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jwjeff3405 · Dec 11, 2009, 02:54 AM

My mother's house in the last several months when doing laundry the discharge from the washing machine comes up from under the house. We've had our regular plumbers clean out the pipes under the house and it has solved the problem but only temporary she is so afraid of doing the next step and don't know what the next step is. The water comes from behind the water heater closet (water heater is ok) then makes it's way into her kitchen. She is retired and lives in North East Texas. Does the pipe have to be replaced that runs under the house as that she probably can't afford. Now she drags her laundry to the coin laundry 5 miles from the house. Any info or helpful instructions?

cyberheater · Dec 11, 2009, 04:56 PM

You said you could see the water come out from behind the water heater and up from underneath the house? I am trying to get a clear picture...
Is it backing up through the pipes and into the living qaurters? If it is a clog, then replacing pipes is not necessarily the answer just yet. Is there anything else besides the washer that creates the back up?

If both plumbers snaked the line, and you are still having a problem, then it may be time to have a plumber run a scope to see what is causing the clog. But first, answer the question above and also tell me how long after the last snake/clear was until it started to back up again.

Also, what is behind the water heater - a drain? (sounds obvious, but... )

speedball1 · Dec 12, 2009, 08:08 AM

Answer Cybers questions and I have a few of my own.
Where did the plumber snake from? What , if anything , did he bring back on his auger tip? How far did he run the snake in and where did he run into the clog?
Back to you, Tom

jwjeff3405 · Dec 16, 2009, 08:11 PM

We've had the same plumbing company for the time she has been in the house and cleaned the pipes from the outlet all the way to the under the living room floor to the pipe at the washer. LP The L is where the washing machine is and the circle in the P is where the 3 year old water heater. If you draw a line straight up from the end of the circle of the P is a wall and the other side is the kitchen floor starts and is about ten feet long. On the other side of the kitchen right in the middle is the sink and dishwasher. The plumbers also ran the snake from the outside pipe leading into the sink.

I wasn't there the last time but the plumbers snaked began the work but when I arrived they said whatever was blocking the water went out through the system. I'm thinking there might be a tee where the sink water and the washing machine water meet and that might be where something was holding up the flow. The time I was there the snake ran through smoothly so it must be an old 40 year pipe that is cracked from the top and as recommended to get out someone with a lighted camera to look down the drain pipes of the washer and kitchen sink.

I thought to purchase another flex hose and than extend the attachment to the drain in the sink to see if that is above the leaking area or the cause of the leaking area.

Sorry to get back to you all so late I've had dental surgery recently and been on pain killers for a few days.

Is it normal to attach the sink drain house to the washing machine drain under the house? Most likely is. Is there a place in town hall that would show how the pipes where run when the foundation was set?

If it's leaking at some Tee that area would have to be dug up I suppose. Those pipe fiberglass hose repair wouldn't work if there is a tee.

Thanks all for the time and effort may God bless each of you who respond. She is retired and lives off Social Security and I'm a disabled veteran but I did stick it out for 23 years enlisted mostly on the flight line. I was forced out as we seem to be the bodies new orthopedic doctor get to train on as when my ankle couldn't take any more steriod shots three screws were put in after "leveling" foot bone to the ankle bone but they used screws 1/3 of an inch too long. Why does it hurt well sir look at the x-ray those three point that feel like needles are pinching nerves and skin. I had to wait three years for the VA to take them out at Shreveport VA hospital and the screws didn't come out straight. So if the new health care is modeled after the VA system in a few years we will all be in battlefield wheel chairs, ha ha ouch.

Thanks Jeff the eyeball down the drain seems to be the next logical thing to do. Running a flex pipe extension to the sink would result in the same problem when the water pressure of the spin cycle hit the bad area or might be in front of the leaking area.