Plumbing outflow of washing machine into external drains

[Ben R]

Hi

I've recently plumbed a new washing machine into the garage and need to run the outflow pipe through the garage wall foundations, into a trench, then run it along for about three feet before connecting it into the the drain where one of the downpipes flows from the guttering in the house. My problem is that I'm not sure how I can drill a core into the concrete gully to fit the outflow pipe without cracking the gully. I'm also not too sure how to get though the garage wall.

Any advice?

Cheers

Ben

[David Hansen]

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:04:21 -0700 someone who may be Ben R wrote this:-

If the gully has an open grid or back-entry, could you not run the waste at high level along the garage wall and then drop into the gully?

If it doesn't, could you still run the pipe at high level and drop into a newly installed back-entry gully?

Otherwise you will need to extend the drain.

What is the wall made of?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Strictly speaking that part needs to be properly done. Hole through wall, then a short pipe discharging into a proper gully.

The above gully needs to then go to a manhole.

SDS drill plus a suitably sized core drill. Lidl had some core drills and an SDS drill on offer last week at a good price. It would make light work of such a hole.

[clot]

Where does your surface water go? It may not go to the public foul water sewer - it could be that it goes to either a soakaway or a surface water sewer! Hence the connection would be both illegal and polluting the environment. This home modification is often the greatest source of pollution in urban watercourses!

[Rick]

Most hopuses you have top-water, and foul-water, 2 seperate systems. You are proposing to put your foul-water into the top-water drain, not a sensible plan.

Rick

[The Medway Handyman]

I had a customer last week wanting a washing machine installed into an attached garage. He seemed sure it would be OK to discharge the waste into a surface water gully. I told him it wasn't suitable or legal. I suspect he will get it done anyway, so I have my principles, but I lost the job!

[clot]

Sorry you lost the job but it will protect your reputation. You never know, he might just be persuaded of his error by another and come back to you if "The Price is Right".

[Ben R]

Hi

Thanks for all your advice. We have a septic tank and I was pretty sure that the drain went into the tank - however, I will double check as I don't want to drain it away anywhere else. Is it very unusual for top water AND foul water to go to the septic tank?

To make absolutely sure I could run the outflow to the drain from the kitchen (sink/dishwasher - on the presumption that this WILL go to the septic tank). However, I would still be faced with the same problem. I cannot run the outflow above ground to the top of a gulley because it crosses a path around the house. Would I therefore have to extend the drain?

Cheers again

Ben

[S Viemeister]

Yes.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its very stupid, as much as anything. Septic tanks are there to allow a low flow to settle and anaerobically digest the organics into sludge

A high flow washes the organics through before its happened. I used to have one, and after a big bath, the outflow whiffed something shocking.

The klargester biodisk I now have is INFINITELY better, but even that couldn't cope with rainwater..

[clot]

As TNP has commented, very very unlikely! It could just be worth putting in some drain tracing dye in to find out where it goes.