Standpipe for washer is overflowing

[david curley]

HELP!!!
We seem to be having a problem that our plumber can not resolve. Our washer drains into a standpipe and almost immediately after it begins to drain it overflows the standpipe. The drain has been snaked MANY times now, and last thing the plumber tried was drano. Nothing seems to be working. We’ve snaked it 25 ft and 30 ft. – minimal lint was extracted the first few times, but even after it was “cleaned out”, it would overflow again – and again, it’s an immediate thing…it’s not like the water is draining to a clog somewhere along the pipe and then backing up – it’s draining and overflowing within seconds of the start! The washer is about 3 years old and this problem began about 3 months ago…never had an issue with it before. I truly believe it is a pressure thing – the washer is draining the water with such force the standpipe/drain cannot tolerate it. What can we do???? We are in the midst of selling our home and we need to resolve this immediately!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

[PLUMBILLParticipant]

With the information and the history you have supplied with your posting, I would say you need to call another plumber with the proper drain cleaning tools to remove the stoppage that is causing the overflow.

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Further to Plumbill’s response, if the waste pipe is clear then it can only be pipesizing or venting.
Your post indicates that the existing waste pipe is not clear by the use of draino.
Bob

[Retired plbg1Participant]

Did you change your soap, some soaps are real sudsy and back up. Take out washer hose and use a hose and turn on the water and see if it backs up, if it dont then it might be your soap you are using, try arm& hammer soap it does not suds up. What have you done now that you did not do before.

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Art retired plbg

[kam124Participant]

Thank you all for your replies.
What I can tell you is that it doesn’t seem to be a clog. When we snaked it and when the plumber snaked it, the first couple of times we did remove small amounts of lint. After that, we would snake it a couple more times, just to be sure we got it all, and we’d get nothing.
We’ve run the washer with just water, no detergent, and the water still overflows in the standpipe, so it may not be a detergent issue – ALTHOUGH, this weekend when I managed to do some wash, I cut the amount of detergent back and it did seem to help…but then, after 3 or 4 loads, it was overflowing again…this time, it was a little further along in the ‘rinse cycle’ – almost all the water drained out, and then the “residual” water drains out (it’s louder during the full blown cycle, then quiets down towards the end).
Now, to respond to Retired plbg…I’m not sure as to the timing, but I went from powder Tide to liquid Tide the last time I went to the warehouse club. They didn’t have the Tide with bleach in powder form, so I was going to go with the regular Tide, but my fiance saw the liquid version, so I went with that. (Consumer Reports say the Tide with Bleach powder is the best). Again, I’m not sure the timeframe on that, but I would say it was MAYBE around that time, but couldn’t say for sure whether it was before or after the overflow started. I also use Woolite a lot (about half of my loads), and that hasn’t changed at all.
I am pretty convinced just from the results I have seen from the snaking and the drano, that it’s not a clogged drain. BUT, if it was a sizing issue, which I have read is a result of new washers replacing older ones and the house piping not being adequate…then I would imagine that I would have seen this earlier, since I’ve had the washer for 3 years. So, if it’s a venting issue, how would we check for that???
OR, should we find a ‘better’ plumber with better tools? Or both at this point?!?!

[Retired plbg1Participant]

Did you try running a water hose by itself and see if it works ok. When you put washer discharge hose in 2′ pipe and water pumps out maybe there is not enough room for air to get out and causes it to back up. Try it.

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

Just a thought…You do have at least a 2″ drain/standpipe for the washer, right? Some folk say 1- 1/2″ is OK, but it’s really not adequate. Standpipe should be between 19″-30″ tall. Finally, isn the vent for that line clear?

NtP

[diggerParticipant]

I think your problem may be the pump on your machine,perhaps if you could restrict the flow from your machine as pumping water into a waste pipe is pumping it under pressurenother method may be to put a collar on the pipe from the washing machine at the waste pipe to seal the joint this would force the water throught the S trap faster.

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