Kenmore washer drains too fast

This is likely "sewer gas" and can cause headaches, dizziness, etc. if you remain exposed to it for a prolonged period of time. This originates mostly in the drain openings of fixtures that are seldom used - such as sinks and showers of basements, guest rooms, etc.

When these fixtures do not get used regularly, the relatively small amount of water that is designed to always be present in the "trap" portion of the drain pipe eventually evaporates. This trapped water prevents the the gasses in the sewer / septic system from passing through the trap. Without it, these gasses will rise through the pipes connected to the sewer / septic system and exit into your living space via the drain opening in the floor drain, shower, tub, sink and even toilet if left unused long enough.

It is usually resolved very easily by slowly pouring about a 1/2 gallon of water down the drain. The water now isolates the drain opening from the sewer / septic system and effectively stops odors from escaping. If you find that this is happening regularly (often from floor drains in dry basements) you should slowly pour water 1/2 gallon of water into the drain, and then add 2 to 3 ounces of cooking oil. The oil is lighter than water and will sit on top of the water surface. Oil does not evaporate and blocks the water from evaporating through it. Evaporation of the water in the trap will take place from the sewer / septic side of the trap, but it occurs at a much slower rate.

After filling the traps with water or water & oil, just ventilate and you're done!

Waste water from the washer is not pumped out but rather is gravity fed down the drain. You cannot drain the water up higher than the washing machine's drain outlet. You would have to cut into the drain pipe - below the level of your washer's drain outlet - and put in a T that will tie into the drain pipe and allow for some type of connection to be made from your washer's drain hose.

If not during a wash it is standing water.

Remove tube and check for cracks. If so, replace. Does/did the washer "walk"? May have rubbed the discharge tube and caused the leak.

Is the down pipe in a cold external wall? May be condensation from humid air hitting cold.

If the sound is the problem, attach a string to the drain pipe so water drips directly to side of vertical pipe.

The drain pipe may be partially clogged with lint. The old washer pump may have been a little weaker and didn't fill the pipe so fast.

Maybe someone can use an awger on the drain ptpe ...have to clean down to the J trap at the floor.

Hope this helps

Hi,
Here is a tip that will help you with that problem...

Changing or Upgrading your Old Washing Machine
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4696582-changing_or_upgrading_old_washing_machin

heatman101

Disconnect the discharge hose from the washer and look for a clog at both ends of the hose. Also, look down where the discharge port is on the washer and clear out the clog there also. If you see no clogs, then make sure your discharge hose is not crimped at such an angle to prevent water from flowing through. Also, make sure your discharge hose is not running on the floor and that it goes vertical straight 4.5 to 5 feet from the floor and then loops directly into the discharge pipe. Give that a shot. Still no water drain? Then the water pump needs to be replaced.

In mobile homes you have one drain pipe out. old water in the pipes can make a sludge and after a day or two can smell. My shower drain is open and i can smell the water when my washer drains too. White vinegar helps. Or if you have a septic tank your drain field may be clogged up and backing up into your pipes where they slowly drain.might be time for pumping your septic tank.

When you have problems with sewer gas smells around a
fixture, there can be a number of causes.
1. Sewer gas coming back up into the home
a. Blocked vent.
b. No vent.
2. Leaking drains that cause rotting below the floor.
3. Moisture that causes mold buildup.
4. No trap on your sink.
5. One roof vent on septic system.
6. Toilet needs to be reset and calked.

Sewer gas can come back up into your home, when the
trap completely empties after a letting the water out
of a fixture, when the trap dries out, or when it is
sucked out by another fixture flushing. When water
goes into a pipe, it first has to push the air ahead
of it, if there is no place for it to go, it comes up
the trap. This causes a buildup of pressure if there
is no vent.

If there is a vent, the pressure is relieved up to the
roof, carrying with it all of the yucky smells. When
the water runs down the drain, the air behind it has
to be replaced, if its not, the pipes will try to ****
it from some drain...typically the shower drain, but
sometimes the floor drain when its close to a washer.
When vacuum draws air in through the trap on the
laundry tub it also takes the water out of the trap,
leaving an opening where the sewer gasses can come
back up from the septic system .

Think about your pipes as if they are a drinking
straw. When you put a straw into a glass of water,
the water fills the straw. But if you put your thumb
over the end of the straw and pull it out of the
water, the water (or liquid) stays in the straw. This
shows you, air has volume. When you remove your thumb
from the end of the straw, the water flows back into
the glass. This is the principal of a vent.

So if you only have the smell when a fixture is
running, the trap is refilling after the fixture and
blocking the sewer gasses from coming into the home,
but your vent is probably not functioning.
In addition, if you have only one vent up through the
roof on a septic system, you can get sewer gas smells
coming up through your home. As the wind blows
across the roof, it pressurizes the plumbing system.
Since the septic tank is full of water, the wind
cannot go into the septic tank. So it bubbles up through the
traps into the house. Installing a vent on an
opposing roof pitch, helps to relieve the pressure buildup,
since the wind then is only hitting one side of the
roof.

Floor drains are succeptable to this type of pressure.

If your drains are partially clogged it can work
similar to a clogged vent. Since there is no place
for the water to go, it forces the air, which is much
lighter up through traps, bringing sewer gas into the
home.

If your fixture is not set right or is wabbling, the
traps or wax ring that seals it underneith may not be tight.
When this happens, if you empty the fixture, sewer gas
will come under the sink into the room.

Each of these senarios will require a different
solution. The key to solving your problem, is having
the right questions to ask when the plumber comes out
to look at it. The previous information should
provide you with a basis for the questions you need.

Make sure before you call a plumber to check
cleanout covers and pipes to see if they have
openings to the sewer. If you have an opening
without a trap, you will get sewer gasses.

In conclusion, if you don't have a vent inside the
wall which equalizes the air pressure inside the
pipes, if you are on a septic system with only
one roof vent, if the vent is clogged off due to
sludge and soap scum, if you don't have a proper trap
on your sink, or if the drain is clogged, sewer gas can escape
into your home.

Thanks for using FixYa - a FixYa rating is appreciated!!

You drain may not be blocked but it could be slow. Get some drain crystals from walmart. Go by package directions.

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61

Is your drain pump constantly running? If it isn't, check the standpipe (drain pipe) and make sure you don't have your drain hose shoved down in the pipe too far or the top sealed off. The stand pipe needs an air gap to properly drain, or it can siphon water from the wash tub. Symptom: Washer continually tries to fill or slow fills, but water won't stay in wash tub. Double check your drain line to be sure. It could be a simple fix.