Washing Machine Drain Keeps Backing Up. Pic included

wroberts

wroberts

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We just moved into our house about 4 months ago. Shortly after moving in I noticed that the washer drain would fill up and overflow into the laundry room, now it happens all the time. I have replaced the ptrap (thinking it could be lint), have used a water balloon to force a clog out and nothing has worked. I'm wondering would the vent stack have anything to do with it? I have included a picture. Additonal info; the previous house owners said that this would happend every now and then.

Please Help!
Thanks

1st pic is inside (vent stack to the left, drain to the right)
2nd pic is outside where drain leads out.
 

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Where does the 2" pipe end?You must be in a year round warm climate.
I would put a clean out tee above the trap on the vent and rent an electric
drain cleaner.Still would like to know where that pipe ends up as that
might be where your problem is.
Clay
 
After it runs out side, it takes a turn to go up under the house which has no other turns until it connects to the cast iron pipeing (did I mention 1949 house) that leads to the sewer. The connection is a "T" connection. I did run a snake down to what I thought was the iron pipeing which got caught and tore up. I had to pull it out (nothing was left behind).
 
I would say that where the PVC connects to the iron pipe is your problem
spot,if you could post a pic where PVC joins iron pipe I might be able to
help you eleminate this problem.
 
It sounds as if someone did a bad thing somewhere in the pipe. Perhaps a restriction or bushing-down toward the end of the line.

If it's properly graded, a 2" drain simply shouldn't plug up.

And when you say it goes into a tee connection, could you be more specific? Depending on the orientation of the fitting, chances are it should not be a tee, but rather a wye.

And I'm also wondering about the ABS vent attached to the PVC pipe with a glued fitting - it's not allowed here. I noticed a lot of couplings in the pipe, which I consider to be unprofessional. (Possibly it was just a repaired break . . .)
 
I agree with Herk's assessment of the problem. Most likely a restriction in the line where it connects with the cast iron drain. The installation of the washer drain is certainly a hack job. It should have gone under the floor and then into the main drain. This puts so many turns in the drain, it complicates snaking. As far as the ABS connection to the PVC vent, he's right, it's not proper. However, since it is a vent and never under any pressure, it is probably never going to cause a problem, but it could easily be corrected with a banded coupling.
 
Does it actually turn UP to go under the house and thus trapping a BUNCH of water and lint in there all the time?
 
Nate, I wonder if you're looking at this backward. I think it comes out of the house, goes down, then turns to go along the foundation. I don't think we see where it goes into the house. Course, maybe I'm backward...it's been know to happen!
 
Gary, you are right, as soon as it comes out of the house (pic 2), it follows the foundation and turns up under the house. It is on a down grade. The laundry room was an add on, they laid a foundation instead of building it up like the rest of the house. I'll see if I can get a pic where pvc connects to the cast iron.
 
Here we go.
 

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The line coming into the back side is the kitchen sink line. From that point it runs towards the road.
 
Any problems at the kitchen sink when the washer drains or, is that a lot higher than the washer standpipe?

What happens if you drain out a tub full of water with the cleanout open??? Does it drain okay?
 
Last edited:
The sink is higher than the washer drain but there is no problems with it draining nor the tub, just the washer drain.
 
In the last pic, the rubber coupling after the wye, to the cast iron, is not a proper coupling, and the apparent "wrinkles" in it could cause problems. But since you say the sink line drains OK, the next question ....the pic certainly makes it appear that the WM line coming into that wye is sloped UP at that point. This would also cause problems.


I would not rule out that rubber coupling, because a partial clog could still allow the sink to appear to drain OK, and cause trouble for the larger volume of the WM>
 
Get a level and check the whole lie and be sure it has pitch all the way out , the bubble should be touching the line on the glass and the drain should be supported every 3' outside especially if the sun hits it.
 
You need a Electric Power Snake to run though from the outside clean out you have a lot of grease and sludge build up in the old cast iron pipe going from the wye down to the sewer main,
You may need to even replace this pipe because this buildup hardens like concrete inside old pipes
The reason the sink drains is because their is no pressure forcing it down and it can take time to drain
 
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