My washing machine empties into an above ground pipe which then goes underground. For several months(and its getting worse), whenever the washer empties, some of the water comes back up out of the pipe onto the floor before the rest goes out into the pipe and into the ground. Any ideas?

There are several sources that could be your problem.

1. The pipe drops to a trap that seals out sewer gas. The trap may be clogged. A plumbers snake may fix that.

2. There should be a vent nearby that rises in a wall and exits the roof. It may be obstructed. Plumbers snake or roto rooter time.

3. The sewer line may have roots or some other obstruction further down the line. Roto rooter time!

4. Worst case senario is a collapsed line. The roto rooter man will tell you if this is the case.

5. You may be putting too much soap. The foam can cause the water to back up.

Regards

Thanks to 'bravey' for the information. We'll look into the suggestions!