Washing machine drywell questions

[Euston]

Thinking of doing a diy drywell for our washing machine, to ease load on septic.

Questions:
does the drywell need to be vented?
Size? Thinking of a 30 or 55 gallon plastic drum.
Size of holes in side of drum?
Amount of gravel under and around drum?
We have sandy soil, and maybe 3-4 loads of wash/wk.

Thanks for any info

 

[Diehard]

No!
The bigger the better.
1-1/4" should do it.
Should use good size stone (like maybe 1-1/2 or so.) for at least a couple of feet. Better chance of lasting longer before getting clogged with soap/grease build-up.
You should Google it. There are a lot of sizes, types and guidance out there.

I had something like a 1000 gal concrete dry well that was put in when the house was built in 1958. It was just for the kitchen sink and washing machine.
When I moved here in 1976 it was already backing up and/or running slow. Finally had to abandon it and run everything to the septic system.
But it is a good idea. Many states are now allowing what they call grey water to be treated differently than septic.

 

[FishScreener]

Depending on what state you’re in it may be illegal.

 

[Diehard]

"Florida bans outdoor grey water use but allows it for flushing toilets."
Not sure how old this statement is but you should look into it.

Some places allow it for irrigation, etc.

It's possible that they may allow it to be leached into the ground.

It's more of a benefit if you're able to reuse and save water. But your just leaching it to a different area than your septic systems leaching field. Not sure if it really makes much of a difference.

 

[frodo]

If this is legal in your area
3/4'' holes. wrap the barrel with drain filter cloth