Contractor installed this convoluted p-trap + elbow for the washer, and I’m not sure if it’s up to code. Can you confirm and more importantly explain why or why not it’s compliant?

  • humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.works
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    16 hours ago

    Lol. No. Gonna get syphoned out ever time a toilet flushes past that or every time it pumps. No air gap/ directly connected prohibited by codes in most places. I mean it’ll work until it doesn’t. The proper way to do this is with a laundry tub dumped into a proper vented container/basin pump. Or run a drain over from that other pit and put a 48" stand pipe with a 2" trap.

  • Twitches@lemm.ee
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    18 hours ago

    So draining against gravity is bad. The electric outlet cover should be screwed into place and if that’s a dryer vent the lint will collect and clog creating a fire hazard. In sorry, but, that whole setup is janky.

    Edit: oh jeeze you have a whole outlet hanging out too.

    Edit: I saw your other picture, I too am no plumber, but, none of that looks right

  • Ulvain@sh.itjust.worksOP
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    18 hours ago

    UPDATE thanks all for the comments, just a few clarifications and updates:

    • all electrical work is work-in-progress, we’re finishing it up tomorrow, it’s still an active worksite. The old outlet and old bx wiring is being removed, we’ll only have the newer wiring (and of course all outletd will be in their gangboxes and covers will be on)

    • the dryer vent will be changed and installed without sag when we finalize

    • the 4" abs drain connects to the old one with a rubber fernco gasket, those do require hose clamps and they’re up to code (though the top clamp could be straightened!)

    • the water lines are pex, they’re all good

    • we don’t have a choice but to push the water up with the washer pump - the drain evacuates to the city sewer around hip level in that basement

    The worries for me are really the 90° out of the sump pump and the other 90° into the drain column, shouldn’t that be a downward Y? And the double S p-trap, is it creating some risk?

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    17 hours ago

    I’m sorry but … what an absolute mess

    You mentioned that your main drain is a bit higher than the floor of the basement. I have the same situation, my drain is about two feet off the floor of my concrete basement. The washing machine drain was placed to drain towards the lowest point of the main drain. Everything else in the house with a drain is in upper floors.

    I’d rearrange the plumbing to build a drain as close to the four foot level as possible for the washing machine … instead of trying to build a solution 6 or 7 feet up in the air … you’re asking for trouble if you are making your washing machine drain up to a high point.

    I remember once renting a place that was an old house with a brand new concrete basement … the main drain was close to ground level that went to a septic tank and field. Their solution was to install the washing machine in the basement, drain down to the floor level, then to a grey water pump unit in a big box that was 3x3x3 feet … and that pushed the water up to the main drain. I don’t think washing machines are meant to push water that high up and you will probably constantly have a bit of grey water backing down to the washing machine.

    • Botzo@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      I’ve got a similar situation to your rental for my basement (the main floor drains separately). There’s a macerator/pump combo in an 8ish gallon tank in a pit cut through the foundation (lined with concrete) that elevates to the main drain outside the house. The pump failed a couple years ago and was not fun to deal with. Luckily it was exclusively laundry that day. Everything connected to it is vented.

      When we get pushed to connect to sewer (one way or another), my plan is to get a bit silly and connect at the lowest level so we can avoid the pump for the future.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        13 hours ago

        When you do get that connection … go the extra step and install a ‘backwater prevention valve’ … it’s a giant one way valve that is attached to the main drain line as it leaves the house.

        It allows water to always easily flow out but if it ever happens that water back flows into your house for some reason … the valve will stop any flow from entering your house.

        I’ve always planned to get one but my situation is too difficult to install one.

        • Botzo@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          That does seem pretty obligatory. We have the same thing on our irrigation (don’t want irrigation water backflowing in to the drinking water, and also it’s required).

          We are at the top of a hill and everything flows down from us to the entire neighborhood, so that is another good check on the issue.

  • Ulvain@sh.itjust.worksOP
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    19 hours ago

    For the record he also connected the sump pump pipe like this, with a 90° - shouldn’t it be a downward Y instead?

  • softcat@lemmy.ca
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    17 hours ago

    I’m not a plumber, but to find real plumbers to give advice, I highly suggest the Terry Love plumbing forums- even if you only search through posts, it has real plumbers that explain what’s up to code and which region’s code.

    I recently put in a water softener and needed to add a stand pipe in my basement for it’s drain- the forums got me up and running and gave me an idea of some of the plumbing basics that might be in play here. I’m assuming this is a laundry machine below the actual drain pipe, with a sump pump that’s running up to that p trap.

    To me this looks off, because I can’t tell if it has backflow prevention and how it would handle a sewage backup if one happened, without allowing contact to the water supply though the hose and machine. If that’s all dealt with in the sump pump, perhaps a non -issue. Also laundry drains are now meant to go into 2" pipe to handle the amount of flow from HE units- I can’t tell from the pic how big that pipe is.

    You might want to look into how the building inspection process works where you live, and if they offer protection in the case of a contractor doing work that does not pass code- some places force them to rip it out and fix it right on their own dime, until the inspector is satisfied.

    • Ulvain@sh.itjust.worksOP
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      13 hours ago

      What plastic duct? It’s a standard foil one, but had a break in a couple of spots and since we’re replacing it by a new one next week, we have a piece of tape on it… Am i referring to the wrong thing?