Hi, I hope to get some guidance what to do :)
We live in a building (35-37 years old or so) in the bedroom walking closet there is a washer connected. The drain pipe for the washer is connected to the air pipe in the building. So I'm a little bit worried about fumes coming out of the pipe in the bedroom.
There is no pee trap installed! Is there a way to check for fumes coming from the pipe? And if we put a pee trap by the washer, will that solve the problem? Or any other solution?
Please help, any advice is appreciated!Let me know if you need more details.
Thank you,
Levinija

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is there a way to check for fumes coming from the pipe

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Yes, your nose. If there were sewage gases coming out, you would smell them.

There is no strong smell of sewage, ammonia or sulphur... but there is a bit of a smell in the closet, maybe more like mildew or moisture in the air (possibly from not draining the washer after every wash) There is no ventilation in the closet. I would not rely on my nose for gas that have no smell. Is there any other way to check for that?
The drain is closed with a screw on lid when the washer is not in use as a precaution... not sure if that does the trick though.
Would a pee trap help in this case?
Or the drain needs to be reconnected completely to the washroom sink before the pee trap? (washroom in on the other side of the walking closet wall)

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Is this plumbing part of the building plumbing or something that someone in order to install a washer in the closet.

If part of the original plumbing, the washer stand pipe is most like trapped. If part of something some prior resident did, it should be trapped. Beginning to sound like someone just cut into the bathroom vent pipe for a washer drain.

Looks like it's not part of the building plumbing! (no washers in walking closet, same units in the building) When the washer stand pipe is open, I can hear the flushing of the toilet through the pipe and it pulls air. That's what makes me think it is not trapped, so we keep it closed when the washer is not used.
I think most likely the stand pipe is just connected to the vent pipe as you suggested.
If we instal a pee trap in the stand pipe in the walking closet, behind the washer, would this solve the problem? Or I have a bigger problem on my hands?
Is there any other solutions for this?
Thank you!

If you want to be absolutely sure that the pipe is not trapped you could purchase 3 feet of a small length of plastic tube at home depot and insert it into the pipe. If the tube comes out wet after you inserted it into the pipe then the pipe is trapped properly. If there is no water on the tube then you need to install a PTRAP and be sure to install it low enough that the stand pipe coming out of the PTRAP can be between 18-30" long (that's a plumbing code)... make sense?

Mark

Thank you Mark! I'll get the plastic tube and give it a tray.
I'll be sleeping better if we instal a PTRAP as well, if that will stop any sewage gasses coming through?
Don't know the health side effects of exposure to something like this, even in the smallest amounts, but I know that methane is highly flammable. We also have a small child sleeping with us in that room.
Right now the stand pipe is about 18" long, starting about 27" form the ground. There is enough space for a PTRAP I think (27" from the floor to the pipe entering the side wall)
Would that be good enough?
And will there be a problem that its connected to a vent pipe? Instead of a proper drain pipe? (sorry, not familiar with the plumbing terms)
Thanks!

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small length of plastic tube at home depot and insert it into the pipe

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Now that a darn good idea. Now if you stick some toilet tissue in the end of that tubing you will probably be able to see any water easier.

Another approach (if the pipe is not trapped) would be to put a sanitary tee on the stand pipe. Then put a AAV in the top of the tee and put the washer hose in the side with a sealed connection.

Just confirmed there is no PTRAP on the stand pipe in the wall. It's directly connected to the vent pipe with a rubber T connector:
(something like this: drain pipe --> ----| <-- vent pipe)

Would a PTRAP installed on the bottom of the stand pipe (behind the washer in the closet) do the trick?
Thanks again!

Yes.

Harold: If the we put the tee with a AAV on top, do we still need to instal a P-trap on the bottom of the stand pipe? And vice versa, if we put a P-trap do we need the AAV?
Thanks for your help!

One or the other, not both.

Ignore all the writing on the pic. Below, but the idea is to cut a tee into the vent pipe and then install a sanitary tee fitting so that the branch of the tee fitting looks straight out. Install another sanitary tee on its back for the AAV and then install the PTRAP. All set now... ;)

If one will do the trick (ptrap or AAV), which one is the safer, better option?
Thanks for your help!
p.s. AAV looks a bit complicated :)

No, no...

Install the PTRAP and the AAV like I described. Here, you cannot install a washing machine onto a vent, but by installing the AAV it will help reduce any issues.

The Ptrap keeps sewer gasses out of the home. The AAV allows air to mingle with the WM waste water and creates a turbulent flow.

What I was thinking. Not legal but will work. What you have now is not legal but it works.

Will definitely instal a pee trap and an AAV.
Since this is a vent pipe, could this be a potential problem? (we are on the 12th floor, like flooding any units below me?)
Are the vent pipes and the drain pipes connected? (meaning: the vent pipe to drain in the main pipe at some point in the system)

Always so hard to do this online...

Since you are already connected into this pipe I have to figure that flooding any units below you is not an issue for you.

With that being said, connecting into a vent pipe is not really good either.

Can you explain why this pipe in the closet is an, "air pipe" and not the actual drain/vent for the washing machine...

Now, if this is a vent pipe from another fixture then as a plumber I would have to tell you NOT to connect into it and to get this plumbed up properly by a licensed plumber.

Meanwhile, at a minimum, connect a PTRAP to the vent pipe... forget the AAV. Since the pipe is a vent it will act as the vent for the washer PTRAP, but the issue is a problem in that all this negates the vent for the actual fixture being vented by the vent... UGH!

The fact is that anything you do is an improvement... ;)

Mark

Mark and Harold thank you very much for your time and advice!
I did not meant to overwhelm you with million questions.
I really don't know why the drain for the washer is connected to the air pipe, as this was installed by a previous owner. The smell in the closet prompted me that something might not be right.
Will install a PTRAP by the washer in the closet, until I can get the funds to call a proper plumber to open the wall in the washroom and re connect the washer drain pipe. (big project) As it is illegally done, no licensed plumber will touch it, unless the wall is open, and everything re connected.

Thank you so much for all your help!
Levi

Not overwhelmed at all... glad to help! Thank you for posting an update!