D
19

Had a weird moment with a washing machine in a basement apartment last week

I was on a call for a washer that wouldn't drain, and the owner said it had been fine until that morning. I pulled the unit out, checked the pump, and everything looked clear. Then I noticed the drain hose was pushed way too far into the standpipe, almost a foot down, creating a siphon that kept the tub from filling right. Pulled it back to the recommended two inches, and it ran perfectly. Has anyone else run into a simple install mistake causing a headache like that?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
jaken23
jaken231mo agoTop Commenter
Seen that exact thing. Hose jammed way down the pipe acts like a straw in a drink. Creates a vacuum lock. Had a call where the machine just hummed and wouldn't fill. Took me twenty minutes to spot the hose was shoved down nearly to the trap. Felt like a real forehead-slapper moment. Pulled it up, problem gone.
1
thomas105
thomas1051mo ago
Hey @jaken23, read about that vacuum lock thing in a manual once. Makes total sense now seeing your story.
3
white.alex
white.alex1mo ago
Who knew plumbing came with a built-in straw and a physics lesson?
1