Washing machine drain overflow
#1
01-05-13, 03:52 PM
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Washing machine drain overflow
Hello and seasons Greetings!
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about the following scenario: I have had a kenmore frontloading washing machine for the past 6 years or so. The first year everything was fine in terms of the drainage. Since then I have been battling an intermittent problem where when the machine enters the spin cycle the drain overflows. It is is an erratic problem, but seems to be getting worse. The pipe is 2 inches in diameter, and it is about 3 feet higher than the place where it leaves the washing machine. I have snaked the drain numerous times with varying degrees of success. Sometimes there is no overflow for a couple of weeks, at most 2 months. I have tried putting on a nipple to restrict the flow to no avail. 3 plumbers have been here over the past few years and while they have snaked the drain, they all seem to think the drain is fine and the drain is properly vented. Does anyone have any thoughts? Its been driving me bonkers so any assistance at all would be greatly appreciated....
V/R
Ken
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about the following scenario: I have had a kenmore frontloading washing machine for the past 6 years or so. The first year everything was fine in terms of the drainage. Since then I have been battling an intermittent problem where when the machine enters the spin cycle the drain overflows. It is is an erratic problem, but seems to be getting worse. The pipe is 2 inches in diameter, and it is about 3 feet higher than the place where it leaves the washing machine. I have snaked the drain numerous times with varying degrees of success. Sometimes there is no overflow for a couple of weeks, at most 2 months. I have tried putting on a nipple to restrict the flow to no avail. 3 plumbers have been here over the past few years and while they have snaked the drain, they all seem to think the drain is fine and the drain is properly vented. Does anyone have any thoughts? Its been driving me bonkers so any assistance at all would be greatly appreciated....
V/R
Ken
#2
01-05-13, 07:54 PM
Group Moderator
Seasons Greetings to you sir 
I've seen this problem with top loaders due to the large amount of water in tub.
Not usually a front loader issue. I'm guessing you get this just before unit goes into spin mode.
There are so many ways to accomplish a hook up like yours. Could you shoot us a pic. There may be no problem near your washer. It could be down the road.
How old is the house ?
Cast iron drain lines or PVC ?
In my personal setup......I have the standpipe for the washer connected with its own trap to the same drain line as the wash basin. It's actually right next to basin. I set it up this way so that if sewer line backed up the sink would retain the water.
I've seen this problem with top loaders due to the large amount of water in tub.
Not usually a front loader issue. I'm guessing you get this just before unit goes into spin mode.
There are so many ways to accomplish a hook up like yours. Could you shoot us a pic. There may be no problem near your washer. It could be down the road.
How old is the house ?
Cast iron drain lines or PVC ?
In my personal setup......I have the standpipe for the washer connected with its own trap to the same drain line as the wash basin. It's actually right next to basin. I set it up this way so that if sewer line backed up the sink would retain the water.
#3
01-06-13, 02:31 AM
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Thanks for the reply. the drain line is pvc ande seems to feed into the main drain leaving the house though a crawl space. Since I dont have a basement I don't have any kind of a sink or anything to absorb extra backflow. The house itself is about 40 yrs old but was gutted and redone from inside out about 10 years ago. I will send a picture later if helpful (It would involve moving heavy objects and that much noise at 5 am would give me a whole new sort of problems lol)
Thanks again
Ken
Thanks again
Ken
#4
01-06-13, 04:49 AM
Forum Topic Moderator
Most time I run into this it's the waste line to the street. Washer dump a lot of water in a hurry and any slow drain will cause it to back up. Find out if you have used shower or anything else before the washer problem can happen.
#5
01-06-13, 07:53 AM
Member
Agree with pugsl that it is probably a slow drain. How far did the plumbers snake the lines? Did they hook up the PVC to the original cast iron pipes or did they run new all the way to exit the house? There may also be a sag in the drain pipe under the house where a hanger has come loose, or they did not use enough hangers. Could be a place for solids to settle.
#6
01-07-13, 01:50 AM
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Thanks for the replies.....The PVC is attached to cast iron at the point it seems to go underground under the house (Not sure what you mean about hangars). The lines themselves were snaked at least 25 feet (maybe 50) and each time very minimal debris noted on the snake (both by the pros as well as myself). No other drains seem slow. Most of the overflows are at times when no other water in the house is being used (Usually mid afternoon when showers have been done for some time)...Thanks again
Ken
Ken
#7
01-09-13, 10:50 AM
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I am trying to post a picture of the pipe configuration but since I am new to this site I am unsure how to do it....By the way why would the overflow be intermittent? I mean wouldnt any of the above mentioned scenarios result in flooding all of the time?
Ken
Ken
#8
01-10-13, 08:33 AM
Member
I'm guessing that each load of laundry is different. A load filled with jeans up to the brim will hold a different amount of water than a partial load of delicates set to the same water level. Loose water will exit faster than the water trapped in the jeans that has to "Spin" it out which may not reach the threshold of the point of backing up.
