Ask Me Help Desk - Waher hookups but no drain??

I’m completely plumbing dumb! I bought a house that specifically said Washer dryer hookups. Come to find that yes there are hookups but no drain!?

The house is built on a slab with an outside door crawl space that has access to all of the plumbing. The bathroom plumbing is on one side of the wall and the kitchen plumbing on the other. A tall thick black pipe connects to all of the plumbing and goes to the top of the roof.

The washer hookups are located in a kitchen closet next to the furnace which would only allow for a stackable washer/dryer as it is a tight space. Directly behind the washer hookup on the other side of the wall is a water heater. The hookups are about 6 feet from the kitchen sink. Can I tie the washer drain hose to the kitchen drain some how or does it need to tie into that tall black pipe?

Quote:

Originally Posted by usroch

I’m completely plumbing dumb! I bought a house that specifically said Washer dryer hookups. Come to find that yes there are hookups but no drain!?!

The house is built on a slab with an outside door crawl space that has access to all of the plumbing. The bathroom plumbing is on one side of the wall and the kitchen plumbing on the other. A tall thick black pipe connects to all of the plumbing and goes to the top of the roof.

The washer hookups are located in a kitchen closet next to the furnace which would only allow for a stackable washer/dryer as it is a tight space. Directly behind the washer hookup on the other side of the wall is a water heater. The hookups are about 6 feet from the kitchen sink. Can I tie the washer drain hose to the kitchen drain some how or does it need to tie into that tall black pipe?

If you don't have a drain, my friend, then you don't have a washer hookup.
If the black pipe is close to the water outlets then there should have been a 2" trap installed just off the floor level with a 36" stand pipe coming out of the trap.
Contact your builder. Your home should be under warranty for the first year.
This was a oversight and should be corrected at no charge. Good luck, Tom

First, check closer for the washer drain. May be as simple as giving the little circle between the water hookups a swat and breaking the cover off the drain. If indeed, the drain isn't there, legally I think you can call a plumber in and let him put in a drain and send the bill to the former owner. Check with a lawyer first.

I am confused on this outside door to the plumbing. If the house mostly on a slab with a mini crawl space under all the plumbing? Give details in case Tom has to give you directions to instal a drain yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by labman

First, check closer for the washer drain. May be as simple as giving the little circle between the water hookups a swat and breaking the cover off the drain. If indeed, the drain isn't there, legally I think you can call a plumber in and let him put in a drain and send the bill to the former owner. Check with a lawyer first.

I am confused on this outside door to the plumbing. If the house mostly on a slab with a mini crawl space under all the plumbing? give details in case Tom has to give you directions to instal a drain your self.

I sure am glad Labman's on board. I should have asked if there was a washer box installed in the wall. If there is then your drain is located in the center between the valves. WARNING: If you knock out the cover be EXTREAMLY
CAREFUL that the plastic insert does not fall down into the pipe. This will block the drainage and you won't be able to use the washer. As a rule we take care of the "knockout" so the home owner doesn't have to.
If you are uncertain on how to remove it then call in outside help. If it's dropped down the stand pipe then the wall will have to be opened up and the stand pipe cut into and the insert removed. This is a hassle you don't need.
Thanks again ! Tom

Yeah, I knew I should have mentioned not dropping the insert.

Yes the home is on a slab. To access the plumbing you have to go outside to a door that gives you access to all of the plumbing. The house is 55 years old. Now I know there is not a washer box on the wall, I know for sure what that looks like. What I have are ;ok this is not plumbing terminology, are 2 valves 4 inches apart that look like you can hook a hose up to. One knob is blue the other is red. My inspector did say he was sure it was a hook up but was confused where the drain was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by usroch

Yes the home is on a slab. To access the plumbing you have to go outside to a door that gives you access to all of the plumbing. The house is 55 years old. Now I know there is not a washer box on the wall, I know for sure what that looks like. What I have are ;ok this is not plumbing terminology, are 2 valves 4 inches apart that look like you can hook a hose up to. One knob is blue the other is red. My inspector did say he was sure it was a hook up but was confused where the drain was.

Then I can only repeat what I said before, "If you don't have a drain, my friend, then you don't have a washer hookup.
If the black pipe is close to the water outlets then there should have been a 2" trap installed just off the floor level with a 36" stand pipe coming out of the trap.
Contact your builder. Your home should be under warranty for the first year.
This was a oversight and should be corrected at no charge. Good luck, Tom"

Ok thank you for your responses.

I am afraid Tom missed the 55 years old detail. As you can see, he spends an enormous amount of time helping people, and it is easy to miss things sometimes. I do, like not saying don't lose the insert. Likely the builder is off the hook, perhaps dead. But the seller is still responsible for the house to be as sold, with a washer hookup. The washer box is a later development, a plastic box with holes in it for the water pipes and drains, maybe even a couple ball valves built into the box. Your set up sounds much like my 35 year old house, except mine has a 1 1/2'' copper pipe sticking up between the valves. Have you poked around between them? From the outside door, can you see where the pipes go up to the valves? Is there a third, bigger pipe anywhere near them?

If not, I would start asking the seller where the drain is? Go through the Realtor if there was one if you need to. If you don't find out, politely end the conversation and call a lawyer.

I think it is nonsense when somebody pays an old house price for an old house and then tries to have old, but functional things replaced. On the other hand, when you buy a house, your are entitled to a working furnace, a roof that doesn't leak, and a full set of working plumbing unless divulged at the time of sale.

If you end up putting in the drain yourself, follow Tom's directions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by labman

I am afraid Tom missed the 55 years old detail. As you can see, he spends an enormous amount of time helping people, and it is easy to miss things sometimes. I do, like not saying don't lose the insert. Likely the builder is off the hook, perhaps dead. But the seller is still responsible for the house to be as sold, with a washer hookup. The washer box is a later development, a plastic box with holes in it for the water pipes and drains, maybe even a couple ball valves built into the box. Your set up sounds much like my 35 year old house, except mine has a 1 1/2'' copper pipe sticking up between the valves. Have you poked around between them? From the outside door, can you see where the pipes go up to the valves? Is there a third, bigger pipe anywhere near them?

If not, I would start out asking the seller where the drain is? Go through the Realtor if there was one if you need to. If you don't find out, politely end the conversation and call a lawyer.

I think it is nonsense when somebody pays an old house price for an old house and then tries to have old, but functional things replaced. On the other hand, when you buy a house, your are entitled to a working furnace, a roof that doesn't leak, and a full set of working plumbing unless divulged at the time of sale.

If you end up putting in the drain yourself, follow Tom's directions.

If I didn't have Labman around to keep me straight. Yeah! I missed the part about it being a older house. That black pipe is cast iron and you're going to need a pumber to cut into the stack and install a washer trap and stand pipe. However I can see another problem. If the cast iron stack takes the discharge from a major fixture, such as a toilet, then the washer hookup must be vented.
Hooking to the sink with anything else but a indirect waste would be impossible but if the hose will reach or be extended you could create your own "indirect waste" by hooking it over the lip and discharging into the sink itself. I guess you could take the seller to court and force him to live up to the washer setup as advertised but would the hassle be worth it? Your call!
Good luck, Tom

Thank you that was exactly what I was looking for. You guys rock! :D