Drain backing up sewage smell

[Trakz]

Hello all,

okay first thing is I am not very home repair savvy I can do a few minor things like fix the pipes under the sink but beyond that..not so much. Anyways,here's my problem. I have an older home. My washing machine is down in the basement and the washer actually drains into a hole in the floor. I noticed that the water has started overflowing out of the hole,which of course is ruining my carpet down there. It doesn't appear to be draining at all other than into a little hole inside the drain. Earlier today, I was down there messing with it and I heard the toilet flush and there was a faint odor in the air. Which I'm assuming is the sewage. Any ideas on how to fix this? I was planning on going out tomorrow after work to try and find a snake or something to run down there and see if that fixes the issue. Thanks in advance

[HayZee518]

from the looks of your picture I would assume the black thing is abs plastic caulked into the existing floor drain. the threaded side inlet (outlet) anybody's guess where it goes. probably a french drain. washing machines generally drain into a basement sink or a standpipe with a trap. the faint sewage smell is coming from that threaded part. if it is a french drain, it could be filled so the water backs up onto your floor. older drains didn't have a floor trap for sewage gases. the gases go up the vent to a pipe outside and above the attic roof and out to atmosphere. if you find that is a french drain, consider installing a cellar slop sink or a standpipe with trap for your washing machine. then plug that opening!

[Trakz]

from the looks of your picture I would assume the black thing is abs plastic caulked into the existing floor drain. the threaded side inlet (outlet) anybody's guess where it goes. probably a french drain. washing machines generally drain into a basement sink or a standpipe with a trap. the faint sewage smell is coming from that threaded part. if it is a french drain, it could be filled so the water backs up onto your floor. older drains didn't have a floor trap for sewage gases. the gases go up the vent to a pipe outside and above the attic roof and out to atmosphere. if you find that is a french drain, consider installing a cellar slop sink or a standpipe with trap for your washing machine. then plug that opening!

Yes it is caulked into the another pipe that the washing machine drain hose goes into. It might be a french drain. I know towards the back of my yard there is a black plastic pipe that water comes out of. Will using a snake on this unclog the drain typically or is there something different I need to do to actually clean it out?

[akaothermick]

Looks like its dumping into a clean out that's has had its cover removed, no trap in that, so it will stink.

[HayZee518]

look on the web for a definition of a "french drain." I think you'll find it as being a gravel and sand filled pit that grey water dumps into. you can try snaking it but I don't think you'll get anyplace. if that remote black pipe is at the end of that threaded line, then there isn't a french drain. the washer is just dumping outside at the end of the pipe. you could, get snaky like animals into your basement if that is the case. I'd plug it and install a stand pipe with trap near your washer or at least a slop sink with a trap in the drain exit.

[Trakz]

Snaking it did absolutely no good. I stand corrected it. It is not a French drain. It just simply dumps at the back of yard. It's weird. I got my wet vac out and sucked the water out. The whole thing is about a foot deep and has another one of those drain hoses at the bottom.

The washing machine runs into a standpipe but for whatever reason instead of the standpipe going into the ground or going outside it goes into another pipe that runs across the floor to the drainage hole. I'm not really sure how I can add anything else to it. Concrete walls and all. From what little I know about this stuff it looks like I've gotta figure out how to get this unclogged and keep it that way.

[HayZee518]

the washer drain should go into the black abs plastic pipe through a t-y fitting. that way all the soap and junk goes through the town drain. a DIY can do it, take about 6 hours. let me know and maybe take a picture of the black pipe and fittings that go into the floor drain.