basement washer drain goes up

[Ralph Mowery]

My son bought a house and in moving the cloths washer is in the basement. In the house about 4 or 5 feet off the floor is what looks like a PVC back flow prevernter.We are thinking that the washer drain hose is suppose to connect to that judging as the fresh water pipes are close by.

Comming out of that back flow preventer ( or what every you call the back flow valve) is a piece of iron pipe that is threaded. I did not see the pipe,just a picture of it on his cell phone. It looks to be about 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 inch iron pipe.

Question is first is that where the hose connects ? Second is what all kind of connectors would be needed to hook the washer hose to the pipe ?

I am thinking find some kind of reducer that will fit the iron pipe and then the drain hose and slide the drain hose over a piece of pipe that is screwed into the reducer. Then use some of the worm type clamps to hold the hose on.

I guess the pump in the washing machine would force enough water out as not to be a problem ?

[TimR]

Every washer I've seen has a drain hose with a bent end that drops into a drain that size. No reducer or fitting or clamp is normally used. I don't see why it would be needed.

[Ralph Mowery]

I may not have been too clear. The drain pipe inlet is about 5 feet off the floor. /It then goes up instead of down. The water has to pump vertically to get out of the basement.

All the other ones I have seen do go down and all you have to do is put the washer hose down the hole.

If the washer pipe was stuck in this drain pipe all the water would just run on the floor. The connection has to be water tight.

[Clare Snyder]

You REALLY want to install a "laundry pump" in that basement - basically a 5 gallon pail (or slightly larger) with a submersible sump pump on it.

[micky]

Yes, I can see that.

How high can the washer output pump? Most can do 6 or 7 feet off the floor and I'm sure some can do much more, but do all of them?

What did the previous owner do?

[gfretwell]

That was pretty popular in basements in Maryland in houses with septic tanks. They used a regular utility sink with a sump pump under it in a small enclosure. Clogging with lint was a regular problem. The kids even learned how to take the pump apart and clean it out but if you forgot to put the plug in the sink, it was a real mess.

[Ralph Mowery]

I do not know how far the washer can pump. I did see something like most of them pump about 90 inches.

The previous owner had already left out and taken every thing with him,so I do not know.

[TimR]

I just don't see a washer being able to pump up like that. I agree, you need a laundry pump.

[hubops]

The submersible pump in my laundry sump has been there for over 26 years... guess I just have less lint than other folk ? It's a "sewage pump" so a slightly larger outlet pipe. We don't have a basement toilet, but it pumps all our laundry water ; plus water softener and furnace condensate. John T.

[micky]

Maybe you can call him.