We bought a new washer 10/2006 and it immediately flooded our garage floor. The standpipe was leaking at the base anyway and I thought there was a clog so I decided to cut the old one off... augered 20 feet into the main line (which revealed nothing), repiped it and then poured virgin sulfuric acid for good measure to get rid of any buildups past the 20 foot mark. It still backed up so I got on the roof and ran a hose on full throttle and flushed the vent out. Water backed up through the standpipe then too. Is that normal?

A couple things I noticed when I did all of this was that I didn't really smell any sewer gases coming into the garage which I thought was odd so maybe the clog is really way down? And the other thing is that the water drains... just not as fast as it needs to.

The new washer has a pump that requires a minimum 17 gal. per minute carry away rate. Is it possible that the pump is just too powerful for the existing plumbing or should I just bite the bullet and pay a plumber to run a snake further down the system?

Our house was built in 1962 and the existing plumbing is 1 1/2in cast iron and it transitions into a 2in. Standpipe that measures 45inches from base to top.

I read from another site that a guy just installed a new utility tub to drain his washer into. I don't know if that would solve the problem, but I'd consider doing that too.

Thanks for any help in advance.

You are not the first one to have this problem. I think in one thread the lady finally took the washer back and got one with a lower discharge rate. You could try putting a restriction in the discharge line. Maybe just partly collapse the hose with a C-clamp to see if it works.

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Originally Posted by toknowavail

We bought a new washer 10/2006 and it immediately flooded our garage floor. The standpipe was leaking at the base anyway and I thought there was a clog so I decided to cut the old one off... augered 20 feet into the main line (which revealed nothing), repiped it and then poured virgin sulfuric acid for good measure to get rid of any buildups past the 20 foot mark. It still backed up so I got on the roof and ran a hose on full throttle and flushed the vent out. Water backed up through the standpipe then too. Is that normal?

A couple things I noticed when I did all of this was that I didn't really smell any sewer gases coming into the garage which I thought was odd so maybe the clog is really way down?? and the other thing is that the water drains... just not as fast as it needs to.

The new washer has a pump that requires a minumum 17 gal. per minute carry away rate. Is it possible that the pump is just too powerful for the existing plumbing or should I just bite the bullet and pay a plumber to run a snake further down the system?

Our house was built in 1962 and the existing plumbing is 1 1/2in cast iron and it transitions into a 2in. standpipe that measures 45inches from base to top.

I read from another site that a guy just installed a new utility tub to drain his washer into. I don't know if that would solve the problem, but I'd consider doing that too.

Thanks for any help in advance.

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Transitioning a 1-1/2" drain to a 2" standpipe creates a choke-point where the two meet.

Today's code requires a 2" drain, trap arm and trap for a clotheswasher.

Given the high discharge capacity of modern clotheswashers, you might want to think about upgrading your drain, trap arm and trap.

As for the water coming out the stand-pipe when you jetted the vent, it sounds like you have a blockage downstream of the 20 foot mark.

Would a bladder attached to garden hose work for flushing that far down the drainline? I also read from another post about placing a compression fitting?

I think you're talking about a 'Drain-King'. I've used those with mixed results.

One bad thing about using those, is that you run the risk of having the water back up through the drain or vent of another fixture if the blockage is a very severe one.

Given that the problem persists after you ran out 20 feet of cable, I'd say your problem is severe enough to warrant a thorough drain cleaning by a rooter service.

The bladder on the hose won't help if there is a branch between it and any clog. Your water supply might not supply 17 gpm. You can rent a longer drain auger, but I doubt a clog is the problem. In 20 feet does the drain tee into a 3-4'' line? Sealing the hose to the stand pipe with a compression fitting as you read often works in many cases. If you do so, and there is a clog, it may cause a back up in other branches.

It is quite common to throttle the output of centrifugal pumps, and shouldn't hurt your washing machine. I have no idea why manufacturers are going to such outlandish high discharge rates, 17 gph? That would fill over three 5 gallon pails in a minute.