Long Smelly Waste...

[DanDare]

In their wisdom, previous owners of my house placed the washing machine at the opposite corner of my house to any other plumbing. Actually, plumbing aside, it's quite a good place for it - and I can't think where else it can go.

However, everytime it drains (via a hopper into a gulley), it lets out a dreadful stink. (Outside, when the water hits the gulley. Just ask my neighbours...)

One reason, I suspect is that the waste, which runs about 10-12m, has sagged and has more rise than fall in several places... That bit I can fix. I can also shorten the run a bit, to 8metres (ish) .

I just want to check whether there is a more fundamental problem. The waste is run in 40mm. Is that OK for such a long run? I can't realistically re-run all of it - it disappears under a tiled floor, and joins a sink and shower waste, before running externally down to the hopper. I imagine there's no point upgrading it to (say) 50mm for most of the run, when I can't change the section under the tiles.

If I sort out the fall, do I stand a chance of fixing the smell? Would something like an air-admittance valve help?

Btw, the washing machine works fine.

Thanks all

 

[HERTS P&D]

Once a month, run the washing machine on its hottest wash, full cycle with NOTHING in it. This will clean out all of the pipe work.

If the gully is smelling, check the next manhole in-line to see if there are any blockages.

Andy

 

[Nige F]

And pray that the drain run also takes a WC to flush that out - There is a row of 10 houses (we used to maintain) where a drain run takes only kitchen waste . I know Andy can imagine what happens @ no. 10 Used to be a regular earner

 

[DanDare]

Thanks Nige F and Hertsdrainage2010!

Don't think the gulley is to blame - as there's no smell when we use the shower - which tees into the same waste as the washing machine. Everything else ends us there too - bath, dishwasher, kitchen sink etc etc, but the smell is only noticeable when the washing machine empties...

Presume that you mean running the hot wash monthly would help only once I've sorted the lack of fall out? If it's going to be ok even with that I'll leave it as is and run a hot wash as you suggest, but think you must mean 'once the waste runs downhill, rather than over hills and dales as it does at the mo.

Thanks again

Dan