The discharge from your pump is a pressurized discharge. You should tie it directly to a 4 inch drain where your sewer exits the building. If your pump is only taking drainage from a laundry tray and washer machine that is commonly called gray water waste in the trade. I would suggest you contact your local code authority and ask them if it would be ok to just bring that vent up to the floor above and turn it down with 2 90 degree bends. We call that a ship vent and something allowed locally.

Do not discharge it into a small drain from the floor above you may set your self up for a major mess when the pump discharges. At the least you will pull the trap seals and allow sewer gas into your residence.

Usually a permit would be required with an inspection so contact your local code authority.

 

The discharge from your pump is a pressurized discharge. You should tie it directly to a 4 inch drain where your sewer exits the building. If your pump is only taking drainage from a laundry tray and washer machine that is commonly called gray water waste in the trade. I would suggest you contact your local code authority and ask them if it would be ok to just bring that vent up to the floor above and turn it down with 2 90 degree bends. We call that a ship vent and something allowed locally.

Do not discharge it into a small drain from the floor above you may set your self up for a major mess when the pump discharges. At the least you will pull the trap seals and allow sewer gas into your residence.

Usually a permit would be required with an inspection so contact your local code authority.

Thank you Ghostmaker for your reply.

I haven't talked to anyone at the township about codes yet. The company that recently worked on my basement told me that they could install the pump or I could do it myself to save money. They told me to use the "ship vent" as you described, but they told me to use that for the pump's discharge going into kitchen sink drainage line that is conveniently located just above our basement laundry tray.

As for venting, I don't understand how running the vent line vertically up to the ceiling then installing a ship vent will help. I thought the purpose of venting was to prevent pump cavitation (the ship vent would accomplish this) and to prevent gray water gas and odors from escaping into the house (wouldn't think a ship vent would accomplish this). Would you mind explaining so this novice could understand?

 

All the vent is for is to allow air into your sump as water is pumped. Pay attention to where you tie it in. The basement waterproofer has no idea about plumbing. May I ask why you need a pump? Is it because your washer was draining to the storm?

 

I too am starting to get the feeling that the basement guy was leading me down the wrong road. He never mentioned anything about how or where to tie in the vent, he only gave me advice on how to tie in the discharge line. I learned bout the vent on my own by researching.

We need a pump because the washer and tray 'gray water' have no place to go. The water was draining through an underground system and then into a sump well where it was pumped out the side of the house. Due to time and aging, this system collapsed and became clogged and is causing our basement to flood every time we wash clothes or use the sink. The basement folks advised to install a pump and that would take care of the problem.

We have a hole in the upper rim joist of our basement that goes out the side of our house. A 1 1/2" PVC will fit perfectly though this hole and I'd think would work very well for my vent problem. I just assumed that if the vent was not running outside, then odors would eventually seep in from the sink, dishwasher & clothes washer....so thanks for your help on that. Besides the vent, now I have to figure out how to tap into the sewer line.

Thanks you again, Steve