Washing Machine Floor Drain System

Install a washing machine tray or washing machine pan under your washing machine.

Washing machine floor drain system.

This main sewer drain pipe under the yard is connected to the main drain inside the house which accepts the wastewater from the individual branch drains serving each plumbing fixture including sinks tubs showers and toilets as well as the washing machine. Washing machine drains must be able to handle strong currents of water as modern machines have powerful pumps for efficient cleaning. The correct way to drain a washing machine is to install a standpipe. Instructions on how to construct a washing machine drain field are fairly straightforward and easy to follow.

Front load washing machine has water around it when wash cycle finishes. These branch drains are smaller pipes usually 1 1 4 to 2 1 2 inches in diameter. All components of a washing machine drain should be installed before the wall and floor finishes are applied. A basic washing machine grey water recycling system consists of little more than a storage tank and a gravity fed irrigation hose.

Set the tray tight against the back wall framing and run the drywall down to it. That is a vertical length of pipe that connects to a p trap that in turn connects to the drain. Without having the drain hose located high enough gravity will take over and the water filling the washing machine will run out of the hose and into the floor drain. Our tray s drain does not connect directly to the house s waste line.

Clearing the clogged drain will usually resolve the problem. A floor drain is one of your first lines of defense to help during a flood or faulty piece of equipment. Floor drain backs up when doing laundry. A floor drain is generally located at the lowest point of the floor and it is used to remove standing water which could be caused by a leaking pipe water heater furnace washing machine water softener or a sump pump not working correctly.

Nevertheless there is some debate about the efficiency of washing machine drain fields with some research revealing that a washing machine actually works better when the washing machine is plumbed into the septic system due to colonies of bacteria being available to disperse. It s an indirect line that dumps into a laundry tub floor drain or even outside through the wall. A clogged drain causes water to back up into the standpipe and spill on the floor. We checked the washing machine hoses and water lines and have not found a leak.

Because small fabric fibers routinely are flushed through the system it s common for drain clogs to occur in the plumbing pipes into which the washing machine drains. I placed a garden hose into the floor drain and the water seems to drain with no issues.