Is the drain pipe accessible in the basement?
Washing machine exit pipe overflow issue
Hi Everyone
I don't know if this is a plumbing issue or not, but I am in the northeast where the past several days have been very cold (no higher than 10 degrees).
I was just running the washing machine and all of a sudden water starts pouring out from the hose that exits the machine into the drain pipe in the wall. The washing machine exit hose and both entry hoses are fine. So it is the pipe in the wall that appears to be the issue.
I can't see into it, but obviously the drain pipe in the wall is either clogged with something or is frozen?
The house is only 4 years old and the machine is only that also.
Any ideas?
Paul
I don't know if this is a plumbing issue or not, but I am in the northeast where the past several days have been very cold (no higher than 10 degrees).
I was just running the washing machine and all of a sudden water starts pouring out from the hose that exits the machine into the drain pipe in the wall. The washing machine exit hose and both entry hoses are fine. So it is the pipe in the wall that appears to be the issue.
I can't see into it, but obviously the drain pipe in the wall is either clogged with something or is frozen?
The house is only 4 years old and the machine is only that also.
Any ideas?
Paul
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
It is. It looks like it hooks into another main pipe through a bottom elbow.
Paul
Paul
I trust that it worked okay until today.
Chances are very good that the trap has frozen.
You mgiht want to buy a hose with about a quarter inch inside diameter and siphon out the accumulated water. Thnn pour in hot water (don't need to fill it up), wait a few minites, and repeat.
If the trap was frozen and is inside the wall, now it remains unknown whether the trap cracked and waste water will leak inside the wall. If you break open the wall to find out, re-assemble it with no insulation between the pipe and the inside wall surface.
While using a hair dryer will help thaw the pipe, it will be extremely slow at thawing what is above when you heat a plastic pipe as it emerges down into the basement.
Do not seal the connection between the washing machine drain hose and the drain pipe. That will damage the machine if the drain pipe is clogged or should become clogged in the future.
Chances are very good that the trap has frozen.
You mgiht want to buy a hose with about a quarter inch inside diameter and siphon out the accumulated water. Thnn pour in hot water (don't need to fill it up), wait a few minites, and repeat.
If the trap was frozen and is inside the wall, now it remains unknown whether the trap cracked and waste water will leak inside the wall. If you break open the wall to find out, re-assemble it with no insulation between the pipe and the inside wall surface.
While using a hair dryer will help thaw the pipe, it will be extremely slow at thawing what is above when you heat a plastic pipe as it emerges down into the basement.
Do not seal the connection between the washing machine drain hose and the drain pipe. That will damage the machine if the drain pipe is clogged or should become clogged in the future.
This may be a typical instance where the pipe in the wall was put on the wrong side of the insulation. This happens all too frequently because of a lack of knowledge.
You should also consider that your washing machine drain is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to judging the degree which your drain piping is clogged up. No other appliance or fixture in your house pumps as much water into your drain piping as quickly as your clothes washer. So, if you find that the problem persists even when the weather warms up and freezing isn't a probable cause any more, then have a plumber clear the main drain line from your house to the sewer under the street you live on.
I poured quite a bit of hot water down the drain and it appeared to flow OK. I did buy a snake, but it wasn't necessary. I re-started the washer and it finished fine.
If the issue was a frozen pipe (the wall is an external wall), then I don't know whether the pipe cracked or not. I went downstairs where I can see the pipe coming out of the wall and coming into an elbow and then joining onto another main water line. I don't see any water at all and I didn't see any sign the wall upstairs had water behind it.
Without cutting open the wall to check, can it be assumed that escaping water will somehow show itself by either stains on the wall, water dripping downstairs, etc?
Paul
If the issue was a frozen pipe (the wall is an external wall), then I don't know whether the pipe cracked or not. I went downstairs where I can see the pipe coming out of the wall and coming into an elbow and then joining onto another main water line. I don't see any water at all and I didn't see any sign the wall upstairs had water behind it.
Without cutting open the wall to check, can it be assumed that escaping water will somehow show itself by either stains on the wall, water dripping downstairs, etc?
Paul
The house is only 4 years old, I wouldn't want to cut any holes in the wall either. I don't blame you.
Depending on the size of the leak, it may take awhile for stains to show up. You can take the wait and see approach and hope for the best. If no signs of leakage, I wouldn't worry about it.
Depending on the size of the leak, it may take awhile for stains to show up. You can take the wait and see approach and hope for the best. If no signs of leakage, I wouldn't worry about it.
Another option you can try; The new house should have some kind of warranty with the contractor. Let them know of the issue you are having and have them fix it right so it doesn't happen again. Otherwise, every cold snap you will be dealing with it and eventually it will crack or break & leak.
Tell them it may be leaking behind the wall and you are concern with water damage and mold issues. Just a suggestion.
Tell them it may be leaking behind the wall and you are concern with water damage and mold issues. Just a suggestion.
Thanks for the responses. There is a warranty, and I am going to try that route, but I don't think they will cover it. Although putting this pipe in an exterior wall is obviously not great design.
Paul
Paul
Properly insulated it works just fine on an exterior wall. At least mine does to -21°F.
One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned is an accumulation of washing machine lint building up in the pipe. I had this problem a few years ago. My washer outlet drains into a double laundry sink and one day I happened to see that the sink was almost filled to the top and was no longer draining. I used a snake and managed to open the plug which fixed the problem. I had not been using those little lint filters but started again after this incident. No problems since then.
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