Hi, all:
I'm hoping someone here will be able to help shed some light on an issue I've been troubleshooting.
Situation:
When the washing machine drains, the wastewater overflows into our bathtub.
Symptoms:
As the washing machine begins draining, you can hear the water begin to fill the drain pipe until it ultimately overflows into the bathtub.
You can smell sewer gases in the bathroom when the washing machine drains.
Attempted Solutions and history:
This started a couple years ago when we bought the house. Originally, the overflow into the bathtub was not very noticeable or severe. Gradually it began getting worse. So, we called a plumber. They came out and ran an auger through the lines. The situation improved but did not go away.
Just a month or so later, the overflow got worse again. So, we called a different plumber. They came out and ran an auger through the lines. When they tried to auger the bathtub drain they could not get the snake through the lines and confirmed my suspicions - that we would have to punch through the concrete slab to make repairs to the bathtub plumbing.
I did so and found that the trap had rotted out. So, I replaced the corroded trap with a new one and augered the line while I had great access to it. I also left the hole in the floor open for a week to make sure there were no leaks. All was well, so I backfilled and repoured the concrete. At this time the washing machine was not overflowing into the bathtub.
However, a couple of months ago this problem resurfaced and has grown more severe again. I've augered and scoped the lines with a camera. Though the 50+ year-old pipes are not the cleanest ever, I have not found any signs of blockages, collapsed pipe, or build-up.
Along with making sure that the drain lines are not blocked, I have investigated whether this was a venting issue as well. So, I've mapped out the plumbing and attached the diagram below for reference.
I've made sure that all roof vents were clear.
No other fixtures in the house have an issue.
Since the washing machine drain hose is a fairly tight fit into the downspout, I tested by removing the drain hose and inserting the garden hose into the downspout. My thinking was that this would allow plenty of air around the garden hose for venting and still allow me to run a significant amount of water into the drain for testing.
The result I got was that the bathtub gurgles a bit when the garden hose is fully on and I can hear the water attempting to fill the drain pipe. This leads me to believe that, if I could increase the flow rate of my garden hose, the water would indeed overflow into the bathtub. Which leads to my question.
Question:
Would the trap located at the base of the 2.25in washing machine downspout nullify any attempt to vent the line above the downspout? Or would venting the bathtub help?
All helpful input is greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need further details.
Thanks in advance,
-V
I'm hoping someone here will be able to help shed some light on an issue I've been troubleshooting.
Situation:
When the washing machine drains, the wastewater overflows into our bathtub.
Symptoms:
As the washing machine begins draining, you can hear the water begin to fill the drain pipe until it ultimately overflows into the bathtub.
You can smell sewer gases in the bathroom when the washing machine drains.
Attempted Solutions and history:
This started a couple years ago when we bought the house. Originally, the overflow into the bathtub was not very noticeable or severe. Gradually it began getting worse. So, we called a plumber. They came out and ran an auger through the lines. The situation improved but did not go away.
Just a month or so later, the overflow got worse again. So, we called a different plumber. They came out and ran an auger through the lines. When they tried to auger the bathtub drain they could not get the snake through the lines and confirmed my suspicions - that we would have to punch through the concrete slab to make repairs to the bathtub plumbing.
I did so and found that the trap had rotted out. So, I replaced the corroded trap with a new one and augered the line while I had great access to it. I also left the hole in the floor open for a week to make sure there were no leaks. All was well, so I backfilled and repoured the concrete. At this time the washing machine was not overflowing into the bathtub.
However, a couple of months ago this problem resurfaced and has grown more severe again. I've augered and scoped the lines with a camera. Though the 50+ year-old pipes are not the cleanest ever, I have not found any signs of blockages, collapsed pipe, or build-up.
Along with making sure that the drain lines are not blocked, I have investigated whether this was a venting issue as well. So, I've mapped out the plumbing and attached the diagram below for reference.
I've made sure that all roof vents were clear.
No other fixtures in the house have an issue.
Since the washing machine drain hose is a fairly tight fit into the downspout, I tested by removing the drain hose and inserting the garden hose into the downspout. My thinking was that this would allow plenty of air around the garden hose for venting and still allow me to run a significant amount of water into the drain for testing.
The result I got was that the bathtub gurgles a bit when the garden hose is fully on and I can hear the water attempting to fill the drain pipe. This leads me to believe that, if I could increase the flow rate of my garden hose, the water would indeed overflow into the bathtub. Which leads to my question.
Question:
Would the trap located at the base of the 2.25in washing machine downspout nullify any attempt to vent the line above the downspout? Or would venting the bathtub help?
All helpful input is greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need further details.
Thanks in advance,
-V
