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feldmm · Oct 15, 2007, 10:16 AM

Hi all,

I hoe someone can help. I don't have too much money to hire a plumber and would like to handle this myself. Here goes. In my basement I have the Washer connected to a P trap in the main waste line to the cesspool. When I run the washer and it it draining out, and I flush a toilet upstairs, the p trap will send water over the top. If I pause the wahser for a few seconds and then let it continue no problem. It seems like too much water is going through the drain and the p trap and it backs up. How can I solve this issue. All help would be greatly appreciated.

ballengerb1 · Oct 15, 2007, 11:10 AM

"will send water over the top." Over the top of what? Sounds like your drain line is undersized or partially plugged. Most modern washers need a 2" drain, what do you have? I'd open and remove the trap, clean it and rod the lateral and drain line.

feldmm · Oct 15, 2007, 12:08 PM

It is a 2 inch drain. All Cast Iron, no way to remove, approx 60 years old. I attach the drain hose to a opening in the top of a U shaped connection into the main drain (waste line)

Thanks for your help.

ballengerb1 · Oct 15, 2007, 01:27 PM

The trap should be removable. If not, try rodding right through the trap but it really should come off.

feldmm · Oct 15, 2007, 01:34 PM

SO you think there is some blockage between the trap and the main drain line. So it should have enough for water to go through when one item is in use, but when both are dumping, just too much is going through and it would come out over the trap. I'm afradi of breaking the trap since it is so old and it is Cast Iron. Any easy ways to do this?

ballengerb1 · Oct 15, 2007, 01:49 PM

The clog can be in the main drain which is larger than the 2" line you are talking about. I am picturing that your 2" line is a horizontal line that leads to a main stack. When you flush the toilet the sewage goes down the 4" main stack and gets backed up into the 2"lateral. After rereading everythings I think the clog is in the main. You should see a clean out cap with what appears to be a 4 sided head on the cap. If so they rarely unscrew but you are welcome to try. In most cases you chisel them into several pieces by first chiseling off the 4 sided nut. Now chisel towards the threaded edge making a slight arc as you near the threads. Do not chisel into the threads in the cast iron.

feldmm · Oct 15, 2007, 02:23 PM

Thanks for your help. I will try to clean out the main.

feldmm · Oct 16, 2007, 01:16 PM

Quick question. Could it also be that the cesspool is full or close to full. This would assume then that the main drain line is full and I would also assume that the washer would backup each time. But someone mentioned this and I am throwing it out there.

ballengerb1 · Oct 17, 2007, 09:41 AM

This could be possible. I have never dealt with a cess pool, a few septic systems though. If your drain has nowhere to go then it will back up.