BigBendFishing.Net

Anyone need business to find out why my washer drain doesn't drain down the pipe - already snaked and has clear shot.

My expertise in the plumbing field says the drain pipe is not properly vented.
That will be 65.00 for the service call

Steve Taylor a.k.a Jumptrout51

while we are on this subject, just put a washing machine in the new house and the 2" galvanized drain pipe is clogged(house has been vacant for about 3 years)... pipe is about 10' long and goes straight into the septic tank... question is can you snake it from the inside of the house? If not is there any other way to get the clog out?

Sorry to take it from ya RodBow, but thanks for the help,
Ben

Rodbow, is the drain backing up or is the washer not pumping?

We had a similar (same) problem when we moved into our house. For the second question, first, though: Yes, you can and should snake it with one of those drill snakes from Depot.

As for the first question, I agree with Cairo in that you might want to check the vent, as that is also a likely culprit. We found our drain line was either clogged or ran into NOTHING, so we took the tops off two vertical pipes that we found by our front porch flower bed and let the washing machine "water" the plants. Not sewage, so you arent breaking code. See if you have those pipes around the outside of the house for the quick fix.

JT. This is a problem that we've had since moving in some 20 years ago.

1. The cast iron pipe that comes through the util room slab is about 36" high. Its just that - a 36" x 3" pipe. This point is the "top" of the drain system - as it connects to the straight run down the remainder of the house. a) kitchen sink, b) bathroom1, c) bathroom2 before it takes a turn toward the street.

2. The previous scoundrel/owner had a plastic floor runner wrapped up like a small funnel coming out of the washer drain pipe which extended the height to about 72". After I removed the funnel the drain never would take outflow from the washer. Needless to say, the back yard has gotten years of wash water.

3. My 20 yr old washer went on the blink last week. In getting it staged to get worked on (or buried) I had to remove the dryer to get the washer out of the small util room. Then my wife said, Let's get it all cleaned out, repaneled, painted, etc.

So while I have everything out I figured I'd get the drain looked at. I've done all I know how to do including using one of those buffer fish water blow thing decloggers, running a snake and running the hose at pressure (only to have it back up).

(JT You can have the old w/m if you want it - replaced it with a newer model)

A little background about myself, retired master plumber been doing plumbing work since 1974. This just for the Georgia members started with John Gay of Gay plumbing in Albany, Ga. Can't catch fish as good as most of you folks but I can plumb. Most washer stacks are 2" and to snake them you need at least a 1/2" cable with a spring head. Any thing smaller and you're just creating a small hole thru the blockage usually located in the p-trap. All new top load washers will pump about 20 gallons of water out in less than 2 minutes, without the full diameter of the 2" drain it will back up. Pumbing under slabs are more dificult to repair than pipes in crawl spaces.
Options for repair is a professional snaking of the pipes or re-routing new piping to the sewer or septic tank. It is a code violation to dump washer water directly on the ground, in a rural area probably no one would ever know, but in an urban area you would be taking a chance of a violation. Any help I can give to a fellow fiherman is gladly given. Carl, 421-6411
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