Weird problem With the washer standpipe. The adapter is stuffed down it!

[Kim Klein]

Hi . I’m brand new here, and have a problem with the standpipe for my washer. It’s a speed queen washer so the drain hose went into a rubber adapter in the top of the stand pipe. Well, my stepson took the hose out of the standpipe and just crammed in back in, shoving the adapter down INTO the stand pipe about a foot. To make it worse, he tried to fish it out with a stout wire bent into a hook to snag the adapter and then dropped the wire into the standpipe too! I think I could pull the adapter out IF I could snag it like he tried, and then drop a rare earth magnet on a stick to retrieve the wire, but not sure how or what to use to get the adapter out of the Pipe! Any suggestions at all would sure be welcome!

Thanks in advance,

Kim Klein

 

[Reach4]

How far down? What is the approximate diameter of the hole in the adapter?

I was thinking of something like steel tubing, such as 1/2 EMT conduit. Then have a 1 inch long #8 or so screw, thru holes drilled about 3/4 inch from the end, held in with a nut. That may be too big.

Maybe bend some steel rod into a hook on the end. Click Inbox, above.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ImOld]

This is a tricky one! Rubber will probably jamb against the pipe and resist mightily. Since my working life was result oriented rather than wasting time thinking a problem to death, I would simply cut the pipe off and pop on a new one. Could have done it in the time it took me to post this answer.

 

[Kim Klein]

How far down? What is the approximate diameter of the hole in the adapter?

I was thinking of something like steel tubing, such as 1/2 EMT conduit. Then have a 1 inch long #8 or so screw, thru holes drilled about 3/4 inch from the end, held in with a nut. That may be too big.

Maybe bend some steel rod into a hook on the end. Click Inbox, above.

 

[Kim Klein]

Hi - it's stuck down there about a foot... I tried using a wooden dowel with a sharp nail at an angle, but the drain is in one of those washer boxes that's inset into the wall, so there's only a few inches to get it in, and that didn't work. I'm thinking of cutting off the dowel a few inches up, and putting a screw eye in the end, and tying some thin but strong rope and seeing if I can't get it to hook. I don't really think that's going to work, but I'm trying to *not* cut out the drywall and the pipe, but I suspect that's what's going to have to happen...

Oh, and the drain pipe/standpipe is 2 inch diameter.

you think the dowel/screweye/rope thing has a chance of success?

 

[Kim Klein]

This is a tricky one! Rubber will probably jamb against the pipe and resist mightily. Since my working life was result oriented rather than wasting time thinking a problem to death, I would simply cut the pipe off and pop on a new one. Could have done it in the time it took me to post this answer.

 

[Kim Klein]

See, the problem with this (at least as I see it) is that the drain is in one of those washer box things inset inot the wall, and the drain pipe/standpipe is actually glued into the opening of the box. If I cut the drywall and the pipe to get the rubber thing out, then I have to try and fit a coupling on the pipe with two pieces in place, one dangling from the washer box thing. Am I explaining this well at all? Not sure how much I'd have to cut off the pipe(s) to make the coupling fit so that the pipe didn't leak, but so that I could still get it back together. If it werent' glued into the dam box, it would be a LOT easier - just cut it and cut a new piece to fit, but since it's now essentially part of the washer box, I don't see how I can do that.

Is there a way to "unglue" PVC pipe once it's glued into place? Or do I need to just start carefully trimming away at the pipe and keep fitting the coupling til I can get it fit in place?

 

[James Henry]

Use a treble Hook with a strong nylon string.

 

[Reach4]

Just a link to some steel rod which I think could be bent into a checkmark-shaped spear.

 

[Jadziedzic]

Use an electrician's nylon fish pole/rod with a hook screwed into the end (usually supplied in the set) to snag the rubber piece; it is flexible enough to negotiate the bend you need to clear the top of the box. The Blue box store sells a "Southwire" brand set (model FS8) with four 2-foot poles for $20; the Orange box store version is more expensive.

 

[Kim Klein]

Use an electrician's nylon fish pole/rod with a hook screwed into the end (usually supplied in the set) to snag the rubber piece; it is flexible enough to negotiate the bend you need to clear the top of the box. The Blue box store sells a "Southwire" brand set (model FS8) with four 2-foot poles for $20; the Orange box store version is more expensive.

 

[Kim Klein]

Omg, this might work perfectly! I didn’t know these existed, but boy it could be handy for a bunch of things! I go right past the “blue box store” on the way to work, so gonna pick one up on the way in to work tomorrow! Thank you so much for this suggestion!

 

[Kim Klein]

Use an electrician's nylon fish pole/rod with a hook screwed into the end (usually supplied in the set) to snag the rubber piece; it is flexible enough to negotiate the bend you need to clear the top of the box. The Blue box store sells a "Southwire" brand set (model FS8) with four 2-foot poles for $20; the Orange box store version is more expensive.

OMG IT WORKED!!! I'm so happy I could cry! And I'm not *as* PO'd at idiot stepson now as I see how easily the adapter can get shoved down the standpipe. The adapter really isn't made for a 2 inch pipe, which this one is, and if you don't have it crammed all the up on to the drain hose, it has just enough friction to stick in the pipe and then get shoved down if you take out and put back the drain without putting the adapter back on the drain hose. I think I'm going to get a big rubber washer and whittle on it so it fits around the top of the adapater but is bigger than the top of the standpipe so there's a little more holding the adapter in place.

Thank you SO much for your suggestion - it worked perfectly and took only a minute to do!!! Thank you ALL for your suggestions! I very much appreciate your willingness to help!