Clothes Washer drain into existing sump pump and pit
Looking at moving clothes washer into basement and wondered if draining into existing sump pump pit is a good idea, it has an output pipe that I am not sure where it goes, it looks like it does not T into existing drainline. I am checking with my town's building codes to see if it would meet code or if I do need to add a pump to the washing machine drain and pipe up to the drainline in the basement ceiling. Anyone done this? Recommendations? I do need a new sump pump so any recommendations on that? Thanks, FG12351 Likely this is not going to work for you. No drain for a washing machine installed down there? My parents house was built in 1966 and their setup has the washing machine draining into the laundry tub. No, no drain down there, floor drains only. The laundry room where the washer and dryer currently reside is on the 1st floor above the basement location where I want to move them. Just heard back from the city. Laundry Waste water must discharge to the sanitary sewer not the sump pump.. So it would appear I need to T or Y into my existing drain line in the basement ceiling and add a pump to the washer drain to pump it up to that drain line. Any recommendations here? I've used one of these before: Direct Laundry Tub Pump It's pretty easy to install, doesn't need a vent, and gets you a laundry sink too in the process. There are also pumps like this: Sink Pump System They need to be installed with a vent, but are less susceptible to lint and debris. Hmm. Before I thought about extra pumps, first I would find out where that sump water went. It might go into the sanitary sewer. Then, I would wonder how deep the main sanitary sewer outlet pipe is and how hard it would be to get there or to another pipe that feeds it. Mine isn't very deep, maybe 4 or 5 feet deep (my house is on a slab), but I've been watching the city ditch diggers in my neighborhood and I've seen some houses with 10-12 feet deep pipes going out to the street. So maybe the drain pipes come out of the house, then goes down to the main sewer pipe. Somewhere on the place it is going down (probably outside) is where you would want to hook in. I'm not sure about the newer machines, but traditionally, washing machine pumps are really strong. Years ago I saw a washing machine hose coming out of a cellar window and hooked on a sewer pipe clean out that had been left open. That was at least 7 or 8 feet, maybe 10 up and then out. I thought it was funny as hell when I saw it, but it worked. You would want to make a more professional installation that and maybe include a check valve (although lint might jam it). To give an idea of how powerful these pumps are, my machine raises the water up 4 feet, then it connects to 75 feet of garden hose and the water goes out and waters a tree. Probably illegal as hell, but we don't wash many loads, we don't wash diapers and the ground soaks up the water really fast, so it works okay. Last week, my 20 year-old $300 washer gave up the ghost and I replaced it with another $350 (inflation, what can you do?) cheap top loader. Not exactly top of the line. Hooked it up to the old hose and it has no trouble pumping out the water, either. My concerns about adding a pump is A. They are expensive, B. You are adding more moving parts and complexity and C. If something goes wrong, you are flooding your nice clean finished basement with soapy, scummy water which will make you very popular with the wife. See the post going now about the guy with the macerator pump in his basement. That could be you in five years. I would do just about anything, including calling a plumber to size things up, to avoid those downsides. Sometimes, you gotta pay somebody. Hope this helps make you think harder about your options.
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