I have a problem with my new washer backing up and wasting water on the floor.
A little info about the setup. I moved into this home about 2 years ago and at the time i had a front load washer and had no problems(I assume because it uses less water), that washer stopped working so i bought a new top load washer. now when i wash clothes the water, while draining, backs up and spills over onto the floor. you can hear the pipe fill up with water and then it will overflow then gurgle and then drain some more then repeat the process.
so far i used a snake and snaked the whole line all the way to the septic tank. I removed the two clean out caps that are outside the kitchen window in the ground between the house and septic tank and seen that when i put the snake down the washer drain it came through the 2" clean out so i am assuming the 2" pipe drains into the 4" pipe at some point between the clean outs and the septic tank.
You have a 2" which is good but it sounds like it's still not taking water fast enough. How long a time from when the washer starts pumping out water until it backs up? How long will give you an idea where the obstruction lies. If it happens quickly then the problem is close. The longer it takes the water to backup the further away the restriction is located.
I doubt you have a clog.
Typically a front end washer uses less water (due to smaller load size) than a top loader. A top loader tends to be bigger and can take more wash and therefore more water. Your discharge pipe and drain just aren't big enough to handle the water discharge. I'm only guessing here but I think top loaders may have a more powerful pump.
My son has the same problem and we are in the process of adding a stationary sink to make for a "reservoir" of sorts. I never did like those discharge pipes for a washing machine. In the event of a clog the drain should be able to handle the capacity of the washer. Hence the stationary tub.
Could definitely be a vent issue. If there's no vent nearby, the water could be struggling to drain (like turning a soda bottle over).
My first guess would be a clog, but it sounds like you've snaked the 2" pipe well enough, so I'd consider locating the vent or adding a new one if needed.
You showed the 4" clean-out. Where is the main stack in relation to the washer?
I doubt you have vent problem. You didn't before the new washer, and no other sinks or appliances are slow draining.
Again I think the volume is greater than the drain can handle.
Vent lines can clog but I have never seen it happen. In a case like this it's usually a partial clog or something wrong with the way the piping was run like not enough fall in the line or a second trap.
I have fixed the problem. I decided to snake the drain again but used a bigger attachment(last time I think it was 1” and this time 1.5”)this time and I guess it was just partially blocked and the smaller attachment did not free it up up cause now it drains without backing up.
I'm glad you got it. Sometimes you just have to stick with it when cleaning drains. Usually I go at least 4 or 6 passes but grease and other clogs can sometimes take a lot more.
I am repiping my house from boly b to pex. I am on my last fixture on the second floor. It is a bathtub with no shower. The diverter valve has pol b connections that appear to be soldered onto the threads. I was hoping to re-use the diverter. Any way to remove the poly b connections and replace with pex connections? Photo attached.
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Hi everyone!
Thanks in advance for any feedback/advice for my question?
About 2 years ago, I purchased my first home in Puerto Rico. The house was abandoned over 20 years but I was in love with the property. I had to redo the septic tank since there are no city sewer line where the house is located. There are also no real restrictions on where to discharge gray water. The house is constructed out of cement with concrete foundation.
I currently have the kitchen sink and the laundry room, and all the showers and vanity drains connected to the septic tank. I just remodeled 1 bathroom, and I unfortunately did not separate the drain lines of the showers, vanities, and toilets...so that bathroom is connected to the septic tank.
My area of opportunity, and where I'm looking for advice. I still have 3 other bathrooms to remodel, and I'm currently building a small kitchenette for a small apartment on one side of the house I plan to rent.
[b]Should I build a separate tank with grease trap for that small kitchen? if yes, what would be the adequate size for the grease trap and tank for a 2-3 people apartment.
Or should I connect it to the septic as it has been for the past 2 years I've been living in the house? [/b]
I can barely have a 1/4 incline to the septic tank from the location of that sink. Septic measure approximately 12'x8'x8'.
[b]Since the house is so old and we will have a different layout, should I separate the shower and vanity drain lines from the toilet drain, and have them drain into a separate tank as well?[/b]
We have a lot of rain, and I'm really not sure what's best. But since I have the opportunity here to build right, I'm hoping I can find some answers here!
Thank you, and sorry for the long post! (Bolded my questions for more clarity on where I need advice.)
04-04-21, 10:57 PM
