Drain Mystery (not heating)long

jackchips_2

if the drain was fine before and has just started the problem you describe you really have to find the problem.

If you are contracting out the snaking of the larger underground whoever you hire should have a camera to check out the entire line and I would highly suggest that.

If you are doing the snaking you must rent one for larger (at least 4") diameter pipe as a small snake for kitchen and laundry lines will usually just go right through whatever the problem is without correcting it.

Raising the washer and the standpipe will only mask the problem for a short time.

Good luck,

Jack

Mike R._2

Drain Mystery (not heating)long

What would make the washing machine water spill over the top of the drain pipe where the hose goes in? Roughly half the water goes down the pipe, the other half ends up on the basement floor.
The pipe snakes clean and everything else works okay.
The bathroom is at the North end of the house. The kitchen and washing machine are at the south end of the house. The kitchen has its own trap and vent in a 2”? drain line. The washing machine has a trap and vent and then tees into the kitchen pipe. The main drain runs along the back of the house, the kitchen/washer pipe tees into it, then the main drain goes out to the street on the south side.
There’s 1 roof vent on the bathroom side and 1 on the kitchen/washer side. So the kitchen and washer vents must tee together at some point.
Any suggestions on what to check next? This problem just started in a 1940’s house and I’ve owned it 10 years.
TIA

Rich Kontny_3

Course of the least resistance

The underground line is most likely choked down due to grease buildup etc and the water from a washer is substantial so it is spilling over. Snaking opens a smaller hole than the original pipe so this does not fix the problem. Grease buildup also tends to close lines back up.

Try a grease eating product like Bio-Clean or have someone
come in with a water jet type drain cleaner. Problem with the water jet is you almost have to go against flow to clean the line as the debris needs someplace to go. Bio-Clean works great yet it takes some time to eat up the grease.

Rich K

ScottMP

kitchen drains

and washing machine drains should go into the main drain independantly of each other. It may be too much as washing machines pump alot of water and the drain might not be able to handle it.

Also how high is the stand pipe ??

If its only a couple of inches it could spill out. You want to be about two feet.

Scott

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Mike R._2

Thanks for the suggestions.

I only snaked the indoor pipe. I will try to snake the underground pipe to see if that helps. It should also show if there any bigger problems building up out there.
The standpipe height could be a problem, it is only about 8" but it worked okay before.


Unfotunately the trap can't go any lower because of the depth (or should I say shallowness) of the underground pipe. The standpipe shouldn't go higher because we are at the maximum allowed by washer Mfr. already.


If the underground snaking doesn't help any, I may have to make a pedestal to raise the washer, then raise the standpipe.
Thanks again. Mike

mtfallsmikey

Code sez:

24" standpipe...need room for suds.