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Plumbing help: Laundry pump question

APG12

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Does anyone know if there’s such a thing as a drain pump that can attach directly to the washing machine drain and not a utility sink?

I’m trying to design a compact laundry closet and there is no room for a sink.
 
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rlitman

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Can you clarify? You can have a trap and a drain and empty your machine into that without a sink, if that’s what you mean.
 
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APG12

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No accessible trap/drain, which is what I need the pump from. I need to pump up about 8 feet and over about 5 feet to get to the 2” drain.

I know a Saniflo type pump isn’t designed to be plumbed directly to the washing machine, but is there a type of pump that can be?
 

rlitman

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Check your machine specs. Some can’t pump up that far, but many can. If so, then maybe you just need a hose coupler.

8’ really isn’t that high.
 

The Cobbler

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I think any laundry pump with tank would work for you if you put a stand pipe into it instead of a sink drain.
put it on the same breaker as the washer so if it trips you're not pumping water from the washer ( both will shut down)
but as mentioned, check the washer specs to see if it will do it.
 

Red 17

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Where are you getting your water supply? If you have to cut into the wall and do plumbing for that, just add a waste line while you're at it.

Serving suggestion.....
 

Bretny

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A waste line needs pitch to flow properly. He may not have the pitch.

Are you measureing the 8ft from the floor or from the bottom of the tub? Could you put the machine up on a stand and help?
 
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APG12

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There is a utility room adjacent to the new laundry closet, which is where the laundry is currently.

In order to drain, however, I need route the drain up and around the utility room doorway in order to get to the drain on the opposite side of the room. A properly pitched drain would have to cross right through the middle of the doorway.
 
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APG12

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I’m attaching a few pictures. Don’t mind the mess... we’re in the middle of a renovation.

The closet is going where the gladiator cabinets are and needs to drain to the right, over the doorway and down the opposite side wall where you see the machines currently.
 

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APG12

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I’ve looked at saniflo. From what I can find, they all require indirect connection via laundry sink.
 

rlitman

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There is a utility room adjacent to the new laundry closet, which is where the laundry is currently.

In order to drain, however, I need route the drain up and around the utility room doorway in order to get to the drain on the opposite side of the room. A properly pitched drain would have to cross right through the middle of the doorway.

Oh, so the drain is on the same floor. I'm betting the pump in the machine will be sufficient. All washing machines are already designed to pump up from a machine sitting on a basement floor to a drain near ceiling level (at least 6' of head pressure), and they're all designed to accept an extension hose. And any downward portion of the hose where it enters the drain in the next room will subtract from the head pressure as it siphons. I was concerned that you wanted to pump into a drain in the floor above, which may still be possible with some machines, but is sketchy.

Forget the whole pitch thing, since extending your drain hose is NOT a gravity fed drain. Just support the hose everywhere it is nearly horizontal (so water isn't trapped in low spots), and try to set it up so that more of the hose drains back into the drain than into the pump.
 

Bretny

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Over a door is not 8ft. I too bet the pump in the unit is enough. Give it a try, the worst that you will have to do is put a pump in, the drain line will alreaty be in the room at this point.
 

exranger06

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What is that white PVC pipe in the 2nd picture? It looks like there might already be a drain line running through the wall behind the washer (in the new location) that you could tie into.
 

rlitman

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What is that white PVC pipe in the 2nd picture? It looks like there might already be a drain line running through the wall behind the washer (in the new location) that you could tie into.

I think that's what he wants to reach. That should be a piece of cake without an extra pump.
 
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exranger06

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I think that's what he wants to reach. That should be a piece of cake without an extra pump.

No, he said he wanted to run a new line from the washer's new location to the existing drain line that's in the washer's current location. I'm saying that there may already be a drain line right behind the washer's new location that he could tie into, instead of running a new line all the way over to the old location.
 

SGKent

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run supply and drain lines to where the washer will be, and do it right. That is why it is called a renovation and not just moving furniture around.
 

exranger06

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The 4” pvc you see is the radon system, not a drain.

Oh ok, never mind then. I just had an idea though. It's a bit unorthodox (some might call it redneck engineered :bounce: ) but maybe you could install a laundry sink in the new closet (I know, you don't have room...) but, what if you mounted the sink to the wall up high? Like, REALLY up high, near the ceiling. Doesn't matter if you can't reach it or actually use it as a sink; it's just something for the washer to dump into. Then the washing machine only has to pump enough to reach that. Then you install a "regular" drain pump to the sink's drain, and away you go.

BTW I totally understand not wanting to go that route. Just felt like sharing an "outside the box" idea I had.
 
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APG12

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The other possible option I considered is running a properly pitched 2” drain around the perimeter of the utility room to the main stack. The only problem would be venting. It would be about a 20’ horizontal run. Is that even legal?

I believe a 2” pipe needs to be vented every 5’. Can you use multiple AAVs on one horizontal run?
 

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rlitman

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If you have room for the pipe then I could see it working. I'd run 3" though, not 2". Drop it down to 2" at the trap.

As for venting, why can't you just run two pipes in parallel, with the vent above the drain? That is, if you even need that much venting.
 
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APG12

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Just trying to keep it to code as best I can. My knowledge is definitely lacking when it comes to venting. Am I wrong about venting every 5 feet?
 

56Mark

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The other possible option I considered is running a properly pitched 2” drain around the perimeter of the utility room to the main stack. The only problem would be venting. It would be about a 20’ horizontal run. Is that even legal?

I believe a 2” pipe needs to be vented every 5’. Can you use multiple AAVs on one horizontal run?

You should not need multiple vents, just one within about 5' of the trap which would be near the washer. There is a requirement on the height of that trap above the floor too, can't remember but something like 12" max above the floor with the stand pipe 30-48" high. The only purpose of a vent is to not siphon your trap empty and allow sewer gas to come back up.

There seems to be a thought that pipes need to be vented to drain. They drain fine without vents, will gurgle in the trap and then siphon it dry which is not good, so a vent is needed within so many feet of a trap depending on the pipe size. The bigger the pipe the farther away from the trap you can go.
 
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APG12

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You should not need multiple vents, just one within about 5' of the trap which would be near the washer. There is a requirement on the height of that trap above the floor too, can't remember but something like 12" max above the floor with the stand pipe 30-48" high. The only purpose of a vent is to not siphon your trap empty and allow sewer gas to come back up.

There seems to be a thought that pipes need to be vented to drain. They drain fine without vents, will gurgle in the trap and then siphon it dry which is not good, so a vent is needed within so many feet of a trap depending on the pipe size. The bigger the pipe the farther away from the trap you can go.

That makes sense, thank you. I was under the impression it was every 5’ not just the one within 5’. That makes life a lot easier. I’ll look into the heights.
 
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APG12

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APG12

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Did some measuring... 12” trap height with a 5” pitch over the 20’ run will be cutting it really close.
 

SGKent

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what was the reason for not putting it to the right of the door instead of the left?

Also - did you get permits on this, what do the architectural drawings show?
 
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APG12

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To the right is a short wall with an exterior door.

Picture below shows the wall prior to reno. The sheet is covering the utility room.

No permits, no architect. Not a bearing wall and the only plumbing change is supply/drain for laundry.
 

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johnnyradiant

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I was thinking about this in a different way. What about creating a sump if there was no room for a sink or no other way to pump up and over like I think is the plan. You could get a RV tank with a pump in it and have that set up under the washer and dryer, and you get the added bonus of a built in pedestal. Also you could cut and dig an actual sump for your laundry if you didn't want anything above the slab. Or you could cut a trench in the slab and route a drain line over to where it intersects with the existing drain lines assuming they leave the house below grade and not above your slab height.
 
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