Washer Leaks on Discharge From Mystery (to me) Open Vent

[KatieK81]

Hi all,

I was hoping this forum could help me ID the purpose of the open pipe in the first picture and diagnose why soapy water is leaking from it each time the washer discharges water — a goodly amount too.

It leaks right out of this open pipe. I'd love to discover/rule out any easy DIY fixes before calling a plumber. Money is super tight right now. Home is 1964, we are third owner.

 

[hj]

The first problem is that you have a drain that was assembled by someone who knew absolutely NOTHING about what he was doing. Given that, the open pipe is probably some unused connection which should be capped. The soapy water is probably backflow because the line is obstructed or the dry well is full. Or it could be just because it is a "lousy" drain connection.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Dj2]

Remove the board behind the drain to expose what's in the wall. Don't worry about this board - your plumber will need access anyway.
Once you can see the pipes in the wall, you'll probably have your answer.

 

[Asktom]

Cap the open pipe and see if you still have a problem.