[dmrlook]

how will the straight edge of the washing machine hose fit into the adapter? like i said, the hose is smooth. it won't be able to screw. will i need to get a different type of machine hose too?

No - you can keep the same washing machine as long as the adapter is sized correctly for your washing machine hose's size. The adapter pictured is a compression fitting, so it is made for "smooth" tubes like yours. No threaded tubes necessary.

As for knowing if you already have a vent, aside from busting up the concrete or wall, or going into the attic to see if there is a vent line in that wall, there is really no way to see if it is vented. You could go onto the roof to see if a vent is popping through (which I'm sure there is) but there is no way that I know of to know for sure if it is connected to the washing machine line.

The AAV approach should be fine as long as there is no code in your area against its use.

[speedball1]

First of all let's peek up in the attic to see if there's a pipe coming out of the washer wall. If it's there great! Close off the washer hose to the drain pipe.
If you do not have a vent I would install a AAV next to the trap. Good luck, Tom

[fabuloso_me]

But I can't peek up in the attic to see what's in that wall. It is solid wooden planks all the way up! :(

[speedball1]

OK! Then go outside and look upon the roof over where the washer is and look for a pipe. Cool?

[fabuloso_me]

OK, I looked out on my roof today and I do in fact have a metal pipe sticking out of it. However, it is on the exact opposite end of the house as my washing machine. How does that affect things, if at all?

[speedball1]

Do you have a attic? How many pipes do you see coming out out of your roof? Let me know, Tom

[fabuloso_me]

Just one pipe.
I do have an attic, but it has no lighting and there is nothing but insulation along the floor. I ain't climbing up there. Lol

[speedball1]

Hey Fab, How old is your home?
In addition to all the dust and insulation up there are all your vents that are revented back into one vent out the roof. That's where all the vents live. Tom

[fabuloso_me]

Can you rephrase what you said above? I can't understand the sentence.
The house is from the mid 50's-60's

[speedball1]

In addition to all the dust and insulation up there are all your vents that are revented back into one vent out the roof. That's where all the vents live.

I asked the age because some earlier homes didn't have vents. But yours does have them.

In addition to all the dust and insulation up there are all your vents that are revented back into one vent out the roof. That's where all the vents live.

Sometimes our contract calls for all the vents to be tied back,( revented) to a single main vent that exits the roof. This makes for a great looking roof line but makes it impossible to snake from the roof. You have to go up into the attic with a sewer machine, locate the correct vent and cut it loose and snake it. After you have to couple the vent back again. Sorry! I should have made that clearer. Tom

[Milo Dolezal]

Yes, you have a problem. The pipe is too small to accept all that water being discharged from W/M. I don't see trap either. As suggested above, you could install plastic service / mop sink ( Home Depot, cost: about $40.00 ). The sink would collect discharged water and drain it at its own pace. If you go with the sink, don't forget to install trap and AAV vent for proper draining.

[fabuloso_me]

I said before that I can't get a sink out there. There's no room for one.

[Milo Dolezal]

Yes, sure, space is always a problem in single car garage. I would than investigate little more. What's on the other side of the garage wall ?

[fabuloso_me]

Milo,
Um, I promise I'm not getting smart here. But I think you're only seeing one page of posts about this subject and we're already on page 4. you can read what other folks have been posting as suggestions. I've even got pictures of my disaster. Lol

[Milo Dolezal]

Sorry... Ok, I read all the posts. You got list of good advices from our Experts. Did you install Harold's drain / vent set up ? Did it work ?

[speedball1]

Close off the system as I suggested in a earlier post. Houses built in the 50's and 60's were trapped and vented. My house was built in 1954. The problem is back then the washer traps and stand pipes were all installed in 1 1/2" an d today's more powerful washer pumps simply overpower the lines. I closed off mine two washers ago with no problems. I can't ever recall getting a complaint back about backups from all the people that I have advised making the system a closed one. Let me know how it works for you. Good luck, Tom

[fabuloso_me]

My plumber came this morning and snaked out the line with one of those fancy snakes and he ran the washer twice and it didn't spew, but he also said that a "real" run has soap (and therefore probably suds) in the water and that slows things down. He wouldn't let me pay him yet until I try it "real". If it does spew, he said he'd come back and change out stuff. He said it does have a trap right under the washer so he said the AAV version wouldn't work. He also said that my garage floor is at a lower level than my house floor, so he could cut through that wood to do a new pipe and totally bypass the metal one altogether.

I showed him the beautiful diagrams from our handy dandy "widget maker" and he really liked them. He said we'd do those instead of cutting the wall if I wanted. But he also said that the metal pipes are problematic anyway because of the fact of water going through something that inherently rusts. That that alone causes stuff to drag and potentially block the line because it isn't smooth.

[speedball1]

he also said that the metal pipes are problematic anyway because of the fact of water going through something that inherently rusts. That that alone causes stuff to drag and potentially block the line because it isn't smooth.

While it's true that plastic drains better then cast iron that's no reason to tear out your cast iron pipes if they are draining. I hate plumbers that play on home owners fears about "what may happen on down the line" and then sell a repipe job.
My cast iron washer line is draining just fine after 55 years. Did you close off your system as advised? If not, remember that you have a 1 1/2" system that should be closed off to insure no backups. Regards, Tom

[fabuloso_me]

I don't think it is a fear play. He just knows he'll be paying me more visits with the iron pipe. He won't be ripping out anything. This will bypass the metal pipe. The dishwasher and sinks and tub will still use the metal pipe. He said he'll do whatever I want him to. But first I got to see if his snaking worked with soap in the water to determine the next course of action if there is one.:p
Keep your fingers crossed.

[hkstroud]

I'm beginning to question the veracity of your plumber. It appears that snaking the line was the solution. He should have done that before even considering breaking up the floor. True old iron pipe accumulates crud faster than PVC but you don't go tearing down the world to replace it unless you have to.

The AAV has nothing to do with the trap. It addresses a venting issue if you have one. It was recommended only because you were unable to determine if the line was properly vented. It doesn't hurt anything if it is not needed and it is not that costly.

If you use the AAV, I don't care if you have a vent or not, the AAV will take care of that question. If you seal the piping, I don't care if you have a trap. With the AAV and the pipe sealed up the water that remains in the washer hose will act as a trap.

The pipe coming out of the floor is 2". The galvanized pipe that is stuck inside of it and taped up is 1 1/2 ". How do I know? I read the label. That 1 1/2" galvanized effectively reduces the washer stand pipe to 1 1/2". What's more I don't know how far down into the 2" pipe the 1 1/2 pipe goes. It may very well be jammed all the way down to the first turn and be further restricting the flow. By changing the piping as shown you increase the piping back to 2".

If your plumber starts rerouting pipes he is probably going to have to tie into galvanized pipe, which is usually a bit of a pain. He may also have to address proper venting of the new piping.

Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and purchase the pipe and fittings. Cost should be $15 to $20 plus the AAV. You can cut the pipe with just about any saw. You may have to buy full length of pipe, but I think HD will sell you 2" pipe in 4' lengths, which is more than you need. If this is beyond your capabilities, find a handyman and give him $20 or $30 dollars. Just about anybody who does any kind of repairs can do this. Doesn't take much skill.

You ain't building a Swiss watch here, so it's time to "git 'er done"