OT - washing machine 'tip'

Here's a new one on me....bought a new Kenmore washer/dryer last year. It came with free delivery/installation and the 'technician' came and installed it while I was at work.

Past few months, I've been noticing a smell while the machine was running, and the clothes sorta smelled when I transferred them to the dryer. They didn't smell bad after drying, but also didn't smell that great either.

I've been wondering if something died in there (unlikely) or there was a buildup of some sort of sludge, etc. I finally decided today to take the machine apart until I found something wrong.

I pulled it away from the wall and went to pull the drain hose out of the wall...It kept coming and coming. It turns out the drain hose (plastic) has the usual accordion pleats but also straight sections. The idea is you cut it to length depending on where you install it. But the guy who installed it just shoved the whole length down the drain pipe. I could see that the last 6" or so were submerged in water. It looks like the hose curved its way around the P trap and was allowing 'vapors' to find their way back up the drain hose into the machine.

So...I cut the drain hose to a proper length, and ran two loads as a test....the smell is gone.

GregSY said:

So...I cut the drain hose to a proper length, and ran two loads as a test....the smell is gone.

Click to expand...

I think you could build a song around that line - "... the smell is gone." Some strings and brass in the background to accentuate the wistful sense like the empty pillow.

GregSY said:

Here's a new one on me....bought a new Kenmore washer/dryer last year. It came with free delivery/installation and the 'technician' came and installed it while I was at work.

Past few months, I've been noticing a smell while the machine was running, and the clothes sorta smelled when I transferred them to the dryer. They didn't smell bad after drying, but also didn't smell that great either.

I've been wondering if something died in there (unlikely) or there was a buildup of some sort of sludge, etc. I finally decided today to take the machine apart until I found something wrong.

I pulled it away from the wall and went to pull the drain hose out of the wall...It kept coming and coming. It turns out the drain hose (plastic) has the usual accordion pleats but also straight sections. The idea is you cut it to length depending on where you install it. But the guy who installed it just shoved the whole length down the drain pipe. I could see that the last 6" or so were submerged in water. It looks like the hose curved its way around the P trap and was allowing 'vapors' to find their way back up the drain hose into the machine.

So...I cut the drain hose to a proper length, and ran two loads as a test....the smell is gone.

View attachment 326127

Click to expand...

Sheesh!


The alleged "technician" - out of sloth and ignorance - had defeated the whole basic purpose of your drain having a "trap"!

If he was to have erred on the side of safety? An AIR GAP.. wherein the "J" hose outlet from the washer was wired above the upcomer from the trap wudda worked just fine!

The ones sold in Asia? Even include a plastic skeleton extender, zip ties, clamps, and hangar clips to position the outlet above a "mystery" drain that might or might not have downline flaws .. and for exactly that purpose.

So whatever ELSE might be awry - the washer install does not make it worse.

Because it matters. Not just the odour. Nor potential methane flammability.

Dry traps in kitchen and bath FLOOR drains in a high-rise apartment block in Hong Kong were found to be the cause of spread to over fifty residents who contracted the SARS virus back during that epidemic.

ONE resident was infected first.

The others had the usual kitchen and/or bath through-wall or window exhaust fans running.

The modest reduced pressure pulled contaminated vapour from the sewer system back through the dry traps in each of their flats.. and spread the virus that had entered the common sewer line from the initial infectee's sewage discharge.

Have a guest bathroom - or any other drain with a trap - that is seldom used when there are no guests, or no activity in that area for long periods of time?

See to it you "wet the traps" periodically.

They go dry? You are "sharing" what you'd rather NOT come back into your living spaces.. you neighbours' effluvia... nor even your OWN!

Sadly one does not have to be a licensed professional to install appliances in people's homes unless it involves permit-required plumbing or electrical work. Any Joe Blow can claim to be a competent 'technician'.

Doesn't help that most home appliance installation services are sold through opaque 'rent-a-contractors' through big box store contracts, so there is little research, reputation checking or accountability involved. You get what you get and all you can do if you don't like it is complain to the store that handed them your money.