Clothes Washer Drain Pipe Backwash

Hi folks - the ABS drainpipe that comes out behind my washer spouts water when the washer drains into it. This has occurred since we moved into our new home. I thought that the problem was that the flexible black drainage hose from the back of the washer (the drain hose which has been there since I bought the Maytag washer over a decade ago) was in at a bad angle causing the water to splash back out but adjusting the hose didn't help. It is almost as though the water comes out at such a high rate that an air pocket in the drain pipe causes the water to back up the pipe and into the wall (then leaking through the floor underneath).

Has anyone seen this problem before and, if so, any tips on fixing it? Thanks!

Reply to
Shrink
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Common reasons are:

1) Drain pipe is too low (short). The fix, increase height to the manufacturer recommended 34-40 inches 2) The drain system is unvented or has a plugged vent. If you can't confirm the presence of a vent, get professional help. If you insist on doing it yourself, start tearing out the drywall to do whatever is necessary to let the air out of the system when the water rushes in. 3) Building codes vary. Some want you to use 2" drains, although older jobs may have 1 1/2" pipe that works just fine. 4) Lint may be trapped downstream. If you are lucky enough to find a cleanout, make use of it. Otherwise a snake may help. HTH

Joe

Reply to
Joe Bobst

Hey Shrink, I just had to deal with the same problem but I don't know if my situation is the same as yours. In our case we had a cesspool overdue for a cleanout. Washer's in the basement. We could do 2 or 3 loads then the thing would start gushing. Replaced the checkvalve (look for it just before where the washer drain line meets the main wast line), snaked till my knuckles were raw but the final solution was to pump out the tank.

BTW, I'd have reached the cesspool conclusion earlier but we had none of the other indicators of a full tank; toilets flushed fine, all other drains worked fine, no backups other than the washer.

C.

Reply to
Chuck

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