When my washer drains, it backs up into my nearby heating duct. My home is a slab home. Without tearing up the floor, how can I tell if I have a leak in my drain or if it is just clogged?

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Originally Posted by mh26261

When my washer drains, it backs up into my nearby heating duct. My home is a slab home. Without tearing up the floor, how can I tell if I have a leak in my drain or if it is just clogged?

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You aren't telling me that you have a crossconnection between your sewer and your heating/AC ducts are you? Where does the washer discharge come out of when it backs up? What floor is the washer on? Slab house or do you have a basement? Give me all the details you can. Thanks, tom

My house is a slab home, one story.
When the washer drains, I see water coming into the heating duct 4 feet away, but no other places in the house.
I've had clogs in the past where water came up into the floor, but this is not happening now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mh26261

My house is a slab home, one story.
When the washer drains, I see water coming into the heating duct 4 feet away, but no other places in the house.
I've had clogs in the past where water came up into the floor, but this is not happening now.

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I still don't understand. Where is this heating duct located? In the floor? Since the two systems are separate and isolated from one another how can the discharge from one enter another? Please explain. Regards. Tom

I can see only so far into the heating duct (in the floor) so I cannot answer your question of where it is coming from, except that I see it with a flashlight when the washer drains.
How discharge from one can enter another is what I hoped to find out.
Do I have a clog or a leak?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mh26261

I can see only so far into the heating duct (in the floor) so I cannot answer your question of where it is coming from, except that I see it with a flashlight when the washer drains.
How discharge from one can enter another is what I hoped to find out.
Do I have a clog or a leak??

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It sounds like you may have both. If you can see no moisture on the floor that might leak down into the duct then the water's coming in from the washer drain pipe that's supposed to be a sealed drainage system. To tell you more one would have to be there. My advice wold be to call in a plumber and find out what's going on. Sorry ,Tom