Wash drain connected directly to sewer pipe.

I just bought a house and have been noticing a sulfur type smell when I run my wash. I noticed the washing machine drain is directly hooked to the sewer pipe not allowing any proper way to vent. Could this be sewer gas I'm smelling? & what's the fix?

 

Yes, it could be that the washer drain is the source of sewer gas. The correct fix is to provide a properly trapped and vented drain. A few pictures of what you now have may be helpful in steering you to a final solution.

 

These are the photos showing the setup.

 

Just posted above. Thanks for responding.. this is really making me nervous.

 

I've been looking for a good Google image to show you what you can do but so far not anything really illustrative. I'll post this one and try to add the details in writing.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]62507[/ATTACH]

You start with removing the hose and tape from the existing steel pipe. If the pipe has threads then you need to buy a female thread-to-plastic adapter of the proper type of plastic and pipe size. Hopefully the pipe is two-inch nominal size as that is what modern washing machines require. If no threads then you will need a "shielded rubber coupling" to transition from the steel to plastic.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]62508[/ATTACH]

You then connect to a sanitary tee, from the tee side entry you add a P-trap and then the "standpipe" for the machine's drain hose. The standpipe must be tall enough to get the "hook" of the drain hose above the highest water level in the machine.

Above the sanitary tee, you add enough plastic pipe to bring it about six inches above the top of the standpipe and then add (with the appropriate threaded adapter) an Air Admittance Valve (AAV).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]62509[/ATTACH]

Studor is but one of many brands. They also come in different styles but they all work the same, they have an internal check valve that allows air to enter but close to block air from leaving.

The whole installation will look similar to this drawing only instead of the vent line going through the roof the AAV will be connected to to it about six inches above the top of the standpipe.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]62510[/ATTACH]

(All images from Google.)

I'm sure you have lots more questions so ask away.

 

Wow thanks so much!
Because our access to our sewer pipe is about 4.5 feet off the ground sitting above the washer we will need about 18 inches of downward flow off the sanitary tee to make everything else line up right.
My husband drew up a sketch -- But I'm having trouble uploading it without an error. I will work on that.
I am just wondering if the downward extension of pipe before the p trap will be problematic. Let me know what you think and thanks again!!

 

Reduce the width of your picture to less than 1000px and it should upload. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...rt-images.html

 

Got a real mess there.
Those old rubber supply lines should be replaced with Stainless Steel braided lines. One burst line and that basement gets flooded.
That cheap foil dryer vent will burn through in about 30 sec. in a dryer fire.
Replace with solid galv. pipe.
Lack of a trap and that drain line taped like that, all the sewer gas is backing up into the dryer and can cause the whole hose to fill with methane gas or explode inside the dryer.

 

Yikes!!!!!!!!!
I had no idea... Just bought the house and they had it like this.
I am terrified!
Going to start with the trap and go from there..

 

If that is 2" pipe coming out of the main line you should be fine but in the past they used 1½" and with modern washers that is too small.

 

Luckily it is 2 inch pipe

 

Great diagram thank you -- would it be ok to put about 18 inches of pvc running down out of the sanitary tee before connecting the p trap so the standpipe that the washer drain pipe enters isn't 6 feet off the ground?

 

You can't pump up hill on a drain that isn't sealed and the drain hose shouldn't be sealed. I'd cut off the existing steel pipe so it was only 3inches long and then go from there with PVC placing the Tee and bottom of the trap only a few inches above the main line.

 

Ray is giving you good advice. I wish I had the computer skills to draw out the whole thing.