Laundry discharge

I have read somewhere on the web, that laundry discharge will ruin a sump pump. Is that because of the lint? or because of the harsh detergent or softner ingredients? I would think that lint would not be a major issue becasue many pumps will pass "small" solids.

Washing machine discharges can cause problems in septic tanks and drain fields, and I have occasionally had to clear lint from my sump pump. So yes, I would say it is possible for lint to cause trouble there, and a lint screen of one type or another can help to eliminate that. I have a large lint screen in a filter housing on the wall behind our washing machine, and here is a similar filter you might consider:

http://www.repairclinic.com/0081.asp?RccPartID=541811

I cannot imagine laundry detergents or softeners doing damage to a pump.

Lee
Do you have a link to the large lint filter you described in your post?
I'm looking into installing one at our home.
Thanks

Old nylon stockings work great as a inexpensive lint filter. My wife uses my old ones left over after every bank hold up.

jgbfl said:

Lee
Do you have a link to the large lint filter you described in your post?
I'm looking into installing one at our home.
Thanks

Click to expand...

No, I bought it at auction. However, it is actually a filter used by agricultural folks spraying chemicals, and you can likely find something similar in that kind of setting. The clear housing screws off, then the cylindrical screen can be lifted off its seat and cleaned with an old toothbrush. And of course, you could do the same with just about any housing by fabricating a screen to go inside.

Thanks leejosepho..I did get the lint trap from repairclinc.com..now i just have to figure out how to install the darn thing. No instructions came with it...will see what i can figure out

bubb1957 said:

Thanks leejosepho..I did get the lint trap from repairclinc.com..now i just have to figure out how to install the darn thing. No instructions came with it...will see what i can figure out

Click to expand...

I have only seen the picture, but it looks to me like it might simply drop into your drain pipe and settle there (possibly with a short piece of hose going down, if necessary), and that you can then connect your discharge hose to the inlet sticking out to the side. You want the inlet higher than the outlet so the housing will not be full of water when you open it to clean it.