My washing machine leaked a few days ago and I had a to shopvac up a few gallons of water from my laundry room floor. A small amount leaked through to the basement where it ruined a ceiling tile in the room below. Nothing major, and it all dried up quickly but it was definitely annoying to clean up at 1am.

My house is a single story with a walkout, 2 car garage basement. The laundry room is upstairs. Currently there is no drain pan under the washing machine or any sort of floor drain.

I'd like to add a drain pan to prevent this sort of thing from happening again but I'm unsure how to go about installing a drain for the pan. From reading around it appears I definitely don't need to tie it into the existing sewage line. A few places mentioned simply running the drain outside. Is it up to code to attach PVC to the drain line and just run it outside? How can I prevent insects from entering through the drain?

 

Drain pipes usually go straight outside. They stick up about 1/2 or more inches in pan so you have that water left. Drain usually goes down from pan so you need access from below. As A washing machine repair man pans are a pain and seldom help. Most major leaks are from hoses and pans do not help. What kind of washer is it and why did it leak?

 

The washer is a 12 year old Frigidaire Gallery. The leak was the result of a failing drain pump. It would only spin intermittently which meant that too much water entered the tub of the washer. As a result water overflowed and onto the floor.

I've ordered a new pump and plan on replacing the hoses as an added precaution.

Should I just buy a water alarm instead of installing a drain pan?

 

Posy model # of your washer If it is the one I am thinking about to door switch is usual problem. Water alarm works if you are there unless there is a water shut off with it. Drain pumps usually either work or not very rare intermittent. Is this a front loader? Other problem I have found is water valve does not close all the way and water trickles in and fills washer when off.

 

Rare but I've seen that before too.

Most machines have a way of knowing how much water is inside the machine and rarely will overfill.

 

You might want to just check onto an automatic overflow valve: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/...-shutoff-valve