Sump Pump & Sewer Pump Service in Doraville, GA

Of all the pumps in a basement, the one people most often forget they own is the pump under the laundry tub. When a washer or utility sink sits lower than the drain that leaves the house, its water collects in a small basin or in the tub itself, and a laundry pump lifts it up to the sanitary drain. In a Doraville basement this little unit can work several times a day, and it fails in ways that differ from a sump pump in the next corner.

How a basement laundry drains uphill

The washer empties into a laundry tub. Beneath it, or in a compact basin beside it, a pump with a built-in switch waits for the water level to rise, then pushes the water through a small discharge pipe and a check valve to a drain line overhead. Some units are built into a sink cabinet; others are standalone basins on the floor. All of them depend on a switch that senses the level and a pump that keeps pace with the washer.

Why washers are hard on small pumps

• Modern washers drain in quick surges, sometimes faster than a small pump can move the water.
• Lint, hair and threads collect on the pump's intake screen and in the check valve.
• Soap scum and fabric softener coat the switch until it stops reading the level correctly.
• Hot water from a sanitize cycle can exceed what some pumps are rated to handle, so the manufacturer's temperature limit matters.

Signs the laundry pump is failing

The tub fills higher than it used to during a drain cycle, or it overflows outright. The pump runs and hums but the level drops slowly. Water drains back into the tub after the pump stops, which points to the check valve. A sour smell from the basin often means lint and soap residue have been sitting in the bottom. If the pump starts and stops rapidly with very little water in the basin, the switch is probably coated or failing.

Keeping lint out

A mesh lint filter on the end of the washer's drain hose catches much of what would otherwise reach the pump. Empty it regularly. Cleaning the intake screen and wiping the switch every so often keeps the pump from working harder than it should. If the drain line overhead is slow, the pump may be fine and the pipe beyond it partly clogged; drain repair addresses that part of the system.

When a laundry pump is not enough

A laundry pump is designed for gray water. If a toilet or a full bathroom is added to the basement, the waste needs a sealed, vented sewage ejector basin with a pump built to pass solids. The same applies when several fixtures are tied into one small basin and the pump cannot keep up. Laundry water should also never go into a sump pit, because a sump sends everything it collects outdoors, and wastewater belongs in the sanitary drain. Planning a basement bathroom is a bigger project, often handled alongside new construction plumbing work for the space.

When Doraville wants a permit

Replacing a laundry pump on its existing piping is a small job; running new drain lines for a basement bathroom is not. Doraville's residential permit checklist counts new plumbing lines, and fixture work that changes piping, among the jobs that need a permit. Each permit also carries a notarized affidavit, explained on the city's permits page, so it pays to start the paperwork early.

Questions about laundry and sump pumps in Doraville

Why does my laundry tub overflow when the washer drains?

The washer is pushing water in faster than the pump can move it out. That can happen because the pump is undersized for the washer, the intake is choked with lint, the check valve is sticking or the drain line overhead is partly blocked. A technician can watch a full drain cycle and see which part is falling behind.

Can the washer drain into the sump pit instead?

No. A sump pump discharges outdoors, so anything sent into its pit ends up in the yard. Washer water carries detergent, lint and soil and belongs in the sanitary drain. If the laundry pump has failed, the fix is to repair or replace it, not to reroute the washer hose into the sump.

How often should a laundry pump be cleaned?

It depends on how much laundry the household runs and how much lint the washer sheds. Checking the hose filter every few loads and looking at the basin and intake screen every few months is a reasonable start. The pump's manual may suggest a specific routine, and a sour smell is a sign it is overdue.

Booking a pump check

When you call, describe what the tub does during a drain cycle and roughly how old the pump is. For a basement that also has a sump or an ejector, Alpha's statewide pump service page explains how each one is looked after. If a laundry tub in Doraville is overflowing or a pump has quit, Alpha Plumbing and Sewer can diagnose it; the number is (404) 409-4448.