How To Clean Out Washer Drain Pipe

At one point, you’ll discover that your washing machine won’t drain and it may be due to several reasons. One possible culprit is that the water remains in the machine due to a problematic drain hose or pump. If there’s a problem with the drain tube, check for clogs. Sediments, dirt and debris may accumulate inside the tube, thereby blocking the smooth flow of water out of the machine. If there’s no issue with the tube, another reason why water remains in the machine could be a bad pump. Consult an appliance repair technician to check it for you. Now aside from the washing machine itself, you’ll likewise encounter problems with the drain pipe where it’s hooked to. Washing machine drains are prone to clogging just as much as sink drains are. Here’s a DIY guide on how to remove the clog.

1. Look for the main drain pipe where your washing machine is connected to. It’s usually found at the side, under or at the back of the appliance. Once you’ve found it, disconnect the hose or the tube of the washer to gain access to it.

2. When you can already access the drain pipe, go get a specially designed unclogger that you can use to remove the clog. Make sure that it doesn’t contain toxic chemicals that may damage the pipes in the end. Also be careful with its use and guarantee that you’ll follow the instructions indicated on its label. Once you’re done unclogging the drain, pour some water into it to test if the blockage has been dislodged.

3. If the drain cleaner fails to serve its purpose, you’ll then have to use a plumbing snake. Check on the drain pipe once again and carefully insert the snake into it. Turn the crank of the tool clockwise to push its wire further into the pipe. When you finally feel resistance, you’ve located the clog. Continue pushing the plumbing snake further and keep on turning its crank clockwise. Doing so will break the obstruction into smaller pieces. When there’s no more resistance, carefully pull the snake out of the drain pipe and get rid of the waste materials that you’ll possibly catch.

4. Now if your plumbing snake won’t break through the clog, you can actually increase its power by connecting it to a power drill. Simply attach the snake to the drill then once again, carefully insert the wire into the drain pipe. Hold the drill with two hands so you won’t drop it. Turn the drill on and let it dislodge the clog.

5. Once you have successfully removed the blockage, pour water into the drain again to wash away the remaining debris and sediments inside the pipe. Reconnect the washing machine’s drain tube or hose to the main drain. You might want to use the washing machine just to make sure that the problem has been resolved.

We hope that you now know how to clean out washer drain pipe. If you are not into DIY plumbing and don’t know what to do, just call a licensed Rockville plumber who can fix the problem for you. Plumbers 911 Washington DC delivers top-notch plumbing services in Rockville MD including drain cleaning, water heater care, faucet repair, leak detection, camera sewer inspection, backflow prevention and many more! Call us now at (877) 932-5325 to schedule a service!

Is your washer no longer draining or spinning? Watch this video to learn awesome troubleshooting tips.