Washer and Dryer Hookup Questions.

[phaeton]

Hello! I don't know where I would be without the helpful folks on this ng. Thanks in advance.

I have a couple of questions regarding washer and (mostly) dryer hookup. To make a long story short, we've swapped our washer and dryer around, i.e. from dryer on the left, washer on the right to dryer on the right, washer on the left. The reason isn't horribly important, but I'll summarize it at the end of this for anyone that's curious.

For the washer:

1) Are the hot water/cold water hookup hoses sold in set lengths, or is it possible to go somewhere and say "make me a set of hoses N inches long"?

2) For custom hoses, where might I go?

3) Any special considerations when making a drain trap out of PVC? Just an "S" shape laying on its side, as long as i consider gravity and stuff i'm ok, right?

For the dryer:

1) It's a gas dryer, but the gas hookup is now about 54" away.

2) Is it as simple as just getting a really long (60" or 70") flex connection?

3) Is it better to extend the hard line a few feet (with more black iron pipe) over to the other side so that the 48" flex connection is adequate?

4) If I extend the hard line, is it possible to buy pre-threaded sections of pipe like this in set lengths (6", 1', 2', 3', 4' etc)?

5) If I extend the hard line, should I mount the pipe to the wall, or rest it on something on the floor?

6) What is the proper protocol for sealing the threads of any gas line (whether I go with hard line or a longer flex)?

7) Where the gas connection is on the dryer is a bit of a tight fit (with a wall in the way). I'm relatively sure that a flex line can safely make the bend and still be within spec, but would there be any objection or disadvantage to putting a 45 or 90 degree elbow on the gas fitting so that the flex line doesn't have to bend so much?

8) I have the alumyewminium flexible dryer vent hose that came with the dryer. Any truth to the rumor that I should always use hard duct with gas dryer, or will this be fine?

Thanks for any and all

-phaeton

Reason: The washer and dryer are front-loading types, the standard 27" width each. The laundry area where they are intended to go was about 50" in width. When we looked at the house, the washer and dryer were staggered, with the washer sitting out in front of the dryer (we saw a LOT of houses like this when househunting. Did the standard width change in the last 20 years or something?) We have since cut a hole into a non-load bearing wall and removed two studs to make room for our appliances to fit side by side. However, being that they are both front loaders, the washer door was unable to clear a small piece of wall on the right hand side (the washer door is hinged on the left, and the dryer door is hinged on the right. It is obvious that Maytag intended the washer/dryer to be placed with washer on the left and dryer on the right anyways).

It's been a learning experience, but as soon as I get this completed and it all works, the Missus will be ecstatic with me ;-)

[Keith Williams]

If it makes you feel better, I did the same.

Ours is electric. Sorry, no information about the gas connections.

Our dryer *highly* recommended hard aluminum duct. I simply got a couple of low-profile elbows and routed the 4" line behind the washer. It works fine. I don't trust any of the flexible stuff.

Sounds familiar. ;-) My laundry room isn't wide enough to open the door on the dryer completely so I had to put it to the right of the washer so one could stand in front of the (top loading) washer to (un)load the dryer. I was tiling the room at the same time I moved them around so moved the water supply lines back a couple of feet (they come up through the floor - no water supply in the outside walls). In your case, I think I'd move the gas supply similarly.

If I replace the washer and dryer I'd likely get stacking front- loaders and turn them 90 degrees toward the door.

Ecstatic? She's easy. Mine just stopped bitchin' 'bout the dryer. ;-)

[Toller]

I normally am in favor of people doing stuff for themselves. I have fixed several appliances with help from this group.

However the things you are dealing with here are dangerous, and you obviously have no experience. I sure wouldn't hook up a gas line after being told how over the internet. I hope you won't either.

[Brian Attwood]

If they are anything like my front-loading Maytag washer and dryer, the manual included instructions on how to swap the hinges from one side to the other. Involved just a couple of screws and about ten minutes of work.

[PipeDown]

Never seen custom hoses and I sure wouldn't trust the hose repair parts for this application. If you can't find long enough (steel braided) hoses, buy two sets and a coupler to connect them together in series.

Its called a P trap and they sell the parts in the plumbing isle. make sure it all flows downhill. If the drain pipe is sealed onto the drain, you also need an air gap but if just slipped into the pipe with a natural gap, no problem.

Not sure but if you can buy one that long, its safe to assume its OK to use it. I don't think I would connect them in series like I suggested with the water pipes.

If you cannot find a longer connection, you will have to do this. If you can find a 60" or so, than that is better because it is less work.

Yes, definately they do sell it like that.

It needs to be rigidly secured to the wall or something permenant.

Same as for water but the compound or tape is a bit thicker. Some people say to use both. buy stuff labeled for gas don't try to use what you have for water.

Should be allowed

The ripples on the side slow the air down making it collect lint faster and is harder to clean and it can tear or kink. The trend is toward rigid pipe. Not sure if it is a code yet.

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

Most jurisdictions have restrictions on the length of flex hose you can use for a gas line and it's quite short - unless you are using the kind of flex line they use for underground gas lines, which is a totally different thing than the crinkly stuff you use for a hookup from black iron pipe to the appliance. But for safety sake I would never use anything other than black iron pipe for a gas line in a house, except for the very short flex length from the end of the pipe to the appliance. I've never seen a

70" flex connection like that and I wouldn't buy it if I did.

We have a gas dryer and I plumbed in the gas line myself, it is not hard to do. Note that the safe way to do this is put shutoff valves at all the end points of the gas line, then at the meter head, disconnect the gas line and thread on a pressure test guage, then pressurize the gas line to at least 50psi and let it sit for a couple hours to see if it bleeds down. I believe that when you get it permitted, you have to have the pressure guage attached and the line pressurized for the inspector to see, but I was unfortunately not around when that was done to our gas line. (a few years after I put in the gas dryer we had a new furnace put in and at that time I had them rerun all the gas lines)

Ted

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The braided still hoses are best and come in 6' lennghts, but the rubber comes in 10' if you need it.

I go?

Pretty much. Too long a horizontal run and you will get a backup so be sure it has plenty of pitch to it.

Absolutly not. I've not kep up with the lates codes, but in the past NO fles was allowed on a dryer. Check your local code to see what it calls for. Ranges used to allow flex so they could be moved. Vibration from a motor over time can cause flex to leak.

Many places will cut and thread what you need.

Mounted. There are brackets made just for that.

Read a book on basic piping. They make a special tape for gas pipe as well as other thread compounds.

I'd not use flex, but the tighter the bend, the more likely failure. Never a tight bend. Use the proper fittings. Be sure to have a shut off valve before the connection so the appliance can be turnef off if it has to be disconnecte for service. I sgtronly recommend you get some help if you've never done piping before. Proper material and proper methods are very important for gas. Learn to measure and allow for fittings tool.

Smoother the better. Only use the flex if you have to. Straight sections are less likely to accumulate lint.

[trader4]

Agree with all the good advice Pipedown gave. Only comments are below:

I haven't seen tape used on gas, only dope, which is what I use, though tape may be OK.

I would think it would be OK too, if the elbow exists. What he needs is an elbow with fittings to marry up to the dryer and hose ends, which aren't regular pipe threads, so a regular elbow isn't going to work. A plumbing supply should be able to tell him if they have such an animal.

[hallerb]

the big thing, keep the vent line as short as possible, longer vents make clothes drying less efficent.

i would investigatre swapping the doors, much less work.