Hello and help.

I am finishing my basement and have built a laundry/sewing room. I wanted to install a floor drain and found that the drain pipe that led from the Kitchen and main floor laundry was easy to access. The basement laundry is right below the main floor laundry. I chiseled out the concrete floor and I installed a floor drain P-trap to a Y connection and all, but when the washing machine drains it burps up maybe a gallon of water before receding. The line is a 2 inch line that has about a 50 foot run from the floor drain to the sewer. I have had a retired plumber friend come over and we installed what he called a "parallel vent" if you need me to draw a picture I can. Another plumbing buddy who is unretired but very busy said I should "throw some drain-o down there, and if that don't work just plug it up." (have not tried the drain-o yet) I am not willing to throw away my hard work yet. There has to be something that I can do to make this thing work.

Anyway. The vent did not work as well and now I am out of ideas. I still have access to the pipes and I am willing to figure it out and do whatever I need to.

I should say that this house was built is about 9 years old and the pipes look very clean when I cut into them to install the drain in the first place.

Can anyone help?



Kirk

Did you try snaking out the main sewer line to the street? It sounds like you may have a partial blockage in the main drain. Try a reputable rooter Co in your area, or if you are as handy as you appear to be, you should be able to snake it yourself.

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Originally Posted by thommyschnak

Did you try snaking out the main sewer line to the street? It sounds like you may have a partial blockage in the main drain. Try a reputable rooter Co in your area, or if you are as handy as you appear to be, you should be able to snake it yourself.

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Thanks for the advice. Do you think there would be a blockage in a home this young?

Kirk

Burb, are you saying you have only a 2" pipe running out to the city riser?? Where do you live. This is not code in any of the 50 states, mains are 3"' and usually 4". A 2" drain pipe within a home won't even be code for a shower after 2009 when the new code kicks in. Currently you can run a washer to a 2" drain or stand pipe but that needs to be tied into a home run of at least 3".

Hey Kirk,
Bob nailed it.
You are discharging a powerful washer pump into a undersized line that you then installed a fixture,(your floor drain) at th lowest level. That's just asking for a back up. But they make a product to handle that problem. It's called Flood Guard, (see image) This is a check valve that fits in your floor drain and prevents back ups. Good luck, Tom

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Burb, are you saying you have only a 2" pipe running out to the city riser?? Where do you live. This is not code in any of the 50 states, mains are 3"' and usually 4". A 2" drain pipe within a home won't even be code for a shower after 2009 when the new code kicks in. Currently you can run a washer to a 2" drain or stand pipe but that needs to be tied into a home run of at least 3".

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I live in Utah and my home was built in 1999 and I am sure that the main line is 4" because the toilet stack is 4 " and I had to move the basement toilet over 13" to accomidate the shower and found a big 4" toilet pipe down there.

This floor drain is simply tying into the line that is coming from the upstairs (original) laundry. It then runs under my basement slab the length of the house before tying into the main line and exiting the home underground on the opposite side of the house. I don't think that the main line is 4" so I am not worried there. That aside, the line is over taxed and I agree with you on that.

Does this help?

Another friend suggested that I attached the drain further down the line and then run a parallel line next to the pipe maybe 5' or so back to where I want the drain. Then put on a p trap and riser.

What do you think?

Hi Kirk,
Did you completely miss my post? You are backing up out of your floor drain because you designed it that way by installing the floor drain on the washer drain line. In addition to the force of the washer pump you have the added
Velocity of the drop from the first floor. Unless you either move the floor drain to another drain line or install a Flood Guard check valve in the floor drain expect a back up every time you run a wash.
[QUOTE][/Another friend suggested that I attached the drain further down the line and then run a parallel line next to the pipe maybe 5' or so back to where I want the drain. Then put on a p trap and riser.QUOTE]
Complete nonsense! You're still on the same drain with the same force and velocity. You want a solution? Either change the location or install a check valve. Good luck, Tom

[QUOTE=speedball1]Hi Kirk,
Did you completely miss my post? You are backing up out of your floor drain because you designed it that way by installing the floor drain on the washer drain line. In addition to the force of the washer pump you have the added
Velocity of the drop from the first floor. Unless you either move the floor drain to another drain line or install a Flood Guard check valve in the floor drain expect a back up every time you run a wash.

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[/Another friend suggested that I attached the drain further down the line and then run a parallel line next to the pipe maybe 5' or so back to where I want the drain. Then put on a p trap and riser.QUOTE]
Complete nonsense! You're still on the same drain with the same force and velocity. You want a solution? Either change the location or install a check valve. Good luck, Tom

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Thanks for the advice, and I got your post loud and clear. Where can I purchase that stopper item because relocating the drain in impossible in my mind.

Also, it does not overflow every time once in while and it doesn't spew like crazy, jut burps up a gallon or less of water. That is why the longer parallel drain tube seemed to be a possibility.

Thanks again for your advice..

Click on; The Mechanicals - Basement Flood Prevention - Keidel Bath, Plumbing, Kitchen - Cincinnati, OH to check out floor drain flood guards. Good luck, Tom