I am installing 2 new washers and dryers on each floor in our two flat in a kitchen pantry (the building is 120 year old frame building.)

We are installing the wall insert that has the hole for the water coming in and a hole to put the drain hose going out. I know it has to be about 42" off the floor, but do these drains also need to have pea traps and a vent pipe?

If so, how far down do I need to put the pea trap? And then where do I need to put the vent? I am using 3" PVC for the drain and 2" PVC for the pea trap and vent if needed.

This is the drain where the rubber hose from the washer is inserted into it so it drains down and into the basement drain.

We are using 3" drain pipe because we don't want problems if both washers are ejecting water at the same time - they'll be on the same drain.

Thank you!

- Jim

Quote:

---

We are installing the wall insert that has the hole for the water coming in and a hole to put the drain hose going out. I know it has to be about 42" off the floor, but do these drains also need to have pea traps and a vent pipe? If so, how far down do I need to put the pea trap? And then where do I need to put the vent?

---

Every fixture that drains must have a trap and a vent that being said I made a rough drawing of how a washer station is set up, (see image)
By wall insert I presume you mean washer box. The trap will set as low to the floor as it can go and a 36 to 42 inch standpipe will raise out of it for the washer box. As for the vents. If local codes allow you could vent your washers with AAV's (Air Admittance Vents, see image) otherwise code forbids you to discharge a major fixture past a minor one unless the minor one is vented separately. All that means is you can't discharge your washer into a stack that has a bathroom draining it unless you run a separate vent on the water. Good luck, Tom

Washer has high water output. You will definitely need 2" drain with 2" P-trap. It has to be vented. The above shown "remodeling" vent is fine. It should extend no less than hight of washer ( about 48"). Also, make sure the stand pipe ( that's the piece extending from P-trap up ) is at least 30" tall. Otherwise, water will oveflow.

High water output is nothing new to folks who have been buying Maytags. These new washer are driving the industry to look at the current code requiring a 2" drain. Its my understanding that the 2009 code revision will require 3" drain pipes for washers. If you can still do it I'd go 3" now.

As well as washers, the new codes will address kitchen sinks also. Because of the garbage a disposal puts into the system all kitchen branches will mandate a three inch drain. We have been doling that for years down here. Our code mandates one three inch vent stack per single family dwelling. We install that vent stack on the kitchen sink and take a three inch branch over to the main. Cheers, Tom