Were working on remodeling the laundry room and my wife wants me to put a countertop over the washer and dryer. One of the problems I have is the counter will be right where all of the plumbing is. I have come up with a plan to lower all the plumbing as its exposed and wall mounted. My problem is the drain for the washer is in the corner and sticks up above everything. I can cut it to lower it but Im not sure if thats a good idea or not. Does anyone know what the code is for a washing machine drain pipe, how tall does it have to be or does it matter?
I am no expert, but with my washer the drain has to be higher than the water level or it won't fill and not too high or it won't drain. Mine drains into a basement sink about 38" high, slightly taller than the washer.
I think Wes is correct. If you still have the manual it should show how high the drain hose needs to be. I believe that is meant to protect the pump and prevent any backflow issues. The top of my drain hose is about 3 feet. A good rule of thumb I've followed is the same height as the top of the washer.
As far as I know, there needs to be a P trap otherwise you'd be getting sewer gas venting into the house. Stinky and a heath issue as well. I don't know of a setup that would tie into a sewage without using some sort of trap. Most common is a P. I'm not a plumber though, just a "handyman" The P Trap might be under the slab. The 18" I put in the other post is the general length for code, though plumbing codes vary by state and even local area. I'm not sure why 18", though I know too short and it could overflow the pipe (pipe draining slower than washer pumping out) and too tall it will have too much force and siphon out the P Trap. The top of my washer is about 4ft, but it's a front load. The discharge goes into the wall with a drain/water combo box. Similar to this... can see the drain, p trap and vent.
The P-trap is likely in the slap. Look down the current stand-pipe. If you can see what then there's a trap. Plumbing code varies by locality. I would go as high as you can and still fit your counter and call it good.
I agree with Nate on the trap, there has to be a gas trap somewhere along that drain line to keep sewer gases back. And on the washer level, not so sure of the height, though the height of the washer top would be a good marker. Since the washer, when draining, uses a pump from under the tub and forcing the water up and out I'm thinking the overall washer height would be ok, that way the utilities could be hidden behind the unit.
