Moving washer/dryer from kitchen to basement

[tedeverson]

Hi,

My wife wants to free up some kitchen space in our new home by moving the washer and dryer to the basement. It looked like an easy move initially except I've learned that we'd need to pump the washer drain water up to the main drainpipes (which are located along the basement ceiling).

Currently the washer drains into a standpipe located about 20 inches above the trap and the standpipe is about the same distance above the main drainage system. The move to the basement would place the washer almost directly below its current location. The basement is unfinished so access to all the plumbing lines is pretty easy.

I just got an estimate to do this work and it came in at $2600. There's no way I can afford that right now. Does this price sound right? And how big a job is it to do this myself? I'm a pretty careful and methodical person when doing home renovations but I have very modest experience--so far in this house I replaced a dishwasher and a bathroom vanity/sink/faucet, both of which of course had existing hookups in place.

Thanks for any help.

[Ladiesman271]

Hi,

My wife wants to free up some kitchen space in our new home by moving the washer and dryer to the basement. It looked like an easy move initially except I've learned that we'd need to pump the washer drain water up to the main drainpipes (which are located along the basement ceiling).

Currently the washer drains into a standpipe located about 20 inches above the trap and the standpipe is about the same distance above the main drainage system. The move to the basement would place the washer almost directly below its current location. The basement is unfinished so access to all the plumbing lines is pretty easy.

I just got an estimate to do this work and it came in at $2600. There's no way I can afford that right now. Does this price sound right? And how big a job is it to do this myself? I'm a pretty careful and methodical person when doing home renovations but I have very modest experience--so far in this house I replaced a dishwasher and a bathroom vanity/sink/faucet, both of which of course had existing hookups in place.

Thanks for any help.

Get a price from three people. What are they doing / providing for the $2600? The big money is in the drain / vent system rather than the water pipes.

[tedeverson]

Get a price from three people. What are they doing / providing for the $2600? The big money is in the drain / vent system rather than the water pipes.

Here's the full list, which includes moving the dryer (I've asked for a breakdown of parts and labor):

-Relocate water and drain lines from basement steps to area chosen below in basement.
-Install one 18x24 floor mounted laundry tub and faucet. Washer to be discharged into new laundry tub and pump assembly.
-Install one Hartell LTP-1 pump, tie wiring into present receptacle, run drain to present sewer connection.
-Install new outlet for dryer (supplied by owner) and cut dryer vent into existing discharge in basement.
-Make all final connections. Please note we will need an 11/4” washer flex drain line which normally comes with the washer.

I can knock $200 off the estimate if I don't want a laundry tub.

[Redwood]

Get a price from three people. What are they doing / providing for the $2600? The big money is in the drain / vent system rather than the water pipes.

Agreed The drain and vent is the toughest part of the job.
Laundry Tray Pump systems have special requirements in terms of venting.
IMHO the best vent is a through the roof vent. I cringe when someone says the word Studor Vent, Shure Vent, Air Admittance Valve, or, Cheater Vent these devices were originally invented for tin houses on wheels and cheapness and lazyness have moved them into multi-million dollar homes, while trailers have started shunning them...

Go figure! They got tired of smelling poop and having funny noises coming from their drains...

[tedeverson]

Agreed The drain and vent is the toughest part of the job.
Laundry Tray Pump systems have special requirements in terms of venting.
IMHO the best vent is a through the roof vent. I cringe when someone says the word Studor Vent, Shure Vent, Air Admittance Valve, or, Cheater Vent these devices were originally invented for tin houses on wheels and cheapness and lazyness have moved them into multi-million dollar homes, while trailers have started shunning them...

Go figure! They got tired of smelling poop and having funny noises coming from their drains...

I've heard about these "self-contained" laundry sink pumps that don't require venting--are these a bad idea?

The existing estimate didn't mention anything about venting the pump that they'd install (Hartell LTP-1). The current dryer vent is direcly above the new location and vents horizontally to the outside--cut the pump vent be merged with this?

[Redwood]

The Hartell LTP-1 would be my last choice for this application!
Hartell LTP-1 Spec Sheet



My Choice would be a Liberty Model 405. It has a 2" inlet so you may pipe a laundry standpipe directly to it without having to install a sink if you don't want to and it has a 1/2 HP pump that will more than keep up with the discharge of the washer even at higher lifts where the Hartell will stop pumping entirely.

www.libertypumps.com/product_display.asp?ID=93&MainCat=2&SubCat=5

[themp]

I have had one of these for years in the laundry tub in the basement:

http://shellbackpump.com/3-12-19_home.php

The washer dumps into the laundry tub and the pump runs about 4 feet up to the sewer line. No vent of any kind other than the sewer line is vented up stream of this connection. There is a check valve in the exit line of the pump also to keep that four foot pipe rise from back flowing.

You mentioned that the person would take 200 dollars off the price if you removed the laundry tub. My pump cannot keep up with the washer drain, so it does fill the laundry tub up a bit. So, without the laundry tub does the washer dump straight into this pump? You need a laundry tub, I use it for alot of other things when the washer is not using it.

Tom

Tom

[Redwood]

The Liberty Model 405 will pump out about twice as fast as any washer that you would typically find in a home. It has a 2" inlet which stisfies the need for a 2" laundry standpipe. It does not need a sink to be installed with it. However I would recommend a water detection device that would shut the washer off if water on the floor was ever detected. Mechanical things can fail. If you did want a sink you could install one as well.

All of these devices should be vented through the roof.

[tedeverson]

The Hartell LTP-1 would be my last choice for this application!

My Choice would be a Liberty Model 405. It has a 2" inlet so you may pipe a laundry standpipe directly to it without having to install a sink if you don't want to and it has a 1/2 HP pump that will more than keep up with the discharge of the washer even at higher lifts where the Hartell will stop pumping entirely.

Good to know--thanks Redwood.

[tedeverson]

The Liberty Model 405 will pump out about twice as fast as any washer that you would typically find in a home. It has a 2" inlet which stisfies the need for a 2" laundry standpipe. It does not need a sink to be installed with it. However I would recommend a water detection device that would shut the washer off if water on the floor was ever detected. Mechanical things can fail. If you did want a sink you could install one as well.

All of these devices should be vented through the roof.

Venting sounds like a job that will be beyond my skills level. Is there any reasonable ventless option or are these all bad news?

[tedeverson]

Venting sounds like a job that will be beyond my skills level. Is there any reasonable ventless option or are these all bad news?

Can I just tap into an overhead dryer vent that is about 10 feet above where the washer would be? This vent runs horizontally about 15 feet to the outside of the house.

[Redwood]

The vent should go through the roof or, tie into an existing through the roof vent if allowed by your local code.

It cannot tie into the dryer vent.

[Scuba_Dave]

When we moved in our washer & dryer were already in the basement
Both were raised up about 4" on wood platforms
I raised both up onto concrete block for a total of 12" off the floor
From the bottom of tub to the drain above is 5'
I believe that black thing is the vent?

The problem, I had was that the 2" drain was filling - all the way up to the kitchen sink. Raising the drain for a better angle did not solve the problem. Instead the 2" drain from the washer to the main - all the way across the basement - was replaced with a 3" drain
This resolved the problem
The washer is right beside the sump pump pit

[Redwood]

Dave, that's not quite a legal set up there...

Drum trap & AAV

The OP cannot use an AAV on the laundry tray pumps.

[Scuba_Dave]

I'd never seen a setup like this
One reason I really don't do plumbing except washer replacements
I'm pretty sure the girl who lived here before me had a friend install it (but who knows?)
Once our kitchen is renovated the sink will move & a dishwasher will be installed. At that point I'll ask the plumber what to do about this. Plumber was OK with running the 3" drain after the hookup - without touching what was existing. He did say once the kitchen was renovated we'd revisit the setup. With the kitchen renovation I can have them run a proper vent possibly up thru the wall

My only thought was that if the washer is raised up it has less distance to pump