inquire about these fittings, but wanted to know exactly what they look like before heading there! Thanks (and I apologize for not knowing the exact terms of what I am talking about) :)

I hope you can find Tom's compression fitting, and it works. It sounds to me like you have a partial plug. The suds add an enormous volume. Gravity can only force so much through through a given cross section. Even a little restriction reduces the flow by a large factor. Gravity has much less effect on the suds. Being mostly air, they almost float. If nothing else works, try adding a few drops of a liquid that doesn't dissolve in water to the stand pipe. Gasoline or paint thinner would do. Even liquid cooking oil may work, a spray lube, I prefer a silicone to WD-40. It will destroy the suds like magic.

I do have wd40. Should I spray that into the drain pipe? Will that resolve the plug (if I have one) in the drain? Should I buy some stuff like Drano? Again, I'm just wanting the thing fixed, so I'm curious if you all think I should call roto rooter again, and insist they snake more than 12-15 feet which I gather is not enough. Or if I should call my regular plumber, as he is wonderful with all my other plumbing issues. Meanwhile, I have a washing machine that is not working and the laundry from all my kids is piling up! :eek:

I do have wd40. Should I spray that into the drain pipe? Will that resolve the plug (if i have one) in the drain? Should I buy some stuff like Drano? Again, I'm just wanting the thing fixed, so I'm curious if you all think i should call roto rooter again, and insist they snake more than 12-15 feet which i gather is not enough. Or if i should call my regular plumber, as he is wonderful with all my other plumbing issues. Meanwhile, I have a washing machine that is not working and the laundry from all my kids is piling up! :eek:

Hey Mom,
Save the Draino and the WD40. They just ain't going to get it. Call your plumber back and have him run his snake down the washer vent until it hits the bend at the base and then put out 25' more to be sure he gets out of the branch and into the main. In the mean time you might do what I did when the suds from my washer started to bubble out the top of my standpipe. Install a compression fitting on the standpipe and connect the washer hose to it. To see what a slip to compression fitting looks like click on http://www.plumbingwarehouse.com/pvccomp.html and go to the bottom of the page. You will have to get the compression end the same size as your washer hose and adapt the slip side to the same size as the stand pipe. In the meantime why not wrap some wet rags around the hose and use t6hem as a "caulk" to contain the suds as you wash. That way the kids clothes can get cleaned. Good luck, Tom

Spraying a little WD-40 or something into the pipe will only break the suds down so they flow out the drain better. I only suggested it as a way to get a few loads done before you can remove the cause. Draino might or might not help. Auguring drains is Rotorouter's business, one of several arrows in the plumber's quiver.

thought I was a true fixer upper, but no luck. There were not a lot of suds backed up this time around (with the drain hose tucked in the wall about 10inches), but there were still some suds seeping out of the wall and down to my floor.

I just don't know what to do. I mean I will pay someone big $$$$ to fix the stupid thing, but who do i call? I can call roto rooter (i paid them $150 to snake 12-15 feet of drain) and called my maytag repairman (no charge as the unit is less than one year old)... but who to call next? Should I just call my regular plumber? What is this all about venting the roof top vent? Would roto rooter do this? They didn't mention it to me in the first visit. Again, is what i have truly a "backup" if actual water isn't being backed up? :mad:


Call Roto Rooter back. They charged you and didn't complete the job. Tell them you were advised by a plumber to snake from the washer vent on the roof. Tell them I said go run out at least 20 to 25 feet of cable after they hit the bend at the base of the stack to be sure they clear the branch. Oh! You have water backing up in the line OK. The clog just isn't bad enough to stop it from draining through. However when the discharge does hit the clog and starts back it pushes the soap suds far ahead of it so it's just the suds that come out. Clear the drain line and your problem will be solved.
In the mean time you might do what I did when the suds from my washer started to bubble out the top of my standpipe. Install a compression fitting on the standpipe and connect the washer hose to it. To see what a slip to compression fitting looks like click on http://www.plumbingwarehouse.com/pvccomp.html and go to the bottom of the page. You will have to get the compression end the same size as your washer hose and adapt the slip side to the same size as the stand pipe. In the meantime why not wrap some wet rags around the hose and use t6hem as a "caulk" to contain the suds as you wash. That way the kids clothes can get cleaned.
Cheers, Tom

Different roto rooter guy, but he seemed to know what to do. I told him that we needed to snake down about 30 feet. He did. I inquired about the roof vent. I guess the roof vent requires a camera, and a different appointment. He said it was highly unlikely there was a block in the roof vent. Anyway, of course the washing machine DID NOT OVERFLOW WITH SUDS when he ran his test, but sure enough, on my first load of laundry, I'm getting suds backing up. I just installed the compression fitting. The one I purchased was from "Fernco Inc." in Davison, MI (bought it at home depot). I doubt this will do anything, as there are small holes ontop of the compression fitting, but running a wash right now and I'll let you all know if I get suds coming out of it.

Also, I have a question about the drain pipe from the machine. Does it matter how many inches the drain pipe goes up in height before coming down into the stand pipe? I'm trying to now have the drain pipe not attached to the white "u" clip on the back of my machine. Instead I have the pipe pressed against the wall going up about 8 inches above the machine and then down into the stand pipe... I'm wondering if this will allow for less suds action of any sort.

Anyway, I guess I need to schedule my visit with roto rooter again for the roof vent. By the way, should I call a regular plumber for that or roto rooter... any experiences with roto rooter? Are they the same as a plumber or do they just snake drains? I just want the siuation fixed. I'd be happy to pay $500 just so I don't have to deal with my floor getting warped from all the suds/water. I'm starting to think roto rooter might not be the best choice and I should get my plumber out here for the roof deal.

Also, I'm assuming that a roof vent inspection would be an added cost (I paid $150 for the first roto rooter visit, and nothing today in money as work was warrantied).

http://www.fernco.com/HG.html

http://www.fernco.com/HG.html


Fill the top holes with epoxy and seal it off and you will have solved your problem.
Where did the plumber from Roto Rooter send his snake down? We snake from the vents,( No cameras) because it's the straightest way to get to the washer branch. I never thought your vent was blocked and if it was I wouldn't need a camera to tell me it was. Running a snake down the vent does that. Hope you had a great day. Tom

Roto Rooter came out again! 3rd time. No problem in the line. Now, I'm starting to think about calling the Maytag repairman again. Has anyone heard of a washing machine that somehow is clogged up and prevents the suds from flowing correctly?? I noticed that after I washed a load (with little soap), that a lot of the clothes still had soap in them. I rewashed the same load without adding soap, and when opening the lid, noticed it looked like I put a cap full of soap in there... maybe for some reason the soap is getting caught up somewhere in my machine and not discharging at the correct times of the cycle, thus at the end having an enormous output of suds, of which my drain (or any drain) simply can't take. I'm going to call maytag, and request a different repairman, to see if he can see something that the first guy missed. Any thoughts? Can the soap hide somewhere in the washing machine and then just get aggitated so much that I get this large of an output of suds, meanwhile all my clothes have suds all over them? :mad:

Good work tracking down the excess soap problem. I am a fanatic about identifying the problem in order to solve. I don't see enough soap hanging up anywhere in the washer to cause the problem. Are you sure the washer is filling properly including the rinse cycles? Have you looked in it when it is running? It may fill properly on some cycles and not others.

Another possibility is that your regular soap isn't your regular soap. I know just enough about formulating detergents, to know they are mostly water and have a little of several things in them. I am not sure if anyone is marketing them, but it is possible you got ahold of a concentrate. Or the manufacturer could have accidentally put in too much sudsing agent. It is possible to make a thin detergent that would clean very well without much in the way of suds. Of course, you couldn't sell it any more than a quiet vacuum cleaner. So they put sudsing agents and thickeners in it. Dry detergents often have salt added just to make more volume cheaply.

Check the level while running a regular load. Maybe try a different soap. Do you have any free samples in the back of your cupboard? Let us know what happens. It takes us a while on some problems, but we keep going until we find the answer.

Is it possible to just lengthen my existing standpipe. It is pretty much flush with the wall (at a diagnol), and I was thinking I could buy a 12 inch or so pipe to fit onto this existing pipe. By the way the roto rooter guy looked in my basement and said that there wasn't a huge amount of pipe going into the main line. I took a look and I'd say from the top of my standpipe to the bottom was about 4 feet or so. He was talking about changing out this existing pipe, but I'm thinking that's going to require construction, etc. and huge $$ and I don't even know if that's the problem. I was doing an internet search on maytags and too much soap being put out in the final cycle and couldn't come up with anything helpful. Also, being a mom, I have to say that I find coins, rocks and other debris in my machine all the time. Could a coin or rock be wedged somewhere and causing all these problems. The maytag guy said the machine was fine, but he really didn't spend a huge amount of time looking at things. He just unscrewed the bottom half and looked at the pump and that kind of thing... maybe there's something just under the small holes of the main basket in the machine that's causing me grief? Calling maytag tomorrow, but still will check this board to see if anyone has any more suggestions. Gosh, at this point I just want to move to a new house and buy a new machine! :p

I really think you were on to something with it not rinsing completely. Check out your soap and the water level as I said. The Maytag man didn't run a cycle?

If your stand pipe is 4 feet high now, and you make it 5 feet, the water will drain 25% faster. I don't think that is enough.

Roto Rooter came out again!! 3rd time. No problem in the line. Now, I'm starting to think about calling the Maytag repairman again. Has anyone heard of a washing machine that somehow is clogged up and prevents the suds from flowing correctly??? I noticed that after I washed a load (with little soap), that a lot of the clothes still had soap in them. I rewashed the same load without adding soap, and when opening the lid, noticed it looked like I put a cap full of soap in there... maybe for some reason the soap is getting caught up somewhere in my machine and not discharging at the correct times of the cycle, thus at the end having an enourmous output of suds, of which my drain (or any drain) simply can't take. I'm going to call maytag, and request a different repairman, to see if he can see something that the first guy missed. Any thoughts? Can the soap hide somewhere in the washing machine and then just get aggitated so much that I get this large of an output of suds, meanwhile all my clothes have suds all over them? :mad:


Hi Mom,
No, you don't have "The Washmachine from Hell" It just seems that way. This is what you bought.
http://www.fernco.com/HG.html
Fill the top holes with epoxy and seal it off and you will have solved your problem.
Since the pipe carries away water just fine and suds are mostly air any how seal off the top of the standpipe wit it and your problem will be solved.
Hope you had a great Forth. Tom

All the plumbers (roto rooter) said to NOT fill those holes up, as air is needed around the drain pipe for the water to flow normally. Everything I've read supports this too. I even read that people put the drain pipe way to far in the standpipe... sort of shoved in, and then there is no air around the pipe which causes problems too. Maytag will be called tomorrow. I wonder if they'll give me a new machine. :)

All the plumbers (roto rooter) said to NOT fill those holes up, as air is needed around the drain pipe for the water to flow normally. Everything I've read supports this too. I even read that people put the drain pipe way to far in the standpipe... sort of shoved in, and then there is no air around the pipe which causes problems too. Maytag will be called tomorrow. I wonder if they'll give me a new machine. :)


I hate to disagree with Roto-Rooter but that's why we installed a vent off the trap. It works like this. The pump kicks in and begans to discharge. This goes up the hose and down to the trap. Directly off the trap is the washer vent, this vents the washer discharge not the stand pipe. When I had suds coming out of my1 1/2"standpipe I installed a compression fitting that did the same thing I'm suggesting that you do. Closing off the air holes is the same as adding length to the hose. I did this years ago with no back up and no problems and it's still doing its job. You can fight this till the cows come home but you were told how to make a permanent repair. Good luck, Tom

All the plumbers (roto rooter) said to NOT fill those holes up, as air is needed around the drain pipe for the water to flow normally. Everything I've read supports this too. I even read that people put the drain pipe way to far in the standpipe... sort of shoved in, and then there is no air around the pipe which causes problems too. Maytag will be called tomorrow. I wonder if they'll give me a new machine. :)
Airtight washer discharge hose to standpipe and have no more sewer odor coming from the pipe and as the drain is well vented (air source Roto, the plumber and the articles quoted as being needed) I have had no problems with suds or water splashing on the wall. Washer works well with a closed discharge system as long as it is being vented after the trap as Tom says!

Interestingly enough, had Maytag out today and the tech admitted that they're having NUMEROUS problems with my Maytag model (SAV5910) and that so far the product hasn't been recalled. The pump is the issue and they haven't figured out how to solve it!

Have you ever solved the poor rinsing problem? Did you tell the technician about it? If the washer fills properly, and then empties completely, the clothes should not have a soap residue even if suds run all over the floor. Nothing you do with the drain will fix the draining problem.

The easiest way to fix the suds running over is to follow Tom's instructions on the compression coupling exactly.

The pump may be pumping too hard and shooting the water out creating more foam, just like the gas pump does sometimes when they set the pressure too high. Do you have a fairly large flexible hose that necks down into a rigid hook that goes into the stand pipe? If so, replacing the hook section with a larger one might help.

Here I am... today marks the 4th visit by my maytag repairman. I haven't had to pay for any of these visits. So today I asked the repairman... hey, maytag has to be paying you for all these services to my home, and I'm guessing it's upwards of $100 per hour, right... so in fact they've already paid for one brand new washing machine. Why on earth would the OK visits when they know that I have a defective washing machine. I mean isn't is cost effective to exchange the machine out, than to be billed by my local guy for 8 visits?? The repairman installed a clip on the top of my drain hose to make a "j" clip or maybe it was a "p" clip. Anyway, a 2 cents clip was installed with his thinking that this kink will allow for no suds to come out. I told him I'd give it a go for a week and tell him the results. I'm thinking it won't work, so I've already talked to customer service to see about getting a new unit, reimbursed for my roto rooter, and if they don't see eye to eye about it, I'm going to start talking to them about charging them for my drywall and laundry room floor that has significant damage. Maytag's customer service has gone way down hill. I was on hold for like 45 minutes with them, and then of course transferred all around. Why is it so difficult to simply exchange a unit out and satisfy the customer? I told them that I will be needing a new dryer and dish washer in the next year, as mine are old, and if they want to turn me off from ever buying maytag again, I'd be happy to accommodate them, and go with Kenmore. Meanwhile they can keep on sending a repairman out to my home every week, and I will show them all the documentation on how they are losing money with me. :confused:

If you had to pay, it might be $100/hr, but the repairman doesn't get that. If this is an unresolved problem as the one guy said, a new machine might be just as bad.

When the clip doesn't work, can you pull or unscrew the hook, and run the water into a bucket and see if the suds over flow?

Does your state have a lemon law that applies to washing machines? You and Maytag might both be better off it they gave you your money back.

I'm getting a full refund. My washer machine has been viewed as being defective, and I will be getting my check in the next week. Interestingly enough they don't make the same model anymore, as initially maytag was going to give me a replacement. Anyway, now my question to many of you here is what would be a good top loader replacement for me? I was thinking of a kenmore or whirlpool. Maybe someone has an old consumer reports magazine which would tell me what the best model (price range $350-$375) would be for a mom to many kids (and much laundry). And what models to absolutely stay away from! ;)

Got my check from maytag and now I am awaiting my new washer... delivery this week! I bought a Kenmore Elite 3.2 King model. Gosh I hope this thing works well! The man at Sears said that Kenmore's don't put out more than 18-20 gallons of water during the rinse cycle ( I was told the maytag's put out upwards of 28+ a minute), so I'm hoping for good results and no foam backup. The new one I have doesn't have a steele drum, but a double coated porcelin one, so I hope it will hold up over time... that was my only complaint about the Kenmore series... but I'm hopeful the washer will last me 10 years.

Did I pick an OK washer? Anyone had problems with Kenmore's? :)

Likely a good choice. We have a Whirlpool, I think over 10 years old. It was the design where the you remove 2 screws and the whole cabinet pull off for service. It does have the old mechanical timer. The only problem we have had was a couple of broken wires in the timer. Does the new one have a digital timer?

The new Kenmore Elite King Washer I purchased is doing a great job. No floods in my laundry room, no weird noises, etc. It's doing what it should washing my family's clothing. I now truly believe that I was right, and my machine was defective. I did buy it (my old one) from one of those outlet stores, but it wasn't considered damaged product. When I bought the new one at Sears this month, the sales rep said that those discount places (even Sears discount appliance stores) seem to always be selling the machines with "problems". Learned my lesson and will stick with Sears or Lowe's, etc. No more outlet stores where they say their products are the same as sears, but the prices are better. I think my machine must have been dropped or something! Anyway, I'm happy, and hope my story can help someone else.

This is a very interesting thread because it seems that I am having the same problem as Momtoafew with virtually the same washing machine. She mentions Maytag SAV3655A and SAV5910. I have model SAV4655A.

We have been doing some construction to reconfigure our laundry room into a bathroom and laundry room. Because our new 18" slop sink is less than the 20 gallons required by the Maytag installaiton manual we switched to a 2" standpipe dedicated to the washing machine.

The plumbing was done by a handyman but was inspected and in fact was corrected in some areas based on recommendations by the inspector. Although it was a bit of an ordeal (and a mistake using a handyman), I inspected the work closely myself, spoke to the inspector in detail, and consulted numerous plumbing books and believe everything has been plumbed corectly. I have attached a picture of the plumbing.

As far as I noticed, this was all working fine before the drywall was installed. Then, we disconnected the washing machine, installed the drywall, and reconnected the washer. Once we did that I noticed that the wall was wet and suds were bubbling over in the plastic box that holds the supply valves and end of the standpipe.

The water is draining fine, just the suds (I think towards the end of the wash) that are causing the problem. I don't think there is a blockage because the water is draining fine and also because the laundry sink drain pipe which is much lower than the top of the standpipe is still open (only sealed with duct tape) and not showing any sign of water or soap suds. If the plumbing were backed up, the water should spill over from this drain before going all the way up the standpipe.

Maytag has a standpipe adapter (part 40008101 - http://services.maytag.com/abs/PartsStore.do), sort of like a large rubber stopper with a hole in it for the drain hose, which was delivered with the machine. I installed that recently and it helped the problem. No longer suds coming down the wall, but still some suds filling up the bottom of the plastic box with the valves and standpipe.

I am hesitant to completely seal the drain hose into the standpipe since the Maytag installation manual says "avoid air-tight seal" to avoid siphoning. I should note that the top of the standpipe is at almost exactly 36" which is the minimum height Maytag recommends to avoid siphoning. I could raise the standpipe but that is a lot of work for something that may not make a difference.

One thing I wonder is if some construction debris (gypsum dust?) could have made the drain pipe more encouraging of sudsing.

I guess the more likely thing given Momtoafew's posts is that the washing machine has a problem with clearing its suds during the rinse cycle and presumably the remaining suds are not dense enough to push through the p-trap.

At this point, I need to decide if I will extend the standpipe, seal the connection, or maybe just push Maytag for reimbursement.

At this point, I feel most of the advice has already been posted, so I am mostly posting this just in case it reveals any other ideas not already mentioned.

Thanks for all ideas so far and for any new ones!

Are you using too much soap? Usually by the time the wash cycle is done there is very little soap left to cause suds. Try using less soap and see what it does.

Hi Eric,

Did you read how Mom of Five solved her problem?
"I'm getting a full refund. My Maytag washer machine has been viewed as being defective, and I will be getting my check in the next week. Interestingly enough they don't make the same model anymore,"
Could you also have a washer that discharges too strong?
Your washer hook up looks to be a little above the flood rim of the washer so I think that any backsiphoning will not be a problem if you seal the hose connection with a compression fitting. Which is what I had to do five years ago when my washer began to bubble out suds from the top of the standpipe.
I have had no problems since then and that would be my advice to you.
I fail to see how installing dry wall affected your drainage unless, as you say, some debris got into the trap and line and you have a partial blockage. Keep us informed as to the outcome. Good luck, Tom

HVAC and Speedball , I think you have hit on my main three choices:

1) Use less soap
2) Put on some kind of an air tight fitting
3) Get Maytag to replace the machine

I do have relatively soft water, so less soap might help, but I'm not sure why it had not been a problem until recently.

Although I will definitely be considering it, I'm not sure how to install a compression fitting without a lot of work since the drain pipe is currently solvent glued to the hole in the plastic box set into the drywall-covered framing. There is no exposed end of the standpipe to compress onto, just an inside surface exposed via the hole in the plastic box. Plus there is unfortunately only about 3" clearance above the standpipe because my handyman installed the old flower-shaped supply valve right above the standpipe, so it would be difficult to solvent weld some sort of extension inside the standpipe unless it had a curve to it.

I'm thinking of just caulking around the rubber standpipe adapter that Maytag provided for now so see if it causes any problems. I'll let you all know if that works.

Since Maytag warns against siphoning, what would be the symptoms of siphoning that I should watch out for? I'm assuming it would cause a premature drainage of the tub during the wash cycle, right?

Thanks again for your help.

Eric,

"Since Maytag warns against siphoning, what would be the symptoms of siphoning that I should watch out for? I'm assuming it would cause a premature drainage of the tub during the wash cycle, right?"

Siphonage of what? There is no water in the hose unless the pump is draining the tub. Immediately after the pump shuts off there's a 36 inch air gap in the stand pipe between the hose and the trap seal. Pretty difficult to siphon water past a air gap. I think your worries are needless.
As for the compression fitting sealing off the stand pipe I have caulked in damp rags around the hose that does the job just as well. Regards, Tom

I was just checking in... here I am with about 3 months of using my new Kenmore Elite Washer and NO PROBLEMS! Maytag gave me a full refund and dragged my old washer away. I went right to the top to get my refund and sent a letter to the CEO (or maybe CFO?) his name was Ralph? Obviously they knew something was wrong with this model of the Maytag SAV series! If people are also having problems, I would recommend them calling Maytag's Corporate offices directly like I did and not to really deal with the store they purchased it from, as they're going to send service people to your home for many tries to figure out the problem! Anyway, glad my post helped some with their maytag problems too! After much research, it is my conclusion that the maytag just puts out way too much water in the rinse cycle. Talking to a sears rep, she told me that my Kenmore only puts out about 16 gallons in the rinse cycle and that's more than enough. Maytag put out about 25+ gallons, and homes just can't take it! I think the Maytag I bought was more for commercial grade type businesses, and that wasn't told to me when I purchased it. All in all I'm OK with maytag because they gave me my money back, but when I bought my new dryer last week, I didn't buy the maytag... I bought a Kenmore! :)

Can anyone let me know what to do? I have a new maytag (toploader) washing machine that has been working fine for 5 months. Last week, I noticed suds backing up from the drain area (where the pipe empties water and suds into the wall). There are only suds spewing out, no water. I called Maytag and the service guy said my machine is fine and suggested me getting a roto rooter guy out to snake the drain. Did that the other day. The rotor rooter guy snaked about 15 feet and no "build up" came up. Also should mention my home is only 15 years old and I DO NOT HAVE A SEPTIC TANK. :( So I figured everything should be working fine now, but again, I'm getting suds spewing out all over. I don't use a lot of soap suds to begin with, as I always was told that there's no need to use a cup for a load. But i'm still getting this backup situation. I'm thinking of calling maytag in again and telling them that I've got the drain snaked so it must be a maytag problem, right? Is it possible that the mechanism in the machine is for some reason agitating too quickly to make the suds so "sudsy"? Any thoughts or comments to help me....
I am having the same problem with my Maytag Washer backing suds up in the final rinse cycle. I had a repair guy come in and he too told me that my drain has buildup and it needed to be cleaned out. So I did that and I still have the same problem. My home is only 5 years old and I put a eel into my drain and had nothing in the pipe. I figure that the pump is bad and creates too much suds in the final rinse cycle which probably holds excess soap, and when there is no more water to pump, the soap left in the pump is being forced out. My maytag washer model number is a SAV5701AWW and has a 10 year extended warranty. I am getting tired of repair people pawning off and giving me the run around, so I will be getting back in touch with maytag and putting forth my complaint.
Please let me know what model number you have on your maytag washer. If your washer is not covered by the repair you can find a pump on line for about $30, but it may take awhile to do the repair yourself.
Sincerely,
James

At the end of a wash cycle the 'dirty' laundry usually nuetralizes the suds. Suds should be at a minimum. It is my humble opinion that you should try less soap before you spend more on service work performed. Try to determine how much soap as to how much dirty.

I am only using about 1/4 cup of liquid laundry soap and it still has suds backing up. I can run the washer without soap several times and it will still produce a lot of suds which makes me believe that the pump is holding the residue of the laundry detergent and will pump out the suds when the water is completed from the rinse cycle. I have even cut back on my water softner to make the water a little bit harder which should help according to Maytag Company!!
James

Since Maytag warns against siphoning, what would be the symptoms of siphoning that I should watch out for? I'm assuming it would cause a premature drainage of the tub during the wash cycle, right?

I don't think so. Since a stand pipe should be at least 2" over the flood rim of the washer I don't see how "syphoning" could occur if a compression fitting,( see image) were attached to the washer stand pipe. Maytag won't put up a image of their standpipe adapter I can't recommend it. However we've had good results using the compression fitting and sealing the hose to the stadpipe. Or you can ask Maytag to replace the washer as a another asker has done to relieve the situation. Good luck, Tom

I am only using about 1/4 cup of liquid laundry soap and it still has suds backing up. I can run the washer without soap several times and it will still produce alot of suds which makes me believe that the pump is holding the residue of the laundry detergent and will pump out the suds when the water is completed from the rinse cycle. I have even cut back on my water softner to make the water a little bit harder which should help according to Maytag Company!!!
James
Hi. Glad I was checking this site, as it seems you and others are having problems with your maytag. I got the runaround for months with maytag insisting on sending the repairmen to my home. I finally sent a letter in saying my $426 washing machine should just be refunded, as they were sending 2+ employees out to my home every week, paying them probably $75 an hour minimum. I explained it was cost effective to just pick my washing machine up and to credit me in full... seriously I had about 8 service appointments... had to be at least $650 in service calls that they paid these guys (I didn't pay as it was under warranty). Anyway, I sent a letter to Dale Reeder who was VP of Operations (Cleveland Office) and cc'd Ralph Hake, the CEO at the Iowa office. Within a week I had a check and they picked up my washing machine. I actually remember speaking with a secretary or assistant at one of the maytag offices when dealing with my refund and she had indicated they no longer made my new machine because there "were a lot of problems". My model was SAV5910AWW... I think all the SAV's had problems with the speed of the final rinse cycle, which was way too powerful for most households, and more of a machine for commercial use (even though it was sold for household use at the store). I went out the day my maytag left my soggy laundry room (my floor is still a disaster, but it's covered with the new machine) and purchased a very basic Kenmore Elite washer for about $300+ dollars, and have had ZERO problems. Hope this helps!:D

I am having the same problem with my Maytag Washer backing suds up in the final rinse cycle. I had a repair guy come in and he too told me that my drain has buildup and it needed to be cleaned out. So I did that and I still have the same problem. My home is only 5 years old and I put a eel into my drain and had nothing in the pipe. I figure that the pump is bad and creates too much suds in the final rinse cycle which probably holds excess soap, and when there is no more water to pump, the soap left in the pump is being forced out. My maytag washer model number is a SAV5701AWW and has a 10 year extended warranty. I am getting tired of repair people pawning off and giving me the run around, so I will be getting back in touch with maytag and putting forth my complaint.
Please let me know what model number you have on your maytag washer. If your washer is not covered by the repair you can find a pump on line for about $30, but it may take awhile to do the repair yourself.
Sincerely,
James

I just posted, and then I just looked at my old postings... which are still on this website. If you type in momtoafew in the search area, you'll see my 30 postings about my whole maytag disaster story. Please let me know if you have any other questions about it. But just get rid of the sav model. They're never going to get it to cooperate in a household, as these machines were built for places like hospitals and hotels not 2 -3 inch drain pipes.

I found this thread after changing the discharge pump in my 10-year-old Admiral (made by Maytag) washer and having this same problem. I agree that the foam the new pump is blowing into my standpipe does not have enough density to displace the water in the trap so, following the path of least resistance, it pulses out of the top of the pipe. It's too old (but still in good working order thanks to the new pump and belt) to get a refund.

I'm hesitant to use a sealed connection because the washer is in the basement and we have a septic tank in the front yard. The main leaves the basement more than halfway up the tub in the washer. I'm afraid the siphoning Maytag warns against is backward flow.

During the wash cycle, the pump still runs because there is only one belt that loops around the motor, pump and agitator. During this cycle, a significant, pulsing sucking sound can be heard coming from the washer's drain hose. I don't want that suction to suck the trap water, any sewage gases or even sewage back into my washer.

As a solution, what do the plumbing experts here think of adding a section of large diameter (4" or 6") pipe to the top of my standpipe to act as a collection tank? The total volume of suds per spin cycle is less than a gallon. I'm thinking the large pipe will contain the suds and allow them to drain as slowly as they want to.

Alternately, I could install a sealed compression fitting above a tee with a check valve to allow air to be sucked in but I think the collection tank idea is simpler.

Any ideas, comments or advice??

Momtoafew, THANKS SO MUCH... I too HAD a large capactiy Maytag only 3 years old, same problem. Plumber came twice, changed laundry soap, everything. After reading your response I went and bought a KENMORE ran two loads and no problems.Also my house was just built and is barely a year old.. I will never buy Maytag again..

These Maytags apparently have very high capacity pumps. Because I have an unfinished laundry area in my basement, I changed to a longer and wider standpipe above the same size trap and the problem was solved. If your washer drain is behind drywall, changing to a larger pipe is not an easy fix.

The pump puts more water/suds into a standard-size drain pipe than it can flow, especially at the end of the spin cycle when light, airy suds are coming out. The suds don't weigh enough to push through the trap water so they overflow. Having a bigger standpipe contains a larger volume of suds, allowing them to break down into liquid and flow through the trap, much like they would if the drain hose dumped into a laundry sink.

If your washer drain pipe is behind drywall and can't be changed but you have a laundry sink next to your washer, relocating the washer's drain hose to empty into the sink is a simpler and cheaper solution than buying a new washer. It's not like these Maytag pumps don't work. The problem is that they work too well.

BTW, if you do relocate your hose, cap the end of the unused drain pipe. Without the laundry waste water flowing through the drain, the water in the trap will evaporate and allow sewer gas into your house. A cap will prevent this.

I have the same problem mdl #sav515deww.Called appliance repair they said it was my plumbing,I said your full of it.I cycled the washer with no soap good flow,checked my vent line as washer was cycling by putting my hand over it (small vacumn was felt)Cycled washer again watching drain line off washer and found when washer was in spin cycle the pump would draw air agitating back and forth.My thought is the water that is trapped in the drain line has soap in it,gets aggitated back and forth creating suds.Im not a plumber but I am a master electrician.I am going to get a one way flow valve and put it on the waste line and I think this mystery will be solved.The pump is drawing air on spin cycle.

I am going to get a one way flow valve and put it on the waste line and I think this mystery will be solved.
The way I would solve it would be to seal the hose and standpipe off with duct tape or a compression fitting ,(see image) and make it a closed system
Good luck, Tom

Is you new drain hose corrugated??
I have an idea that might be key, or not.
My mom just ran into the same problem, suds pushing out of the drain standpipe, and the plumber can't find anything wrong, and there's no reason the machine should have changed.
When a washer gets moved, repaired, or otherwise re-installed, the service-man may put on a new drain hose. Perhaps the old hose was smooth inside, but the new hose is corrugated plastic. Those look clean and modern, compared to the old black rubber hoses. But then when powerful drain-pumping happens, the soapy water rushing over the sharp corrugations would churn up as much suds as the soap can possibly generate, which is of course more than any normal drain-with-a-trap can absorb, because the water always standing in the trap acts as a barrier to air-filled bubbles. The washer was carefully designed to avoid churning up these bubbles, but the new drain hose was not!
Of course, if the pump keeps running after most of the water is discharged, that also will suck air and may make suds. Or not, if there's not much soapy water where the air discharges.
Anyway, I think I'll try getting a smoother drain hose. Of what kind, I'm not sure yet.

Hi justhinkin and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a 7 year old dead thread. Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date in the first post before you post, Thanks,
Many thanks for coming up with a new angle, From now on one of my questions ill be, " what type of discharge hose do you have? Black rubber or corrugated plastic? Thanks again. Tom

Another thing
That could generate the observed sudsing, with or without corrugated hose:
The hose is inserted into the mouth of the drain standpipe, right?
Suppose the water-stream from the end of the hose manages to arc through a length of air before plunging into some soapy water father down the standpipe. That water could be what's standing in the trap a foot or two below the mouth, or it could be higher while the washer is draining a big tub-full. Anyway, soapy water plunging into soapy water, with air all around it, makes suds. I think the suds-generating mixing/agitation would be least when the water-flow is hugging the bottom wall of the standpipe, never arching through air.
The thing to do about it would be to make sure that the hose, where it enters the standpipe, is touching the underside of the standpipe and angled slightly downward too, not upwards or straight down the middle. Angling towards one sidewall or the other might work too.
Insertion angle is a subtle detail of installation, possible to be generally unnoticed but still make a big difference in suds generation. I think our new corrugated hose has a little plastic brace around it which would tend to nicely center it in the standpipe without any effort on the installer's part. Looks great, but the effect could be counterproductive.
Injection swirl could be an unnoticed parameter too.
I.E. the hose entering the standpipe off-center and off-angle would cause a spiral swirling flow down in the drain-pipe. I'm thinking that would be good because then the water is hugging the pipe walls, but it could be bad instead.
The point is to check out a number of ways deliberately and see if there's a difference in the suds volume. Convenient modern plumbing parts might tend to dissuade one from trying or even thinking about such variations.