Hello all,

I need help with a used washing machine I'm trying to hook up. (I need a lot of help, LOL)

The biggest problem that I'm not sure what to do about is that when it starts to drain (spin), the water splashed out a LOT of water all around the drain hose.

What I have is two faucets coming from the wall, with a wide hose between them that comes up from the floor. I put the drain hose of the washing machine down into that wide hose. There's no way to connect it or anything, it just lies down in there loosely. I hope I did that right?

I've gotten most of the problems sorted out, but when I turned on the spin cycle, water poured up out of that hose an went everywhere.

This is probably a really dumb question, but I'm really not sure what to do. Any advice would be appreciated!

KsMom

Hi Ksmom:

Sounds like you did everything perfect (yup, hose typically just sits inside larger standpipe)... YAY! Sounds like the drain line is clogged... BOO!

What kind of pipe is standpipe and ptrap.. Any cleanouts below the ptrap?
What floor is this on? Any sinks/laundry tubs or other fixtures in basement?
Get back to me with answers... see how to proceed... MARK

Thanks so much Mark,

The pipe for the drain is an iron-type metal, just plain round pipe. An old style, I think. It's about 2" diameter or a little more on the inside. It's just a straight pipe coming out of the concrete floor.

I admit I didn't even know what a p-trap is, so I searched Google images. There's nothing like that there, at least not in the visible part. Just the pipe going straight down into the concrete. Most of the house is off the ground, the utility room (where the washer is) is a room off the back of an old carport that has been closed in.

There's no sink or anything like that in there. Just a place to put the dryer, and there is a hot water heater installed there. (Gas if it matters.)

There is this one other pipe... a rubber-type, of a smaller diameter, that comes out of the wall and just ends with an open part facing up. It runs behind the hot water heater and ends up over the washing machine. I checked it out, and the other end goes to the backyard and is buried in the ground.

I think it's way too high up (a couple of feet above the washer) and also maybe too small diameter to handle the drain? And I don't know what it drains into. It's not connected to anything inside, and it seems too flimsy to be part of the drainage hooked into the sewer system.

When the water comes out of the pipe, it looks rusty. In the washing machine, it is clean. (I haven't tried to use it yet, just testing so far.) And I can hear it bubbling in there. I think it IS draining, and continues to drain for about ten seconds after I turn off the machine. Just not fast enough to let the water out that way.

Sorry if this is so long, and I'm not giving good answers to your questions, but I appreciate you taking the time to help. :)

KsMom

Hi KsMom:


How long have you lived here..

Straight pipe out of ground is bad thing. You need a trap and a vent on a washing machine drain line (if straight pipe, use flashlight, look down the inside of drain pipe... is there standing water in pipe (just below floor level)?
If not, this line may have failed previously (and trap/vent removed), hence the other rubber drain line to backyard... just guessing now.

Rubber-type, smaller diameter pipe also a bad thing. Height off ground a bad thing, also.

You know, seems to be enough issues I would call a plumber in at this point... that pipe may not be washer pipe (if it is and no trap/vent then you need to get back to us), that rubber drain may go to yard (that is a bad thing), the heights you mention tax the washer pump... Get back to me with your thoughts! Mark

Thanks Mark,

We've been here about a year and a half. This was just my first chance to get a washing machine. And I was SO looking forward to not visiting the laundromat again, LOL.

Oh well... There are a number of other plumbing issues backing up around here as well (no pun intended). I'm going to have to go through my landlady first, and I guess we'll see what happens.

But one of the spigots to the washer leaks when you turn it on (the cold, unfortunately) so that has to be replaced before I can use it too. And the kitchen sink may need a new fixture. I've done all I can for it, and it keeps beginning to leak again. I had an $80 water bill last month (usually about $16) so it's past time to fix that. And the bathroom sink drain is sluggish, and the toilet has a temporary fix on the flush but you have to hold it down to get it to flush... lol, on and on.

Yeah, I hope she will call in a plumber.

Thanks! And I guess I'll pack up that laundry for the laundromat again (grrr!! ) OH well. :)

Thanks again,
KsMom

Hi kSMOM:

And on and on and on.. huh?

Not your house... so if you are being charged water/sewer charges YOU need to alert the homeowner to issues immediately.

I don't want to advise on landlord/tenent relations... can be so very difficult. I hope your landlord is good people. Keep us posted!!

Hi Mark,

She's a great person. I've waited to let her know, because she's been out of town and there's no point making her worry when she can't come. I think she's back by now though, so I'm going to give her a call.

She'll probably try to do it herself though, which I'm not sure if she can. So it may take a while to get the issues taken care of. But hopefully all will go well. I do appreciate her though.

And thanks for all your help! Hopefully I can post a follow up in a week or so saying that everything works now. :)

KsMom