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Q&As since 1989
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Washing machine drain line backs up
Q. Hi. My name is Megan. I live in housing authority which is public housing. When I run my washer I have to stop it in mid drainage because the water is backing up into my kitchen sinks. I have had them out eight times for it and all they do is snake it. But it continues to do it. I was told that it could be that someone from the other apartments is draining grease down the sinks and it is clogged at the drainage u-bend right before going into the sewer. Now I have asked all of my neighbors and none of them do it and none of them is experiencing the same problems. What should I do about this problem and how should I go about telling Housing about it without sounding bossy or mean? Please help me. I am at my wit's end with this whole situation.
Megan Brookshome renter - Elkhart, Indiana USA
September 22, 2011
A. A couple of months have passed since I fixed the drain in the wall behind the washing machine. I just wanted to report that everything is still working well. We have switched to a liquid detergent. We had been using a powder. The powder has a waxy feel to it and could be the culprit in clogging up the pipes.
Frank Walsh- Dunwoody, Georgia
October 26, 2011
Thanks for the feedback, Frank. We often wait a long time, or in vain, for the 2nd shoe to drop :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 26, 2011
A. Amazing how many have the same problem. My front-load washer broke and I bought a top-loader. From the first use, water was backing up out of the drain onto the floor. I noticed the hose for the new machine was larger in diameter than the old one (1.25 inches vs. 3/4 inch).
I bought an attachment that went over the drain pipe and over the end of the drain hose and clamped it. Sealed the connection and now I have no problem.
- Queens, New York, USA
November 6, 2011
Q. Can you please give me more information on what type of attachment you bought and where did you buy it?
Thanks!
- Albion, Indiana, USA
November 14, 2011
Q. I have a 1.5 inch drainage pipe for my washer machine. They recommend 2inch for drainage pipes. When I wash my close, I have to pause it to allow the water to drain out. If I don't then water would fill the pipes and get on the floor. This didn't happen with my older washer machine. What would you recommend.
Marcus Pipes- Indianapolis, Indiana
November 17, 2011
A. Just fixed this problem myself. No vent needed. The drain pipe on the washer is thin plastic so I just pinched it inward and put a hose clamp on it to reduce the volume of water that drains. The crease also allows the air to more readily escape the pipe solving the vent problem. Yes, I tested it and it still drains super fast. Sweet!
Scott Anderson- Brandon, Mississippi, USA
November 22, 2011
Q. I found this "blog" & hope someone can help. Ted, do you do plumbing locally? The issue is this, we have a rental condo that we have never had a problem with the draining of the washing machine before (have owned the unit for approx. 13 years & had numerous tenants in that time) The washer that is there now has been there for several years, with no problem. After the last tenant moved out, I pulled the washer out to clean behind it, did not have to disconnect anything to do so, but obviously the drain line was moved around. The new tenants did a load of wash and found that during the drain cycle, the water started to come out of the pipe where the drain hose from the washer goes in. He went & bought a new rubber seal type attachment for the drain hose, but it still leaks. We went down and snaked the line, didn't seem to have been clogged and then ran a hose into the drain pipe at full speed and the water drained out perfectly. thinking we must have cleared a clog, re-hooked everything up and again, as soon as the washer drains, the water fills the drain line and starts leaking out the top. We did notice that there had been tape on the connection before,was no longer in place, do you think we should try the duct tape method? Could there be an air lock that once the water forces through will then flow correctly? Any help would be appreciated
Beth McCarthy- Bayville, New Jersey, USA
December 19, 2011
A. Hi, Beth. I run this metal finishing website, which occasionally rambles into side topics like air locks, but I am not in the plumbing business and I know very little about it.
I duct-taped my own old washing machine drain, but I'm sure this is discouraged by the washing machine manufacturer, may void the warranty, as well as not really being the right answer. But it does sound like you might have an air lock which you need to either have fixed by a plumber putting in a vent or at least an air-admittance valve, or live with. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2011
Ted, you should not give advice outside your area of expertise. Vent pipes or air admittance valves allow air into the system to prevent the traps from being siphoned and allowing sewer gas into your home. The air lock you describe should never exist in a properly designed system...the drain lines must always be sloped and never have a high point in the middle of the line. Furthermore, washing machines discharge indirectly into the drain pipe for a reason. By taping it up you are essentially creating a direct connection which is a code violation.
All of these issues are caused by one of two things....either the drain pipe is undersized and can't keep up with the discharge rate of the washer, or there is an obstruction in the pipe (clog, broken pipe, or roots) which is preventing it from draining properly.
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
January 8, 2012
Thanks for clarifying the anti-siphon purpose of those valves, James. I have more respect for the skills & experience demanded of a plumber than you know: My father was a master plumber, and in those days you had to be able to beautifully solder-wipe a lead pipe joint to the full satisfaction of a 3-man "drill sergeant style" certification board to pass the test. So when I was a kid there was an iron pot of solder cooking on the big propane burner in the basement almost nightly for a year as my father practiced for that piece of the test, as one small part of his decades of experience and study.
I told the very first poster that this wasn't a plumbing forum; and I told Beth and others repeatedly, "I am not in the plumbing business business and I know very little about it".
I don't think anyone in the world believes that duct tape is a proper solution, and I thought I made it clear, again & again, that I know that duct taping the washer discharge hose into the pipe is completely wrong and discouraged by the washer manufacturer, but I did it as a desperate fellow homeowner with water overflowing onto the floors and who couldn't afford to have a plumber run larger drain lines. In any event, it should be crystal clear on this go 'round that I'm not offering engineering or professional plumbing advice, just sharing tips with fellow homeowners who also can't afford to have bigger drain pipes installed.
But, yes, I have seen drain piping installed just exactly as I illustrated, with an air lock because someone thought they could run a drain pipe over the basement curb around their old coal bin instead of through it; I didn't make it up; it's where I learned about air locks blocking the flow, and why I warned other amateurs about them :-)
Thanks again, and regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. Of all the solutions and remedies in here there's one that was very easy and fixed the problem I've been having for years. That of placing a metal washer that restricts the flow of water enough to let the drains keep up. I'd suggest using aluminum or galvanized one that won't rust. There are probably other methods such as tapering the washer drain hose down to a quarter or half an inch. It doesn't seem to hurt the motor, water pump, or interfere with the timer. The washing machine still empties. I'd imagine there's a water level sensor or something to let the machine empty even though it takes a bit longer to do so.
It wasn't my idea; thanks to Brian E - Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the suggestion above.
- Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
January 11, 2012
A. I would have to agree that the problem seems that the older homes (mine is over 30+ years) have smaller drain lines that cannot handle the flow rate. I reduced the flow by fitting the line with a homemade reducer... never thought about simply placing a washer in the fitting.... that seems easiest way possible. At any rate, it's been working for the past three years with no more overflow! Thanks for all the ideas!
Gabriel Holter- Gulfport, Mississippi, USA
January 17, 2012
Q. Just bought a new top loader HE washing machine. The drain hose is too large in diameter than the drain pipe. Any thought on how to avoid a leak? I connected the former drain hose to the new hose with a clamp, but it still leaks out when the machine first starts draining. Any thoughts, please? thanks
Paula Johnson- Bluffton, South Carolina, USA
January 18, 2012
A. My washing machine drain pipe was backing up. I spent $325 to have a plumber "Hydroblast" the drain line & clean out the trap. When that didn't work, the plumber wanted about $1,000 to tear out the drain pipe and trap & replace it with larger diameter ones. I felt the problem was the vent as the washing machine drain does not have its own vent. I bought a GVII Anti-flood valve from Jirasek Sytems Corp. It took about five minutes to install it and it fixed the problem. It may not fix every problem but it's sure worth $31.00 to give it a try.
Sid Burks- Loma Linda, California USA
January 17, 2012
My house was built in the 1950's and I have a 2 inch cast iron stack for the washer in my basement that is not vented very well. I just bought a new top loader washer and was having all of the backup issues as everybody here. I had the drain snaked and the vent checked from the roof. Everything in good shape. I just went to Home Depot and bought an 8 inch long 3/4 inch pipe nipple that wiggled perfectly into the 1 inch opening of the washer drain hose. I clamped it with a ring clamp and tested it. It was slightly better, but still backed up. I then screwed on a 3/4 to 1/2 inch reducer to the end of the pipe nipple, also found at Home Depot. Worked perfectly with no backup. No idea whether this will hurt the pump, but my guess is that it won't in the near term. Good luck, everybody. This is my first time trying any of this btw.
Tyler J- SW, Virginia
January 24, 2012
When I bought my new washer (top loader) I noticed it didn't have a lint filter like my old one did. I asked the salesman and he said I would need to put some drain cleaner down the washer drain every 6 months or so.
I REALLY wish I had gotten my old machine repaired instead of getting this new one. I have had backups into my shower of "blue jean lint" the last 3 times I have washed....despite the drain cleaner routine. Lots of gurgling in the sink & toilet too when the washer drains. Makes me wonder about new-fangled improvements....wow.
- OKC, Oklahoma
February 13, 2012
We have very successfully used a double layer of Bridal Illusion [affil links], about 6-7" square, rubber-banded over the end of a 1 1/2" discharge hose into our basement drain. We change it after EVERY wash load. It catches the lint, and saves on plumber bills. And, yes, the hose goes up above the height of the discharge on the back of the machine before it descends and curves around to the drain. If lint is causing your drains to become clogged, this is a simple, cheap solution. You can make a LOT of filters from a yard or two of illusion! Hope this helps someone!
Lora McClamrock- Fort Wayne Indiana, USA
February 21, 2012
Q. My washer also drains all over the basement floor. It did not do so until either we got the top loader or when the furnace & air conditioner drains were also placed in the washer drain. It's been a long time so I cannot recall when it became a problem.
I really think an Air Admittance Valve would work but I can't use one with the other items in the drain. What are my options?
Where else can the other drain tubes drain to? If I make them long enough, can I have them drain in the floor drain that's about 9 foot further over?
I really would like for this constant wet floor can be done with.
- Battle Creek, Michigan, USA
June 25, 2012
Q. I read all the posts. I went with the solution the plumbers posted and verified it with a local plumber and the plumber that works at HD. Still did not fix the problem. There is no clog, I snaked it before beginning. Any solutions?
Michael Robins- Shelby Township, Michigan
June 27, 2012
A. What I did to solve the problem was to extend the drain pipe up about a foot. That way it gathers enough water to push through the air long before it spills over. No problem since.
William Phipps- Chicago, Illinois
June 22, 2013
Q. Washing machine drains into washtub, machine wasn't working properly only 3 months old, had repair man there and said to put a PVC pipe on the side of the washtub as it wasn't draining fast enough and created vacuum and was sucking the dirty water back into the machine, never heard of this before,
Was told to put a 2 inch PVC pipe on the side to create air flow, can anyone tell me if this is proper and if so the best way to attach it and what size to use?
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
September 10, 2013
A. Hi Michael. We can only guess what the repairman said to you, but if the washing machine's discharge hose is sitting in a tub full of dirty water, I suppose it could suck that water back into the machine.
I think he's telling you that the end of the hose must be above the water level in the washtub. It sounds easy enough to cut the hose as he said so the end is above the water level in your slow-draining washtub. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 11, 2013
Well I live in a mobile home in a park; the sewage lines were backed up, but the lines are cleared out. Now when I do laundry my washer backs up into my tub and drains my toilet, but I can use the tubs, kitchen sink, and both toilets. Can someone tell me what to do?
wanda kruse- cedar springs Michigan
September 20, 2014
A. Hi Wanda. It sounds to me like the lines were only partially cleaned out and things are not draining freely (perhaps tree roots in the drain pipe).
See, the main drain line is supposed to be empty (full of air, not water). If you do not run any water for a while, any water in the drain pipe gradually seeps through the partial blockage and the pipe becomes empty. Now if you flush your toilet, the waste has some place to go (into the empty pipe), but if you keep running the water, the pipe gets filled because the waste is only seeping out, not flowing out properly.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 2014
Q. When my washer drains it overflows on the floor and water runs out of vent pipe on the roof; any solutions?
Michelle Davis- Grand Bay, Alabama
April 30, 2015
Q. I have mini vents installed in every bathroom in the house. Sometimes if I am running the shower and then the toilet is flushed, the toilet will overflow. What can be done to make the water flowing system independent so I don't have to go around telling people to not flush when showering or running any other water lines in bathrooms?
Kim Howard- San Diego, California
November 22, 2015
A. The solution to stop the all the bubbles while the drain is happening is to ensure that the drain hose is firmly pushed down your drain pipe so that there's no room for bubbles. I had the same problem with slot of bubbles after the drain but once I firmly place the hose down the drain pipe, the bubbles were gone... Hopefully this helps.
Mark S. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Los Angeles, California
January 11, 2016
Q. My washing machine drains into a dedicated drain field. It had been on a slab outside the back door with the drain hose dumping into a 4" drain line that had a 4" vent stack. I laid a foundation and added a full laundry room in the same place. The vent stack was cut off, sealed and concreted over by the plumber who installed the wall faucet/drain unit. The machine drain hose still empties into the same drain line but now there is no vent. He also installed a laundry tub on the outside wall of the new room sitting right above the 4" drain line and tapped into that line to drain the tub (used 1.5" PVC but did not install a trap). Now when the machine drains, the water backs up into the tub. If venting is the problem I'm wondering why the tub drain line itself doesn't act as a vent? Would it do any good to install a vent line...and where? Thanks for any help or advice.
Unfortunately, the plumber is stiff-arming me about coming back to do the job right.
- El Paso, Texas USA
February 9, 2016
Q. Hi,
We live in a flat. Every time the neighbour upstairs uses the washing machine (at least twice a day), our kitchen sink explodes, especially I believe when the water gets drained from the washing machine. It makes dreadful noises and stinks from time to time. I must admit their old washing machine never did that, it all started when they bought and installed a new one recently. It really has become unbearable, the water backing up to the sink every so often, with the drain bursting with the bubbles and smell. Could you please help resolve this issue. Many thanks.
- UK
April 27, 2016
I would like to thank Mr Mooney for this blog. I had drain problems and I am on a budget. Your info was right on and helped me greatly. I think that it is wonderful that you try to help people instead of just trying to get more money out of people that can't afford it. A lot of people are smart enough to figure it out with a little advice and guidance. So much appreciated. S
- Anniston Alabama
April 27, 2016
Thanks for the kind thoughts, Susan. Most of us can't afford to share everything, but can afford to share something :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 2016
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