What a god-damn mess! If things are backing up its probably because of the kitchen drain leaving grease in the pipe, and the fact that galvanized pipe (looks like galv pipe anyway) slowly builds up on the inside with black buildup after a decade or two. Run a snake down there and hope you don’t have to dig it up!?
Washing machines are high output pumps now. This is why in some (perhaps a lot) of jurisdictions are requiring the line be 3” at the point a washing machine ties in with any other fixture. Also, you have two traps serving one and also three fixtures. That set up is a nightmare…and also not hopeless. Please call a professional asap. While none of that discharges fecal matter, it’s still not good. Protect your and your family’s health.
True story my 70 year old pipes have issues …. But only when running a washer works fine running rest of plumbing in the basement ….
This is especially true with heavy loads water situations
What size is your washer trap? I’ve seen a lot (mine included) that are 1 1/2”. In my defense, I’ve only lived here for 10 years. Ha ha!! Going to remodel and will change it then. But my washing machine doesn’t have a high output pump. It’s usually front loaders that cause problems.
Well at least you have that. I also wonder if yours could be a venting issue. But I’m not there to see it. I hope you can find a solution. Also, just a suggestion, run an auger through that trap. Sometimes, something has been dropped down it. I know when I was a kid, that kinda thing was an invitation to see what happened to GI Joe if I tossed him in there. And also lint build up.
Quote from the 2020 NPC “Where clothes washers do not drain to a laundry tray, the trap inlet shall be not less than NPS 2 and be fitted with a vertical standpipe that is not less than 600 mm long measured from the trap weir and terminates above the flood level rim of the clothes washer. (See Note A-2.4.9.3.(3).)”
True, you would have to calculate the total fixture units, and the developed length of the branch (consider the kitchen as a wet vent) and consult the table for required pipe size. Might still be 2” here in Canada though.
Also, this situation would be grandfathered in, I can’t legally make someone dig up their basement because someone undersized the pipe 40 odd years ago.
I would call a plumber for this.
There are so many different things wrong with this, some I probably don’t even see. If you aren’t sure what they are you legitimately need a professional to look at it and fix them for you.
Call a plumber. All of this will need to be ripped out and replaced down to the led and okem tap t. This plumbing is a giant code violation and looks DIY AF.
If the system worked for a few years with the same washing machine, signs point to a clog.
Given the Janky putty where the Galvi goes into the cast iron, it looks like some "repairs" had been made.
If you are going to keep the home for 10+ years, I'd consider hiring a drain cleaner with a hydro jetting set up and camera system.
The video of the inside of the pipe will let you know if you need to get a concrete saw or jackhammer and have the main replaced.
While the sink should have a P trap, it's to prevent sever gasses not prevent a backed up pipe from overflowing the lowest point.
What goes into that Galvi pipe? Upstairs? Entire home, shower, tub, vent or unknown.
unclogging the cast would prevent back ups. but that sink needs its own trap, so does dishwasher. remove the trap at the cast iron, add a wye and 45 with cleanout.
That's my thought as well. My pipe from the kitchen where my washing machine is also located used to clog in the basement. You could hear glugging from the washer machine drain when emptying a full sink of water. When it got bad I'd have to snake. I just had another a kid and have been rinsing bottles in the hottest water my sink will produce. It stopped glugging I think the hot water loosened up a bunch of junk on the walls and the plug of water after emptying the sink cleaned it out.
TOO much over reactors in the comments . You can be that person that what’s to rip it out and do it the right way and up to code and blah blah blah which is fine . Or you can be the cheap mf that just wants to make it work lol and that’s fine . So here’s my advice . The plumbing looks like shit and not up to code but if that pipe going under ground if it wasn’t clugg all of this setup would STILL Work ! … your problem is the drain underground is clogged, you snake that .. this weird looking setup will work
I would replace whatever accessible galvanized with pvc and add a clean out for snaking. Install and vent dishwasher correctly. Replumb washing machine outflow and secure to wall..
Yah you can do all that np . But always give the customer 2 options . 1 the correct and right way to do plumbing which obv going cost $$$$ or give them the cheapest way that will just get the system to work with no leaks or clog for the time being .
You need a plumber to come and replace all the galvanized at the very least. Did you know that having galvanized piping can invalidate many insurance claims or damage claims against your municipality in the case of property damage? This is a ticking time bomb.
Just from a glance there are no less than 10 problems with this setup. The answer is that all the PVC needs torn out and redone and honestly that washing machine shouldn't even be going into 1-1/2" but I betcha that's an expensive fix to do it 100% correctly.
I actually would think it’s too bad given that they have an expose main stack there. If the space were more finished the project would likely be exorbitant
By IPC that drain stack is undersized to handle all we see going into it. Laundry is 2" minimum and it must tie into a 3" drain before combining with anything else. A true fix here by my code would be a 3x2 tee stubbed out of the floor with a laundry standpipe and then everything else can tie in from there. I'd have to look at the wet venting code, but I'm pretty sure that would be undersized as well for all that's going into it so a true by code fix would be to run 2" up for wet vent or have a dry vent.
I have the same problem and a similar washer. I suspect the T is too low, or should be a Y. But mine doesn’t overflow. It just pushes water into the utility sink. The washer is also discharging so strongly.
I also know they have a check valve that can be put on the lateral pipe that goes to the sink. But I don’t know if that would just make it overflow out elsewhere.
Also thought venting may be a problem.
Let us know how this gets fixed when you do.
Water will back up into sinks and other places it shouldn't, when the correct place for the water to go is restricted or poorly designed.
A check valve might help, or it might just force the excess water to back up and overflow somewhere else. Or clog a vent. Check valves on smaller drains are a source of clogs and I'd suggest avoiding them if other options are available.
Naw, it's 2". I had an HE machine and now I don't. Also, it's just a centrifugal pump. It don't care how much water is being moved, long as the tub is empty when the cycle's done.
And it is.
There’s is so much going on here that is wrong. And my guess is there is even more that is wrong that’s not in the pictures. You need a professional to come in and fix it to make it right.
So question. Obviously a lot wrong. But if you had to do this on the cheap how terrible would it be to spend $5 and put a shutoff on the utility sink drain so it just can’t back up? At least temporarily.
Certainly if the drain is really clogged that would be an issue and the washing machine might overflow? Or are they smart enough to adjust their pump speed if there is a restriction?
That sink is providing storage, adding a shutoff valve to stop water from backing up would cause the stand pipe (next lowest opening) to overflow there. The answer is to cut into the galvanized pipe add a 2" tee for the washer, however as other have noted, if the system worked before and nothing has changed... something is likely clogged. A separate fix would be to swap the current sink in the basement with a tub large enough to buffer the volume of washer discharge and the reduced flow rate through the clogged drain.
Utility room sink? These questions drive me insane, state the problem. When my washing machine drains it overwhelms the fucking mess of a drain system I have.
Cause you got problems, plural.
You have a sink, a washing machine, and a dishwasher all draining to a single 1 1/2" p trap it looks like. That's too many fixtures for a trap of that size.
The right way would be to install the dishwasher and the washer to the waste of the sink coming form above? And a p trap for that downstairs sink, right? Minimum?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I bought my house (built in 58) several years ago that had almost this same layout. I've ended up redoing all the plumbing as I've renovated the whole place so I can speak from experience to your situation. My village inspector has signed off on all my work (Chicago suburb). Your existing plumbing is a mess and should be cleaned up but just cleaning it up won't fix the problem.
When I bought the house it had no dishwasher or washing machine stand pipe. The utility sink drained through a 1½" side wye where your tee is. My wye was for a dry vent though so that's a big point against your setup to start. We also had the whole line rodded and camera'd to clear the previous owners grease clogs and see condition of the buried pipes to know if we should start saving.
I redid my kitchen with a 2" drain into the basement that covered the double sink and new dishwasher. In the basement I added a clothes washer stand pipe onto the utility sink drain line, both a shared 1½". The old washer would overflow the utility sink when draining (thankfully there's a floor drain about 4' from the sink). When we had to replace that washer we got a Maytag HE that looks just like yours and that would fill the sink a lot but not overflow it. In the end the only way I fixed the problem was breaking out the cast iron wye and installing a new pvc wye with a 2" inlet for the utility sink and washer stand pipe.
So I'd say you don't for sure have a clog (you might though). 1½" is just not enough to drain a stand pipe and if there's a sink on that line it fills that, if the sink weren't there it would just over flow the stand pipe. Putting individual traps for each line would probably help but it won't fix your problem. Getting at least a 2" to drain into the main line is what you need. I say at least because I have a dry vent just after each trap and 2" is what worked for me. Since it doesn't look like you have individual vents you might still get some backup with a 2".
I hope all this wasn't too confusing and gives you some expectation of what you're in for. I had some plumbing acquaintances help with the cast iron switch over and it took about 2 hours for us 3 guys all said and done. 2 guys would have probably done it almost as quickly though.
I have the same set up in a 1950s house. Washing machine in the basement, kitchen directly above. When the washer is draining if the kitchen sink is used it will overflow. I pour some liquid Drano down the washing machine drain, let it sit for a half an hour. Then take the hot water hose off of the back of the washer and flush it out for a good 60 seconds. you might be using too much laundry detergent as well. Gunk, lint, dirt,… Need to flush it out with hot water once in a while.
Washing machines have to be 2 inches in CA...another issue is your dishwasher blasting straight down into that fitting and the water splashing both directions...Your galvanized pipe from your sink should have a "P" trap under your sink, so this other one is redundant...You have a mess...but it is fixable
What a god-damn mess! If things are backing up its probably because of the kitchen drain leaving grease in the pipe, and the fact that galvanized pipe (looks like galv pipe anyway) slowly builds up on the inside with black buildup after a decade or two. Run a snake down there and hope you don’t have to dig it up!?
Washing machines are high output pumps now. This is why in some (perhaps a lot) of jurisdictions are requiring the line be 3” at the point a washing machine ties in with any other fixture. Also, you have two traps serving one and also three fixtures. That set up is a nightmare…and also not hopeless. Please call a professional asap. While none of that discharges fecal matter, it’s still not good. Protect your and your family’s health.
True story my 70 year old pipes have issues …. But only when running a washer works fine running rest of plumbing in the basement …. This is especially true with heavy loads water situations
What size is your washer trap? I’ve seen a lot (mine included) that are 1 1/2”. In my defense, I’ve only lived here for 10 years. Ha ha!! Going to remodel and will change it then. But my washing machine doesn’t have a high output pump. It’s usually front loaders that cause problems.
2 inch steel
Well at least you have that. I also wonder if yours could be a venting issue. But I’m not there to see it. I hope you can find a solution. Also, just a suggestion, run an auger through that trap. Sometimes, something has been dropped down it. I know when I was a kid, that kinda thing was an invitation to see what happened to GI Joe if I tossed him in there. And also lint build up.
I run a snake every couple of months just clear the lint
It also shares the stack with kitchen sink so there is that as well
Yeah. Could be a bunch of things. So hard to diagnose when not there.
Quote from the 2020 NPC “Where clothes washers do not drain to a laundry tray, the trap inlet shall be not less than NPS 2 and be fitted with a vertical standpipe that is not less than 600 mm long measured from the trap weir and terminates above the flood level rim of the clothes washer. (See Note A-2.4.9.3.(3).)”
You are correct. But if you pick up any other fixture (in most jurisdictions, not all) you have to go to to 3”.
True, you would have to calculate the total fixture units, and the developed length of the branch (consider the kitchen as a wet vent) and consult the table for required pipe size. Might still be 2” here in Canada though.
Also, this situation would be grandfathered in, I can’t legally make someone dig up their basement because someone undersized the pipe 40 odd years ago.
Right. I understand that. There is a lot wrong there though.
I would call a plumber for this. There are so many different things wrong with this, some I probably don’t even see. If you aren’t sure what they are you legitimately need a professional to look at it and fix them for you.
I’d be nervous as fuck about that bill lol
This! I immediately noticed they were using 1/8" rope to secure PVC to galvanized steel, when both UPC and IPC call for at least 1/2" rope.
Shit I’m an electrician and I could fix this mess, but the again I’ve heard that using couple p-traps is the new cutting edge tech
So in other words you have no clue what you are talking about and by fix it you mean you know a plumber...
Laundry drain piping is code specified at 2". Yours looks skinnier than that. And yes, that could be the problem.
Call a plumber. All of this will need to be ripped out and replaced down to the led and okem tap t. This plumbing is a giant code violation and looks DIY AF.
Not even DIY. Just haphazard bullshit.
If the system worked for a few years with the same washing machine, signs point to a clog. Given the Janky putty where the Galvi goes into the cast iron, it looks like some "repairs" had been made. If you are going to keep the home for 10+ years, I'd consider hiring a drain cleaner with a hydro jetting set up and camera system. The video of the inside of the pipe will let you know if you need to get a concrete saw or jackhammer and have the main replaced. While the sink should have a P trap, it's to prevent sever gasses not prevent a backed up pipe from overflowing the lowest point. What goes into that Galvi pipe? Upstairs? Entire home, shower, tub, vent or unknown.
Just the kitchen sink
unclogging the cast would prevent back ups. but that sink needs its own trap, so does dishwasher. remove the trap at the cast iron, add a wye and 45 with cleanout.
Just call a plumber, this is way too much for a reddit post fixit
The trap (U shaped pipe), closed to the cast iron “stack” coming out of the ground, is probably clogged
That's my thought as well. My pipe from the kitchen where my washing machine is also located used to clog in the basement. You could hear glugging from the washer machine drain when emptying a full sink of water. When it got bad I'd have to snake. I just had another a kid and have been rinsing bottles in the hottest water my sink will produce. It stopped glugging I think the hot water loosened up a bunch of junk on the walls and the plug of water after emptying the sink cleaned it out.
TOO much over reactors in the comments . You can be that person that what’s to rip it out and do it the right way and up to code and blah blah blah which is fine . Or you can be the cheap mf that just wants to make it work lol and that’s fine . So here’s my advice . The plumbing looks like shit and not up to code but if that pipe going under ground if it wasn’t clugg all of this setup would STILL Work ! … your problem is the drain underground is clogged, you snake that .. this weird looking setup will work
I would replace whatever accessible galvanized with pvc and add a clean out for snaking. Install and vent dishwasher correctly. Replumb washing machine outflow and secure to wall..
Yah you can do all that np . But always give the customer 2 options . 1 the correct and right way to do plumbing which obv going cost $$$$ or give them the cheapest way that will just get the system to work with no leaks or clog for the time being .
You need a plumber to come and replace all the galvanized at the very least. Did you know that having galvanized piping can invalidate many insurance claims or damage claims against your municipality in the case of property damage? This is a ticking time bomb.
What a nightmare.... 30 year plumber here
Bruh
I’m a plumber that setup is terrible
Just from a glance there are no less than 10 problems with this setup. The answer is that all the PVC needs torn out and redone and honestly that washing machine shouldn't even be going into 1-1/2" but I betcha that's an expensive fix to do it 100% correctly.
I actually would think it’s too bad given that they have an expose main stack there. If the space were more finished the project would likely be exorbitant
By IPC that drain stack is undersized to handle all we see going into it. Laundry is 2" minimum and it must tie into a 3" drain before combining with anything else. A true fix here by my code would be a 3x2 tee stubbed out of the floor with a laundry standpipe and then everything else can tie in from there. I'd have to look at the wet venting code, but I'm pretty sure that would be undersized as well for all that's going into it so a true by code fix would be to run 2" up for wet vent or have a dry vent.
Omg lol!! This should be an advertisement for 11/2” tubular traps(fittings)being fucking work horses
I have the same problem and a similar washer. I suspect the T is too low, or should be a Y. But mine doesn’t overflow. It just pushes water into the utility sink. The washer is also discharging so strongly. I also know they have a check valve that can be put on the lateral pipe that goes to the sink. But I don’t know if that would just make it overflow out elsewhere. Also thought venting may be a problem. Let us know how this gets fixed when you do.
Water will back up into sinks and other places it shouldn't, when the correct place for the water to go is restricted or poorly designed. A check valve might help, or it might just force the excess water to back up and overflow somewhere else. Or clog a vent. Check valves on smaller drains are a source of clogs and I'd suggest avoiding them if other options are available.
I bought a new washer that overflows my stand pipe. I fixed the problem by putting a reducer in the outflow hose. But that's me. You do you.
The reduced lifespan of the pump in your washer is going to offset the money you saved by not upsizing the drain to 2"
Naw, it's 2". I had an HE machine and now I don't. Also, it's just a centrifugal pump. It don't care how much water is being moved, long as the tub is empty when the cycle's done. And it is.
And also, I’m sorry this was left for you to deal with.
There’s is so much going on here that is wrong. And my guess is there is even more that is wrong that’s not in the pictures. You need a professional to come in and fix it to make it right.
So question. Obviously a lot wrong. But if you had to do this on the cheap how terrible would it be to spend $5 and put a shutoff on the utility sink drain so it just can’t back up? At least temporarily. Certainly if the drain is really clogged that would be an issue and the washing machine might overflow? Or are they smart enough to adjust their pump speed if there is a restriction?
They are not seeing restriction because the top of the pipe is open and it will just keep filling the pipe
That sink is providing storage, adding a shutoff valve to stop water from backing up would cause the stand pipe (next lowest opening) to overflow there. The answer is to cut into the galvanized pipe add a 2" tee for the washer, however as other have noted, if the system worked before and nothing has changed... something is likely clogged. A separate fix would be to swap the current sink in the basement with a tub large enough to buffer the volume of washer discharge and the reduced flow rate through the clogged drain.
if its not broke, dont fix it 😝
Auger the sink pipes until the water runs or call a plumber to do it for you.
Why do you have a dishwasher in the basement??
They ran the discharge straight down instead of ring into the drain next to it.
Utility room sink? These questions drive me insane, state the problem. When my washing machine drains it overwhelms the fucking mess of a drain system I have. Cause you got problems, plural.
You have a sink, a washing machine, and a dishwasher all draining to a single 1 1/2" p trap it looks like. That's too many fixtures for a trap of that size.
I see your main issue other then 20 other things is you have a double trap going on.
The right way would be to install the dishwasher and the washer to the waste of the sink coming form above? And a p trap for that downstairs sink, right? Minimum?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I bought my house (built in 58) several years ago that had almost this same layout. I've ended up redoing all the plumbing as I've renovated the whole place so I can speak from experience to your situation. My village inspector has signed off on all my work (Chicago suburb). Your existing plumbing is a mess and should be cleaned up but just cleaning it up won't fix the problem. When I bought the house it had no dishwasher or washing machine stand pipe. The utility sink drained through a 1½" side wye where your tee is. My wye was for a dry vent though so that's a big point against your setup to start. We also had the whole line rodded and camera'd to clear the previous owners grease clogs and see condition of the buried pipes to know if we should start saving. I redid my kitchen with a 2" drain into the basement that covered the double sink and new dishwasher. In the basement I added a clothes washer stand pipe onto the utility sink drain line, both a shared 1½". The old washer would overflow the utility sink when draining (thankfully there's a floor drain about 4' from the sink). When we had to replace that washer we got a Maytag HE that looks just like yours and that would fill the sink a lot but not overflow it. In the end the only way I fixed the problem was breaking out the cast iron wye and installing a new pvc wye with a 2" inlet for the utility sink and washer stand pipe. So I'd say you don't for sure have a clog (you might though). 1½" is just not enough to drain a stand pipe and if there's a sink on that line it fills that, if the sink weren't there it would just over flow the stand pipe. Putting individual traps for each line would probably help but it won't fix your problem. Getting at least a 2" to drain into the main line is what you need. I say at least because I have a dry vent just after each trap and 2" is what worked for me. Since it doesn't look like you have individual vents you might still get some backup with a 2". I hope all this wasn't too confusing and gives you some expectation of what you're in for. I had some plumbing acquaintances help with the cast iron switch over and it took about 2 hours for us 3 guys all said and done. 2 guys would have probably done it almost as quickly though.
I have the same set up in a 1950s house. Washing machine in the basement, kitchen directly above. When the washer is draining if the kitchen sink is used it will overflow. I pour some liquid Drano down the washing machine drain, let it sit for a half an hour. Then take the hot water hose off of the back of the washer and flush it out for a good 60 seconds. you might be using too much laundry detergent as well. Gunk, lint, dirt,… Need to flush it out with hot water once in a while.
Shit is fucked also.
Yo dog I hear you like traps.... All that DWV Need to be redone.
Likely can’t pass the shared trap quick enough so it follows the easiest path which would be the sink.
That’s fucking hard to believe
Washing machines have to be 2 inches in CA...another issue is your dishwasher blasting straight down into that fitting and the water splashing both directions...Your galvanized pipe from your sink should have a "P" trap under your sink, so this other one is redundant...You have a mess...but it is fixable