Washing Machine Drainage

[ericwolfe]

I live in an old home, and my washing machine is outside under the kitchen window. Currently, when draining the waste water, the washing machine pumps the water out and up about 2.5 feet before it enters the drainage pipe. I want to move my washing machine to a room inside my house. The only way to pull this off would be to run a drainage pipe up the wall (at the new location) to the attic and then across the ceiling, and then out above the kitchen, and down to the existing drain pipe. In order for this to work, the washing machine would need to pump the waste water up about 9 ft (instead of the 2.5 ft) to get it to the ceiling. From there, gravity will take over. There seam to be a few problems with this plan right off the bat.
1) Can the washing machine pump the water 9 ft?
2) The 9 ft drain pipe will always have water in it?
3) Will the water in the pipe drain back into the washing machine?
4) Is there a pump that I can add to help push the water?
5) What else am I forgetting here?
6) has anyone dome something like this?

[LazyPup]

You would have numerous problems,,
First, the washing machine pump is not rated to lift water that high,

second, in order to do it you would have to attach the washing machine drainline solid to the plumbing, and that is a violation of code,,washing machines are required to go into an indirect waste.

You could arrange a receiver tank for the washing machine water, then use a sump pump to drain the tank.

If you run the line up and over as you suggest, you would have to install cleanouts at each 90 deg change in direction, install a check valve above the pump and make provision for a vent on the drain line.

You would probably find it a lot easier to run the line out through the nearest wall then run a drain line around the house underground.

Keep in mind that if you do so, the minimum size of line you may run underground is 3 inch diameter and it would need a continuos 1/8 inch per foot pitch.

You did not mention where you live.

You would have to consider the frost line for your region. The line must be a minimum of 6 inches below frost line, and no part of the line may be outside the structure where it would be subject to freezing.

[BonesandFeathers]

FWIW, many, many places allow you to use "grey water" to water lawn and garden.
Is your house a slab foundation or is there a crawl space, under the house?
I had a house where I ran 2 inch ABS under the house, through a vent
then filtered the water through an old spin basket with a foot or so of gravel. I then directed the water where ever it was most needed at the time.
Paul

[LazyPup]

There is a method that you could employ to run the line overhead as you suggest. The water could be disharged into a receiver tank, then pumped out by means of a waste pump or small sump pump.

A backflow preventer (check valve) can be installed on the pump discharge port before attaching the discharge line to prevent the standing water in the line from backflowing into the receiver tank.

You would also be required to install a cleanout at the junction of the riser to the horizontal pipe and a trap before the line connects to the building drain,waste and vent system

You do not mention where you live but since you stated the machine is outside I would assume you are in a southern climate.

Check your local codes carefully before considering a gray water system. Most of nothern Florida, Alabama and southern Georgia are under the SBCCA code and gray water systems are strictly prohibited. southern Florida & Mississippi are under the BOCA code and gray water systems are sometimes permitted but it requires approval of the local code inspector on a job by job determination.

If you live within 1 mile of the seacoast, a bay, intercoastal waterway or any river that discarges directly into the coastal waterway, or on any portion of the Federal Watershed, gray water systems are strictly prohibited by federal EPA regulations. If you happen to get caught with a non-approved gray water system on the federal watershed the EPA fines can be $10,000 per day for every day of proven offense.