Ask Me Help Desk - Water under washer

Water under washer

I'm assuming this is a plumbing question... if not, just point me in the right direction.

Every time I use my washing machine, water is on the floor in front of it and under it. My husband has been able to stop it at certain times (when it's draining) and wait for the water in the pipe behind it to go down (I think it is flowing out too fast? ). But if we don't catch it and stop each time it drains during the cycle, water goes all over. Does this sound like the drain isn't keeping up?? Or is there another possibility? The drain is across the room and we've tried drano and a snake on separate occasions in case it is the drain, but neither helped.

THANK YOU!

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Originally Posted by angcm78

I'm assuming this is a plumbing question...if not, just point me in the right direction.

Every time I use my washing machine, water is on the floor in front of it and under it. My husband has been able to stop it at certain times (when it's draining) and wait for the water in the pipe behind it to go down (I think it is flowing out too fast??). But if we don't catch it and stop each time it drains during the cycle, water goes all over. Does this sound like the drain isn't keeping up??? Or is there another possibility? The drain is across the room and we've tried drano and a snake on separate occassions in case it is the drain, but neither helped.

THANK YOU!!

Pull the washer away from the wall just enough to shine a light behind it and watch when it's on its drain cycle, and see where the leak is. From your description so far, it sounds like the drain. You could also have a vent pipe problem. AND, there could be a problem further out, in the main sewer line. To make sure it's not the washer, you could connect a garden hose to the drain hose with the right sort of connector and run the hose into a bucket or out a window to see what happens then.

Quote:

Every time I use my washing machine, water is on the floor in front of it and under it. My husband has been able to stop it at certain times (when it's draining) and wait for the water in the pipe behind it to go down (I think it is flowing out too fast? ). But if we don't catch it and stop each time it drains during the cycle, water goes all over. Does this sound like the drain isn't keeping up??

You nailed it! You have a partial blockage downstream from the washer. This should be snaked with a snake, larger then a small drain snake, with a auger tip,(see image) You can snake from the stand pipe or the roof vent. If you come down 5the roof vent put out enough cable to reach the base and about 15 feet more. If that don' get it and your trap and standpipe is only 1 1/2? Then click on back. We have more tricks up our sleeve. Good luck and thanks for rating my answer. Tom

If may be that you have a floor drain under your washing machine and it could be that the water is backing up in it and coming out on the floor, if this is the case and has been a hibitual problem you can plug up the floor drain with a rubber test plug.
If this is the problem it would still be a good idea to clean out the drain line from the washing machine

Letmetellu, Did you miss this?

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My husband has been able to stop it at certain times (when it's draining) and wait for the water in the pipe behind it to go down (I think it is flowing out too fast? ).

It's backing up out of the stand pipe. The asker just told you so. I didn't see a word about a floor drain. Did I miss it?
Regards, Tom