Washing Machine Drains Too Fast

When washing machines drain too fast, overflow can result, potentially leading to moisture damage in the surrounding area. One of the causes of rapidly draining water is a faulty drain pump. Lint catchers may also be faulty and require replacement.

A practical, immediate solution to this problem might be to fit a holding tank above the drain. Another option would be to increase the waste pipe size for it to handle a large volume of water. Here's a more detailed look at some of these solutions.

Use a Mesh Lint Catcher

Using a wire mesh lint catcher that mounts to the end of the drainpipe of the washing machine is the best method of preventing it from draining too fast. A plastic strip is pulled together around the drainage hose so that the mesh bag doesn’t fall off.

The wire mesh holds any lint that comes out of the washing machine. This prevents it from going down the drain and leading to blockages. Ensure you change the mesh liners once or twice a month.

Fabric Mesh

To make them catch lint much better, you can use two of them together. You can then take out the inner one if it’s full and replace it. This works perfectly but several people don’t like it.

However, if your lint catcher is metallic and is constantly in the water tub, it can rust and, therefore, a fabric one will work perfectly.

Pantyhose

This outdated solution will catch even the smallest lint. It’s therefore, an excellent choice if you want to get rid of all lint pieces out of your drain. However, as most people don’t use pantyhose anymore, this may be a costly option. It also has some distinct downsides.

Drain Mesh

This mesh fits over or in the drain. When installed it appears to catch lint which other types of mesh cannot. However, you have to clean it once or twice a month. The best way to clean it is by wetting it down.

Use Prevention Enzymes

Besides the use of mesh lint catchers, having an enzyme treatment for your drain every month is a brilliant idea. The lint catcher grabs the lint and then the enzymes regularly remove the soap.

With these two solutions, you don’t need to get in touch with a plumber to check why your washing machine is draining fast.

Set up a Laundry Sink

The best way you can get rid of the issue of overflow is to connect a utility sink where the water can drain into. In this way, at the end of the drainpipe, you’ll be able to connect a lint catcher and observe whether your washing machine will drain gradually or it requires another enzyme treatment.

Installing a laundry sink with a big tub is easy if you’ve ever done plumbing tasks before. Ensure you purchase a legged laundry tub, a faucet, a pipe, and other accessories too for you to fix it.

Affix the drain from the sink to the drain’s lower part on the wall. To do that, you have to take out some of the drywall. If you don’t enjoy doing the plumbing on your own, the easiest method is hiring a plumber to carry out the task.

Use a Front-Loading Washer to Prevent the Drain Issues

The ultimate solution is to switch to a front-loading washing machine. Front-loaders don’t use much water and, therefore, cannot overflow your existing pipes. However, front-loaders are expensive.

After a couple of loads of the front-loading washer, you’ll realize that the lower water volume could be the solution to the problem.

Though with the installation of a sink you can catch lint better, a front loader is the easiest option. It’s much more cost-effective than having a plumber coming to fix your washing machine now and then.

Use a Drain Snake

The other preventive measure you can take to slow down the draining of water is to frequently snake out the drain. You can do this with your sinks and showers. You can purchase a professional metallic snake or you can just perform a short snaking for the first few feet using a plastic snake.

There are two snake types. One is made of plastic and has barbed edges and also comes with a Draino. The other one is a wire that has a metallic Velcro-like tip. The latter bends more easily after lowering it in the drain and appears to hold the gunk better.