Washer Drain / Sump pump contraption...
I have a fairly interesting setup for the washing machine drain. We have a pvc pipe going from the first floor washing machine down to a bucket in the basement. In the bucket there is a sump pump which pumps the water back up through a pvc pipe to the underside of the joists and then drains into the existing drain system for the house. From the bucket there is also a pvc pipe which goes up through the roof as a vent.
I had a problem the other night when I went into the basement and there was water all over the floor and the sump pump had not worked for a few washer loads. The bucket, which can probably hold 5 gallons, was full. I emptied the bucket and cleaned off the sump pump and pluged it back it and it seemed to work just fine.
Is this type of set up normal? Is there a reason why the piping goes down into a sump pump rather than directly into the drain piping? Would there be any reason why I coudln't cut the two pipes and connect them together, of course making sure that I keep positive drainage and slope to all the lines.
Thanks for any help,
Greg
Two Options...off the top of my head
Without seeing your actual conditions, it sounds like two options are available to you...
1. Add a standpipe behind your washer that is hooked up to your sanitary system. The standpipe should be 2" dia with a trap. The most difficult part of this installation is making sure it is vented to either the vent piping in your home, or via a direct vent pipe run to the roof.
Some towns let you get away with a 'wet vent' which means that you can tie into the existing line without a separate vent if your pipe run from the trap to the connection at your existing sanitary system is less than 4 feet.
A second option that some towns allow is a poppeted vent valve that acts as a one way device to let air into the system and prevents water from coming out. It simply draws room air to vent.
2. Install a real sewage ejector system in the basement which consist of a large sealed poly tank and powerful sewage ejector pump that can handle solids. However, this unit may also need to be vented. A benefit with this system is that you can add a utility sink, and possibly a toilet, in your basement.
-Jeff :)