The water release for my washing machine drains into my slop sink. This set-up is in the basement of my house which has a cement floor. Whenever we do a load of laundrey and the water drains into the slop sink I have noticed that a small amount of water is starting to come up through a crack in cement floor in the basement. I'm assuming that I have a bad drainage pipe in the floor. What is entaled with correcting this problem. Can I just start breaking through the cement to get to the pipe? And if so, what I'm going to going to find under the floor? Thanks for the help.

If you have a good idea where the drain is, you might rent a saw and control where the cement breaks. You may be able to rent an electric jackhammer too. The drain my not be right where the water comes up. Under the floor, usually there is a bed of gravel with the same sort of pipe as the one going down into the floor. Locate the bad spot, cut it out and splice in a new piece. If you need help in splicing in the new pipe, post back giving us details of the type of pipe. If it is cast iron, you will help from Tom.

First locate the break in the pipe. Since PVC doesn't break I'm assuming that you have cast iron. If the leak's at a lead and okum joint I can show you how to recaulk it without too much hassle. If it's a break in the pipe I can walk you through cutting out the bad part and replacing it with PVC.
Good luck and I'll be waiting to hear from you. Tom

So I broke through the cement floor and discovered that I have a grey water tank in the basement. The grey water was no longer leeching from the tanks thus causing the water to rise and seep through some cracks in the floor. I have filled the drums with pea gravel and I'm going to patch the hole with cement. Now my question is how do I get the water from my washing machine after it enters the slop sink to travel "up" to the rest of the plumbing in my house? I've heard that a certain pump can accomplish this, what kind of a job is this? Thanks for the help. :confused:

Hi Dennis,

"Now my question is how do I get the water from my washing machine after it enters the slop sink to travel "up" to the rest of the plumbing in my house?"

You might not need to go to the expense of installing a sump pump to carry the water away. How high up is the plumbing? What material are the pipes made of? If the drainage is hung from the basement, how high is the first floor from the pipes? Would you have room to cut in a fitting, trap and a short raiser? Waiting to hear from you. Tom

Tom... The plumbing for the rest of the house is located on the ceiling of the basement. It's an unfinished basement so the pipes are exposed. It's a distance of about six feet up and three feet over from where the slop sink pipe goes into the ground to where the rest of the plumbing begins from the first floor. The pipes are not PVC but appear to be a combination of cast iron and copper. When you refer to the terms trap and short raiser, I'm not sure of the definitions of those items. Would I be able to attach digital photos to these postings? Thanks again for all the help... Dennis

Dennis,

I'm thinking platform up the washer so the lift isn't so great and cut in a "P" trap with a short piece of pipe on the overhead drainage to pick up the washer using the washer pump. The draw back to this is the slop sink will be cut out of the drainage system. You will also have to install a Studor Mechanical Vent just after the trap to vent the washer and a check valve in the washer hose next to the tub outlet. The other option is pricey. Install a holding tank and tie the slop sink into that. You will also need a pump and vent both the tank and the sink if it's unvented. You will also have to trap the sink but not where the tank pumps into the overhead drainage. This will be a straight connection between the pump and the drainage. You now have two options to choose from. If you wish to send photos, look down at "additional options" and follow directions. Good luck, Tom

http://www.saniflo.com/products/sanivite.html

Check this out. They say it pumps water 12 feet up and you will be able to keep your sink. I don't know how much they cost but might be worth checking.