Installing a basement washer drain to a 60” high, 3” horizontal pvc drain pipe

[PeteyD]

The existing drain for the washing machine is a plastic hose that goes directly into the vertical cast iron part of the main. The main then has an elbow that exits the house horizontally to a cesspool. The plastic hose leaks at that connection (middle picture). I’d like to add a vertical standpipe and have the washing machine drain into that. The lower horizontal pipe in the top picture is approximately 60” off the ground. If I add an 18” standpipe (something like the bottom picture) that would make the standpipe about 78” high. The washer manual claims it can pump water up to 96” high.

 

[Reach4]

Your pictures do not show. I think what you describe is OK under IPC, if you enter the 3 inch through a 3x3x2 wye tilted up, and there is a vented trap, and the trap arm is at least 4 inches long. You can get that by cutting the horizontal PVC pipe F at least 2.711 inches long.

Support the standpipe.

EDIT: the pictures are there below now. Your concept shown in the ABS model is good.

The existing unshielded couplers are not allowed in IPC. Maybe they are grandfathered in, but new ones should be shielded type.

In transitioning between cast iron and PVC, there is also a thing called a Fernco Donut. It can connect PVC pipes into a cast iron hub.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[PeteyD]

Your pictures do not show. I think what you describe is OK under IPC, if you enter the 3 inch through a 3x3x2 wye tilted up, and there is a vented trap, and the trap arm is at least 4 inches long. You can get that by cutting the horizontal PVC pipe F at least 2.711 inches long.

Support the standpipe.

 

[PeteyD]

Sorry about the pics and thanks for the reply, I think they’re up now. With the horizontal drain pipe and new standpipe that high will I have issues with water running back into the washer?

 

[wwhitney]

FWIW, those unshielded rubber couplings are not approved for above ground use. A shielded coupling is required, e.g. Fernco Proflex or Mission Band-Seal.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Reach4]

Sorry about the pics and thanks for the reply, I think they’re up now. With the horizontal drain pipe and new standpipe that high will I have issues with water running back into the washer?

It is not clear where you intend to connect. Were you going to connect into the upper horizontal PVC pipe,and is the flow is right to left? At first when I thought that photo, I had been thinking that upper pipe with the cleanout connected on the left. Now I suspect the left end of the upper pipe is not connected to anything. What is the deal there?

If you don't get a clog, I don't see water coming out of the standpipe. I doubt water can make it back into the washing machine, but I don't know. If you get a clog, you would get stuff on the floor.

 

[PeteyD]

The upper pvc is 2”, the lower is 3”. I was going to connect to the lower 3” pipe to give me more room for the standpipe and to get the whole assembly lower. Does the p trap for the stand pipe have to be 18”off the floor? The flow is left to right-the stand pipe photo would need to be flipped around.

 

[Reach4]

The upper pvc is 2”, the lower is 3”. I was going to connect to the lower 3” pipe to give me more room for the standpipe and to get the whole assembly lower.

Does the 2 inch pipe flow right to left , and join the flow that goes left to right in the 3-inch?

Does the p trap for the stand pipe have to be 18”off the floor?

No. What were you asking?

The flow is left to right-the stand pipe photo would need to be flipped around.

The flow in what is left to right?

You should make a picture that shows the junction of the 2 inch and 3 inch pvc, and show more of the 2 inch pvc coming in from the right. I suspect you might want to make changes in the 2 inch too.

 

[PeteyD]

This is my daughter’s house. I’ll be heading over there soon and will post more pictures when I get there. Thank you for helping me out!

 

[PeteyD]

Here are a few more pictures. The upper 2” horizontal flows right to left. The lower 3” horizontal flows left to right. The washer is on the left side.

 

[Reach4]

Is this connected to sewer or septic?

I note there is a whole house trap. Some places have removed requirements for those. Is this house in NYC?

 

[PeteyD]

It’s a cesspool

 

[wwhitney]

I count 3 san tees used improperly in those photos, they should be combos. [2 other san tees are used appropriately.]

That's quite a hydra you have there. I think whole house traps are generally not called for anymore, and when you have one, I'm not sure if the fresh air intake associated with it should be used for drainage like you have.

So in the long run, you'd be well served to cut out all the fittings in the pictures, back to the one sticking out of the wall with the brass cleanout. Then everything can be rebuilt more rationally, and you could include a connection for a laundry standpipe at the lowest horizontal level, rather than having it raised up quite so high.

If that's too much to tackle right now, I would think the horizontal 3" line, or the vertical 3" just one elbow upstream of it, would be the best place to tie in. How are you going to seal the hole in the cast iron the washer is currently attached to?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[wwhitney]

I note there is a whole house trap. Some places have removed requirements for those. Is this house in NYC?

Someone posted an article about those recently, I forget whom. One of the reasons for them was to allow a fresh air inlet like in the above photos, to protect metallic DWV systems. I guess without a fresh air inlet, corrosive gases could accumulate at the top of horizontal pipe sections and damage the metallic DWV. But if you have a fresh air inlet, then you need a whole house trap, other wise the fresh air inlet will be an exhaust for gases coming from the building sewer.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[PeteyD]

Looking around at this plumbing I see a lot that I would like to change but this house needs other work also and my daughter just wants to do her laundry! Lol. It would be easier to tie into the 2” upper pipe because it has a lot more give to it. The horizontal 3” is pretty solid.

 

[Reach4]

This attached picture is not a prescription. Is it what you were envisioning?


Rolling the wye was not needed, except for trying to clear the 2 inch. Rolling less than 45 would work to.

May I guess this will not be inspected, and that you are looking for good function to last until it might be repiped etc?

What I am thinking you would want to be thinking about is avoiding a blockage/backup. Having the cesspool pumped enough would seem to be a good idea. Also, whole house traps can be a place for blockage, and some who like whole house traps are in favor of preventive rodding of those.

 

[wwhitney]

Now that I think about it some more, fixing the old hole where the laundry is connected would be best done by simply removing the short section of cast iron pipe with the hole (the bottom of the fresh air inlet). You'd have to figure out how to connect back into the cast iron hub, hopefully with the correct size donut. Then you'd have enough height there for a new san-tee for the laundry standpipe.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[PeteyD]

Another problem is I can’t access the vent to the roof but the large upper vertical cast iron pipe exiting through the wall leads to a short vent pipe sticking out of the lawn. Can I tie into that vent or is their another way to vent?

 

[PeteyD]

This attached picture is not a prescription. Is it what you were envisioning?


Rolling the wye was not needed, except for trying to clear the 2 inch. Rolling less than 45 would work to.

May I guess this will not be inspected, and that you are looking for good function to last until it might be repiped etc?

What I am thinking you would want to be thinking about is avoiding a blockage/backup. Having the cesspool pumped enough would seem to be a good idea. Also, whole house traps can be a place for blockage, and some who like whole house traps are in favor of preventive rodding of those.

This attached picture is not a prescription. Is it what you were envisioning?


Rolling the wye was not needed, except for trying to clear the 2 inch. Rolling less than 45 would work to.

May I guess this will not be inspected, and that you are looking for good function to last until it might be repiped etc?

What I am thinking you would want to be thinking about is avoiding a blockage/backup. Having the cesspool pumped enough would seem to be a good idea. Also, whole house traps can be a place for blockage, and some who like whole house traps are in favor of preventive rodding of those.

Yes, this is exactly what I want to do although tapping into the 2” pipe would be easier because there’s more give to it. Is an aav instead of venting to the outside?

 

[PeteyD]

Now that I think about it some more, fixing the old hole where the laundry is connected would be best done by simply removing the short section of cast iron pipe with the hole (the bottom of the fresh air inlet). You'd have to figure out how to connect back into the cast iron hub, hopefully with the correct size donut. Then you'd have enough height there for a new san-tee for the laundry standpipe.

Cheers, Wayne

That would involve a lot of work getting the short cast iron section out I think.