[crpntrlady]

Every time I use my washing machine the water just pours out of the top of the stack. The P trap is 2-90's, 2" pvc running along the wall and into the drain for the kitchen sink. I have snaked out the drain and found no obstruction, ran a water from a hose and it drains fine, I added an extra 12" of 2" pipe to make the total to the trap 36", but still it overflows. Is there a certain slope to the main pipe that is required or do I need an inpipe venting system? Please help.

[Milo Dolezal]

1. Slope has to be 1/4" per foot.
2. To assure proper drainage, P-Trap should be P-Trap. Not 2-90's.
3. Washer needs clean drain pipe to assure proper drainage. Yours connect into kitchen sink - the dirtiest pipe in the house. That's where the majority of your problem is. Snake that drain once, Snake it again second time... Then open hot water in the sink a let it run for few minutes.
4. If your washer drain is 2", than you can run up to 5' of drain w/o vent.

[speedball1]

We have had quite a few complaints like yours, ( especially with new MayTag washers) where the washer pump is too powerful for a trap and stand pipe.
I have a solution that I've never had a complaint on and one that I had to use on my washer. You close off the stand pipe the washer connects to with a compression fitting,(see image) or I caulked the hose in with rags and sealed it with duct tape. This makes a water tight connection between the washer and the stand piipe. Nothing can leak out or overflow and the force from the pump will send the discharge out into the main drain. While there is some back pressure involved there will not be enough to damage the washer pump. Outside of oversizing the washer trap and standpipe this is about the only solution that I know that works. Good luck, Tom

[afaroo]

Hi Tom,

It means that With installing this fitting there is no need for venting the stand pipe, I am just curios, Thanks.

Regards,
John

[speedball1]

Hi Tom,

It means that With installing this fitting there is no need for venting the stand pipe, I am just curios, Thanks.

Regards,
John

Hey John,
EVERYfixture that has a trap MUST have a vent. Making the washer stand pipe a closed system simply prevents stand pipe backups. Milo's correct when he says,

Washer needs clean drain pipe to assure proper drainage. Your'e connected into kitchen sink - the dirtiest pipe in the house. That's where the majority of your problem is. Snake that drain once, Snake it again second time... Then open hot water in the sink a let it run for few minutes.

You have a double whammy when the sink and washer drains are tied together. The grease and fiber from the washer is matted in with the grease and garbage from a kitchen sink combine to form a "perfect clog". If it were possible for crpntrlady to have a cleanout tee, (see image)installed it would save a lot of hassle involved in snaking out the drain. Cheers, Tom

[afaroo]

Tom I am lost, does he mean a dish washer or cloth wash machine, Thanks.

Regards,
John

[speedball1]

Tom I am lost, does he mean a dish washer or cloth wash machine, Thanks.

Regards,
John

Hi John,
Here's her complaint,

Every time I use my washing machine the water just pours out of the top of the stack

Regards, Tom

[afaroo]

Thanks Tom, and sorry that I said he, I didn't pay attention that question was asked by she.

Cheers,
John

[afaroo]

Good night every one, its time for me to go to bed I am in Hong Kong on business, talk to you all tomorrow, Thanks,\.

Cheers,
John

[crpntrlady]

Thank you all for your quick response. I measured the length of pipe, 5'6" from drain of sink to wall, 9'6" along wall to a 45 24" long to the washing machine drain. So it appears that I need to vent this pipe, where is the best place to put the vent? I also plan to replace the trap made of 90's with a 2" ptrap.

[massplumber2008]

Hi CARPENTERLADY:

According to my code book (Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code, 93), you will need to cut a 2" x 1.5" sanitary tee fitting for the vent into the 2" horizontal drain line WITHIN 6 feet of the new 2" ptrap.

I recommend a 2" ptrap with union nut... see pic. Below. This trap allows for easier cleaning should the drain pipe need to be snaked in the future... ;)

The vent should be a 1.5" vent or maybe a mechanical vent will be sufficient here (see pic.). Mechanical vents may not be approved in your area so you would need to check with your local plumbing inspector to see if they are allowed. If they are, they just screw into a female adapter 6-12 inches above the height of the trap (much like the last picture.. only a little higher... ok? ).

The standpipe from the washing machine needs to be about 30 inches tall to accommodate the large volume of water that most washing machines are discharging today.

Lastly, I recommend SS flexible washing machine hoses to reduce the chances of a full on BURST hose should the hoses break down over the years!

Good luck!

MARK

[Milo Dolezal]

Install your vent as close to the trap as possible. ( I don't like that you are connecting your kitchen drain to your washer drain - but you probably have no other option. )

[bradwiley1]

Every time I use my washing machine the water just pours out of the top of the stack. The P trap is 2-90's, 2" pvc running along the wall and into the drain for the kitchen sink. I have snaked out the drain and found no obstruction, ran a water from a hose and it drains fine, I added an extra 12" of 2" pipe to make the total to the trap 36", but still it overflows. Is there a certain slope to the main pipe that is required or do I need an inpipe venting system? please help.

I'm not an expert however I will say that it sounds to me as though you have a "lock" in your pipe as a result of a lack of a drain vent. THis is a pipe which takes off from the pipe after the trap to break the lock. The lock is basically (in my opinion) just a bubble that forms and won't move because the pressure before and after are different. So, intall a vent after the trap and the water should flow.