Identify clothes washer part?

[Usual Suspect]

Maytag LSE7800.

The H & C supply lines go to the mixing valve and a single hose goes from there to the tub. But before it connects to the tub there inserted in the hose a plastic cube with some kind of restrictor. The cute is open at the top. Open?

Yes, it's a 5-sided cube with no top. The water enters one side and, apparently, flows out to the tub.

What's the name of this part?

It is not called out in these drawings:

What's its purpose? It seems to be the cause of some local flooding in the laundry room. What I thought was a cracked hose seems to be, instead, this cube overflowing.

How does this part function and how do I determine if it needs replacing?

Thanks,

[baron]

Usual Suspect Inscribed thus:

If its not part of the soap dispenser, then its an "air break" ! Its designed to stop contaminated water getting back into the water supply.

If its flooding from the air break then either the incoming water supply is too high or the is a partial blockage at the tub end. Normally it would never need replacement. However I have seen them get cracked and leak.

HTH

[PeterD]

You posted to a site that has 16 different diagrams, and it is not clear which one is the one you refer to.

But, the device in question is used to prevent back flow from the tub into the water supply and valves. The only reason I can think it leaks is either it is cracked/broken, or the outlet tube is restricted at the tub.

[Rich Webb]

I'm guessing what he's describing is the "injector sleeve bracket"

Quite a few clamps and connections in the vicinity but I agree it seems more likely that it's a downstream blockage causing some overflow.

#disclaimer - just a satisfied customer who got parts to fix a dryer blower impeller from these guys.

[DaveC]

Or it was on mine when I replaced it.

I was told that it was a method of aerating the water so that it would "spray" into the tub, which during rinse cycle is important.

[Baron]

No Bill is correct !

"If the water pressure drops to zero while filling the tub, dirty water could get drawn back into the city water main."

That is exactly what I was going to say... Bill beat me to saying it. ;-)

The action of the tub aerates the water.

[DaveC]

It still doesn't make sense. If main pressure drops to zero, the air break has no water pressure -- it opens into the tub. There's no pressure in there to "back flow" to the water main, even if the mix valve would allow it.

??

[DaveC]

No evidence that I can see. No check valve. I tend to lean toward the definition of "aeration" as its function.

No, on this model the fill and rinse water enters from the top of the drum.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "There's no pressure in there to "back flow" to the water main, even if the mix valve would allow it"

That's what I thought, but I didn't mention it because I didn't know where the inlet was - top or bottom.

In theory, a washer that fills from bottom could backflow into the main if there were no pressure/water in the main (think: break) and the force of gravity was enough to force the water into the fill tube, through the cold water pipe, and out into the street.

Now, considering your answer that this tub fills from the top, I don't see how there could be a dirty water backflow issue.

Well, maybe...depending on exactly where the inlet was, I guess a broken water level sensor coupled with a water main break that occured

*after* the tub filled to level of the inlet could cause a small amount of dirty water back into the main.

I *must* be missing something and eagerly await the explanation.

[Rich Webb]

It's a siphon break.

Remember the demo where you can get water to "flow uphill" inside a plastic tube as long as the source end of the tube stays submerged and the discharge end is below the level of the source end?

If the municipal supply loses pressure, there are likely to be several "discharge ends" (other households) that are open and lower than the wash tub. If the fill line was just a hose that terminated below the water surface then it would suck the laundry water back into the supply. The siphon break prevents that. You'll find similar gizmos on fill lines for, e.g., swimming pools, hot tubs, etc.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "If the fill line was just a hose that terminated below the water surface then it would suck the laundry water back into the supply"

Right, that's what I alluded to in my previous post.

However, how many top loaders have a fill hose that terminate below the water surface? Even if the fill sensor was broke, there wouldn't be more than a couple of inches of water above the fill tube, which wouldn't even be enough to reach the main.

Since the model in question fills from the top, did they include this part to cover the rare instance where the water pressure drops to zero

*and* the tub was already filled above the inlet because the fill sensor was broken?

[Dave Platt]

These devices are often called "vacuum breakers".

If the city water supply is interrupted, and somebody downhill from your location turns on a tap, gravity will attempt to allow water to flow back down your pipe, into the mains, and then into their pipes and out through their faucet. This will generate a negative pressure (i.e. a vacuum or suction) in the pipes in your house.

In the absense of a vaccum breaker, air pressure will force dirty water into your house pipes through any open valve to a reservoir of dirty water.

Outdoor irrigation systems are a primary culprit... if the faucet or solenoid was open when the power went out, there can be soil-contaminated water in the garden/lawn pipes leading to the sprinklers, and this water can be sucked back into the water mains if the mains pressure goes down through zero and a vacuum develops.

The cure for this is a vacuum breaker - a valve with access to outside air, which will open if the water pressure drops below a certain point.

I believe that in most areas in the U.S., a vacuum breaker is required on any water outlet which can possibly have its output opening immersed in standing water under any conditions.

[Rich Webb]

Wouldn't need to get that far to contaminate your residential piping -- or an unsuspecting neighbor's if the installation was in, e.g., a townhouse.

And designed the fill line with an internal spray head.

[Allodoxaphobia]

Ya, but. That doesn't stop the pin-head bureaucrats from requiring the backflow preventer in all such products -- dis-irregardlessly: top-loading washers, front-loading washers, dish washers, star and split washers ... no, wait...

You're expecting common sense and understanding to prevail. You're tilting at windmills.

Jonesy

[Gnack Nol]

The way to check it is to operate the machine with the washer top lifted up. Do this very carefully!

From the information on the site you provided, it is called the water injector assembly. It's purpose is to route water from the mixing valve and from the recirculation pump back into the tub.

Check the in-flow path into the tub from it for deposits or restrictions as well as be sure the machine is level. Too much powdered soap spilled into the tub inlet will make heavy deposits that will block water flow.

If you will search for the water injector on the site provided you will find that it is made up of about 5 different parts including gaskets either a gasket or a hose may be damaged so you will need to inspect it carefully for bad gaskets cracked hoses or stopped up restrictors (there are two of them and their purpose is to keep recirculated water and fresh separated.) or the plastic may simply have a crack that is letting water leak out when it is under pressure.

Be sure that you check all of the hoses attached to it for cracks and wear, they will get hard and crack in time.

It looks as if all the parts are available cheaply so replacing the assembly in mass might be the way to go if it is really leaking.

Gnack

[Gnack Nol]

Well heck I got my hoses crossed, It is an areator assembly and probably has a bad hose going to the tub or is cracked. Easily checked by lifting the washer top and settin the machine to fill. If it just overflows the suspect the hose from it to the tub or the fitting to be damaged.

Sorry I misread the diagrams before.

Gnack

[PeterD]

Yes it does, when mains pressure drops to zero two things are possible without the air brake:

1. Mains pressure actually turns negative (very common, just takes one opening downstream to do this...)
2. Even if pressure is truely zero, contamination will backflow into the pipe, and at a surprising rate. Technically it is possible even with full pressure (this is caused by boundary layer effect where the water at the side of the pipe or conduit is not moving.) A pipe run underwater, with a pin hole, will draw contamination into the water supply. If that 'underwater' water source is heavily contaminated, the amount of contamination can be significant.

[DaveC]

OK, the mechanism for contamination exists.

BUT THERE'S **NO** "DIRTY" WATER IN CONTACT WITH THE FILL HOSE!! THE WATER IS

10" BELOW THE HOSE!! HOW IS THE WATER SUPPOSED TO EVEN MAKE THE TRIP UP TO THE HOSE AND THEN TO THE MIX VALVE, ANTIGRAVITY?!

[Dave Platt]

Granted that this can't occur during normal operation. But... is it physically possible, at all, under *any* sort of fault condition, for the dirty water to rise up as high as the opening of the fill hose? Say, if the fill-level sensor happened to malfunction, and the controller left the fill/mix valve open for so long that the washer filled up to the very top of the barrel and began slopping over on the floor... would this be high enough to allow back-suction?

My guess is that the codes are written in such a way as to require a vacuum-breaker failsafe unless it's physically impossible for backflow to occur, even under extremely improbable multiple-fault conditions.

A washer manufacturer might have only two alternatives to comply with the law: either go through a bothersome, well-documented physical analysis process to demonstrate that a vacuum breaker wasn't ever going to be needed, or just go ahead and install one. By doing the latter they'd eliminate any possible conflict with some jurisdiction, somewhere, which has a code that absolutely requires a vacuum breaker on any clothes washer.

[John E.]

A thorough, practical analysis of why there's a vacuum break on every washer, whether needed -- or not, and whether it serves a real purpose (other than employing repair personnel when it leaks) -- or not.

Thanks!