Clothes Washer Drain Height

[Chowsman]

Hello there,

Without getting into all the details do you think that I can drain a new clothes washer between joists which is approximately 6' 6" in height?

Thanks for responses,

Dennis

[Art]

I would look on line for the washer you are getting to check the manual but to me it sounds too high.

[aemeijers]

Highly doubt it. I bought a new washer for this place after the old one caught on fire, and I had to extend the drain hose to reach the 5' or so high collector on the wall. It works, but the cycles take a little longer. If you don't have a washer drain in place, you need to be looking at one of those plastic box and pump-with-a-float-switch kits, to make it to a drain up in the ceiling. What level does your sewer main or septic line exit your basement, and how close to the washer location is that? Having a plumber tie a collector into that is the legal way to go. You do want a standpipe and air gap, to make sure sewer line water can't get back into the washer.

BTW, in case you were gonna just run a line through band joist above sill plate and spill it in the yard, that is illegal almost everywhere. Draining washer into a drywell is getting to be frowned upon, too.

aem sends....

[Mike S.]

It should work, I had my doubts but we installed my brothers machine ( a maytag front loader) with a drain about that high 2 years ago and it seems to work just fine,

[mm]

Sure, just put the washer on a 4 foot box.

There are probably pumps that will handle this also.

[Meat Plow]

Maybe 5 feet but 6.5 is stretching it, not that it wouldn't work but rather it may take longer to empty.

[dpb]

Pump may have enough lift, but I'd be wondering where it goes from there and concerned about back up and that's quite a bit of standing grey water.

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[Meat Plow]

Wonder if the drain height is ever spec'd out in the owner's manual? I've never bought a new washer,I have a pair of Kenmore that was used when I bought them back in 1990. Also wonder if some of the newer hi-tech washers even need the standing drain, seems simple enough to do away with.

[hallerb]

just lift hose to perspective height and see what happens, even if you have to drain the water into some buckets.

[Meat Plow]

I know how to do it. I was curious as to if it's mentioned in the user's manual. The standing hose needs to be maybe 6 inches higher than the highest level inside the tub. I was also curious if any manufactures have done away with this need, that's about it.

[Mike Ruskai]

On or about Sun, 15 Jul 2007 01:12:43 -0000 did [e-mail] dribble thusly:

The height should not a problem at all. Just make sure you have a stand pipe of around 12" with a P-trap at the base, and that it's vented properly.