Check out some similar questions!

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 09:14 AM

I have a bit of the same problem, I must say. I have an old house with old metal pipes and I have a newer top-load (not HE) washing machine. My plumber says my machine hose is bigger than my drain, and that's why it sprays water like a champagne bottle when it's draining water. We have a black rubber thing that is supposed to make the hoses fit together, but we've literally had to duct tape the two together, and even then it still leaks some. All this happens out in the garage by the way. So if I want it to drain properly, my plumber says I'll have to bust up the concrete to put the right sized hose in. :-(
Is there no other way?

dmrlook · Aug 24, 2009, 09:40 AM

Do you have room for a wash basin out there? i.e. a large utility sink you typically see in a laundry room. If sized correctly for your washing machine discharge, the sink acts as a buffer, holding the extra water that can not go down the drain fast enough. No need to bust up the concrete for this I imagine. Venting should also be relatively easy depending on how the existing drain is vented (if at all)

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 09:46 AM

No there is no room for a sink unfortunately. This is one of those 1950-1960's single car garage- type houses. Literally, I have the water heater, the electrical box, a washer and a dryer all crammed underneath the stairs to the attic. :(

dmrlook · Aug 24, 2009, 09:56 AM

What's the size of the drain line the washer is dumping into. I am assuming less than 2 inches. Any easy access to a 2 inch drain line. Perhaps in one of the walls in the garage adjacent to the house?

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 10:05 AM

I don't think so. Those pipes are those old 1.5 in (I think?). The wall behind the washer is made of those thick wooden planks, not that it matters. This bad boy feeds down into the floor, not the wall... hence my plumber thinking we're going to have to bust up the concrete. I can't be the only one with this type of problem. Who had the bright idea of making washing machines drain more water faster??

speedball1 · Aug 24, 2009, 10:28 AM

we have a black rubber thing that is supposed to make the hoses fit together, but we've literally had to duct tape the two together, and even then it still leaks some. All this happens out in the garage by the way. So if I want it to drain properly, my plumber says I'll have to bust up the concrete to put the right sized hose in. :-( is there no other way?

Your plumber gave you the only two options. However, All you need to do is find a coupling that's air tight. We have many a 1 1/2" drain work simply by closing off the washer hose and the standpipe and turning it into a closed system. In fact I have a 1 1/2" standpipe of my own in my 50 year plus home that I have closed off for over 10 years with no backups. Before you bust up the floor for big bucks try to make the connection water tight. Here are some of the connections used, (see images). Good luck, Tom

hkstroud · Aug 24, 2009, 11:23 AM

Before cutting up floor I would;

If the trap for this washer stand is below the floor, and it sounds like it is. I would ask the plumber to use some acid drain cleaner then snake the pipes. Plumber will have to purchase and use the drain cleaner and chances are that it will soften all the accumulated crude in the pipes and close the drain. Therefore count on having to snake the line. This may clear the pipes enough to allow the greater flow.

If the trap is above the floor have plumber cut out the trap, snake to the main and replace with 2" PVC trap and pipe, even if existing pipe is 1 1/2". Then use Tom's trap adapter to connect washer.

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 11:31 AM

I'll take a pic of my disaster when I get home tonight. I don't know what a trap is, so I can't begin to tell you where mine is. I like the looks of the 3rd connection shown in the pic. I've never known clamps to actually hold. I've never trusted them. But now screws... screws I trust. :)

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 05:23 PM

Okay. The first pic is the whole area in all of it's glory. Can you count how many fitting adjustments have been made? I can see 3.

The second pic is the one I have an issue with. The white hose from the machine fits into the black adaptor thingy and that plugs into the plastic black hose (that has no ridges or screw edges or anything. It's just a slick black pipe. Nice, huh?)

The 3rd pic is the source of my pain. The old metal pipe that goes into the concrete. Do you see how continuous leakage from the lack of fitting at the adaptor location has deteriorated the concrete and damaged the wood? It has a great moldy smell too.

All jokes aside. Please tell me what to do before this rots everything away.

Ps-----pay no attention to the electrical outlet RIGHT beside the leaky adaptor. :eek:

hkstroud · Aug 24, 2009, 06:54 PM

..

fabuloso_me · Aug 24, 2009, 08:25 PM

The coupling at the very very bottom is nothing more than a hunk that was cut off something long ago still laying there. I think it got cut off a pipe and the coupling above it in the pic is too big to slide it over to dispose of it. I took a close-up of the joint you have in question. I'm not about to start peeling off tape to see what isn't broken. This connection is only about a foot off the floor. And it ain't leaking. I sure don't want it to start. :o

To me, it looks like the house pipe has been attached to another metal pipe that has then been attached to the black plastic pipe. I don't believe that the 2nd metal pipe is very long because the black pipe is able to be pretty flexible.

hkstroud · Aug 24, 2009, 11:00 PM

Here is what I would do.

Purchase
A piece of 2" PVC pipe about as long as the black flexible pipe,
a piece of 1 1/2 PVC pipe about 4" long,
A 2" to 1 1/2 PVC reducing coupling,
A 1 1/2" adapter,
A shielded rubber coupling,
PVC glue and primer

Glue all of the PVC together as shown.

Remove the 1 1/2" galvanized pipe which is inside and taped to the black pipe coming out of the floor.

Attach the glued up PVC pipe to the iron pipe coming out of the floor using the shielded rubber coupling.

Put washer drain hose in the adapter and tighten.

You now have a 2" washer stand pipe.

fabuloso_me · Aug 25, 2009, 06:29 AM

You da bomb Harold! Thank you so much. :D
That looks like an actual solution!

I'm literally going to print out your instructions and take them to the hardware store. You have parts and names and sizes. I think you MIGHT just know what you're doing, dude!:cool:

dmrlook · Aug 25, 2009, 08:25 AM

If I were a betting man, I would bet that this drain is not vented. Do you know if it is? Do you have access to an attic above this area? If so, do you see any black or white pipe coming up in the wall behind washing machine? As far as having a p-trap, there is none visible. There may be one under the concrete slab. If not, then I don't believe this would be considered up to code if you care, in which case, you should add one. This is a questions for the experts here: Would venting this line (if not already vented) help with increasing the flow?

fabuloso_me · Aug 25, 2009, 08:52 AM

I don't know if it's vented, but I'm betting probably not. The wall behind this one is my living room (no plumbing) and like I said before the attic stairs are what's above my washer and dryer.:(

How could I find out if it's vented besides busting through the concrete, yanking out the wall or climbing on the roof? Would the vent be in the attic or on the roof?

What exactly does a vent do anyway? And what does it look like?

hkstroud · Aug 25, 2009, 08:56 AM

Tom,
That's your adapter I'm showing. Is that just a 1 1/2 trap adapter or is it a special adapter for the washing machine hose?

Well, its been working up until now, just leaking, right?

If you want to cover the venting aspect do this;

Change the reducer to a 2 X 1 1/2 X 1 1/2" sanitary tee;
Put a AAV in the top and the trap adapter in the side port

fabuloso_me · Aug 25, 2009, 09:25 AM

What's an AAV? Kind of an indoor vent? Water can't spew out of it, can it?

hkstroud · Aug 25, 2009, 09:34 AM

Air Admittance Valve

Lets air in, doesn't let water out.

Originally Posted by fabuloso_me

i think you MIGHT just know what you're doing, dude!:cool:

Not me. I make this stuff up as I go along

fabuloso_me · Aug 25, 2009, 10:47 AM

How will the straight edge of the washing machine hose fit into the adapter? Like I said, the hose is smooth. It won't be able to screw. Will I need to get a different type of machine hose too?

hkstroud · Aug 25, 2009, 11:10 AM

The adapter has a compression ring in it. It clamps down around the hose.