RODI to washing machine drain help plz

[jack straw]

I'm going to get the 75GPD BRS RODI unit and set it up next to my washing machine in my basement. I'm planning on using a Y-valve connection with ball valves to the input of my RODI, and other for washer.

My concern is with the RODI drain.

If I absolutely have to I will just put the drain in the washing machine manually when making water. As my tank is a 55 gallon and I'm thinking I won't need to making a whole lot of water when I do, not enough to overflow a washing machine at least. (Do most washing machines have a drain so if it is off and it reaches a certain level the drain kicks in?)

The washing machine drain is the typical plastic drainage hose but is clamped together with a thick ~3/4" black rubber hose which runs to the main house drainage line. I was thinking perfect, I'll just put a hole in the washing machine plastic drainage line and feed the RODI drain line about 3 feet down the washing machine plastic drainage line and zip tie and I'm done.

But upon further inspection I notice that the washing machine drainage line starts at the bottom of washer (the floor) and runs about 3 feet up to meet the thick black rubber hose, and then another foot up for thick black rubber hose to get to main house drainage line...

I'm imagining there could be some serious backflow pressure there, am I right?

Would there be a problem with me going along with my plan to feed the RODI drain line 3 feet into the washing machine drain line, even though it goes 4 feet up to meet the main house drainage line?

Thanks for your help, I appreciate any feedback.

 

[Sk8r]

The waste water won't near overflow it, for a 5-10 gallon bucket. If you want, you can run the yellow (waste) tube down the drain for your washer, but putting the water into the washer is a way to save water on the next washer fill. VOICE OF EXPERIENCE: set a timer while this is running, or it will be on your floor as the bucket overflows. Give it about 30 minutes a go until you have a sense how fast this filter will run.

 

[eric@tampa]

+1 on Sk8r's advice. I still set my timer,flooded the garage twice.

 

[hvacman250]

To answer your questions: if the washer is off, it will overflow.

As others stated, use a timer. I use my microwave timer and oven timer for redundancy.

 

[eric@tampa]

You must have a side-open washer as the old top-loading ones will not overflow...sorry didn't think about that one.

 

[jack straw]

Ok, havent tested my washer is to whether it will overflow or not when off, was just curious.

Do you think it will be alright if I run my drain line into the washing machine plastic drainage line (saddle clamp style), eventhough the washing machine plastic drainage line goes 4 feet up to the main house drainage line? (or will backpressure be an issue....check valve help?)

 

[vorm]

Maybe I missing something here, but why not just stick the waste water line into the washing machine drain hole? Is there not enough room for both the washing machine hose and the RO/DI hose or something? I would think you could cram it in there, and even clamp or tape it to the washing machine hose if you're worried about it slipping out.

 

[jdthomas24]

where does the drain tap into? like mine it goes in the wall to a drain. Is there a way you can tap into that and skip the washer?

 

[jack straw]

Maybe I missing something here, but why not just stick the waste water line into the washing machine drain hole? Is there not enough room for both the washing machine hose and the RO/DI hose or something? I would think you could cram it in there, and even clamp or tape it to the washing machine hose if you're worried about it slipping out.

Not sure what the "washing machine drain hole" is....There is a plastic drain hose that comes out from the bottom of the washer, this is the hose that the washing machine water drains out through. This plastic drain hose stretches 3 feet up, where it is connected (metal ratchet straps) to a thick 3/4" black rubber hose, which runs 1 foot up and connects to the main drainage line for the house (big old 6"-8" thick actual piping that I don't want to mess with).

I do not want to mess with the connections of washing machine drain line to main house drainage line, but was hoping I could just tap the RODI drain line into the plastic washing machine drainage line (immediately coming out of the washer). My concern was that since this plastic drainage line runs roughly 4 feet up to meet the main house drainage line, would there be back pressure, enough that if I spliced the RODI drainage line into the plastic washing machine drainage line, the pressure might effect the RODI unit?

Thanks for the help, unless there is a "washing machine drain hole" in the washer that you are referring to that I could use that would then drain out of the washing machine?

(Believe I am left with either splice RODI drain into plastic washing machine drain hose and take chanes with back pressure to RODI unit, or just manually put RODI drain in washing machine to fill washer every time I make water....)

Does everyone else who connected RODI drain to washing machine drain have a washing machine plastic drainage hose that runs up a few feet to meet where it drains out at?

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[RenoR1]

Timer is a most. But only if you remember to use it. I have flooded the garage 5 times. And still havn't learned. I run my waste water to the drain line in the wall that the washing machine connects to.

 

[kuyatwo]

I use a outdoor sprinkler timer it rotates 5,10,15,30min intervals turn on valve opens and water flows when timer s over it valve closes. Set it and forget it

 

[jack straw]

I was hoping to have the RODI drain line tapped into a drainage line (like the washing machines) so I could hook up a float valve with solenoid. This won't work if I have to manually put the RODI drian into the washing machine, so I will be sure to take all of your first hand exp advice and use a kitchen timer if I must resort to that.

If you had to hook up your RODI in your basement, and you had a washing machine input that you could Y-valve off of, but you had to solve your RODI drain issue. And you could manually move line to washing machine to drain? or have the preferred solution of hooking into the washing machine drain line some how, but the washing machine drain line ran 4 feet up in the air (about to the height of the top of the washer before meeting the main house drainage line (which you can't tap into)...

Would you be comfortable tappining the RODI drain line into this washing machine drain line? (even though the RODI drain water would have to flow 2 feet down to meet the washing machine plastic drain line, then 3 feet up through washing machine plastic drain line to main house drain line?

 

[jack straw]

Sorry so long, but I guess my concern isnt the RODI drain line falling out of the plastic washing machine drain line, but instead any kind of back flow or back pressure that might come from the main house drainage line back into the plastic washing machine drain line and now spliced in RODI drain line to RODI unit....

 

[SA13]

I'm also confused about your setup.
Is your washer drain hard plummed into your house drain line or does it terminate with a pipe stuffed down a drain pipe?

 

[macktab]

Sounds like best solution would be to get a 1-1/2in drain saddle with push in rodi tube connection - this requires clear access to the side of washer drain pipe. If you have a finished wall with a washing machine outlet box wher flex washer drain - maybe get a 1-1/2in Y connector and get right combination of fittings to connect into the drain.

 

[jack straw]

Sorry for the confusion.

It is hard plumbed into the main house drainage line. This is my concern. The washing machine drainage line starts at the bottom of the washer then stretches up 3 feet (to around the top of the washer) to meet a 3/4" black rubber hose that runs another foot vertically before being hard plumbed into the main house drainage line.

I was hoping to just saddle valve clamp the RODI drain line into the washing machine drainage line (before it connects to the 3/4" black rubber hose), but the fact that the RODI drain water would have to travel vertically up to meet the main house drainage line has me concerned.

Should I be?

Thanks.

 

[jack straw]

Sounds like best solution would be to get a 1-1/2in drain saddle with push in rodi tube connection - this requires clear access to the side of washer drain pipe.

This is what I am hoping to do. You think it would still be alright to do this even if the washer drain pipe is hard plumbed to the main house drainage line, and runs ~3 feet vertically up to get there?

 

[macktab]

Is your wall finished so you can not access the pipe fiiting at the main house drainage line? I do not like the idea of connecting RODI waste line to a point below the gravity drain pipe in case of cross contamination to RODI unit.

 

[jack straw]

Is your wall finished so you can not access the pipe fiiting at the main house drainage line? I do not like the idea of connecting RODI waste line to a point below the gravity drain pipe in case of cross contamination to RODI unit.

It is definitely not a finished wall, I have access to the main house drainage line, but do not want to tap into it. It is around 6-7" wide metal or ceramic old style water pipe heading out to the street. I could tap into the plastic washing machine drainage line or this thick 3/4" black rubber hose that attaches the washing machine drainage line to main house drainage line, but either way there would still be a ~1 foot to travel upwards to get to main house drainage line.

The possible backflow from main house drainage line into RODI drain had me concerned, as well...

Looks like manually draning into washing machine might be my only real option...

 

[macktab]

Can you place a new y connection between the rubber drain hose and the main house drain? You could then feed the additional y connection opening with your rodi waste line. Y connection leg pointing up or as close to vertical as possible