washing machine connection

[sm_jamieson]

Just found this somewhere:

The machine=92s flexible hose is for disposing of waste water. It must disc= harge into a waste pipe or trap above the level of the top of the drum. The= option is to hook the hose into the top of an open standpipe with a P-trap= and the bottom. The waste pipe should through the outside wall to a hopper= head or gully. An air gap at the top of the standpipe is important to stop= back-siphonage of dirty water into the machine. Manufacturers will recommend that you use a standpipe and insurers and wate= r companies often insist on it being in place. But if you find it easier to= position your washing machine next to a sink you can change the sink trap = to a washing machine trap, saving space.

1. Whats this bit about insurance companies and manufacturers wanting a sta= nd pipe ?

1. The washing machine outlet must discharge at a level higher than the dru= m ? My washing machine pipe is formed into a U to create a trap, then straight = into a soil pipe via one of those 4-way waste manifolds. Much lower than th= e drum all the way, and no problems.

Is this info rubbish, or is there something I should know about ?

Simon.

[David WE Roberts]

The machine?s flexible hose is for disposing of waste water. It must discharge into a waste pipe or trap above the level of the top of the drum. The option is to hook the hose into the top of an open standpipe with a P-trap and the bottom. The waste pipe should through the outside wall to a hopper head or gully. An air gap at the top of the standpipe is important to stop back-siphonage of dirty water into the machine. Manufacturers will recommend that you use a standpipe and insurers and water companies often insist on it being in place. But if you find it easier to position your washing machine next to a sink you can change the sink trap to a washing machine trap, saving space.

1. Whats this bit about insurance companies and manufacturers wanting a stand pipe ?

1. The washing machine outlet must discharge at a level higher than the drum ? My washing machine pipe is formed into a U to create a trap, then straight into a soil pipe via one of those 4-way waste manifolds. Much lower than the drum all the way, and no problems.

Is this info rubbish, or is there something I should know about ?

Simon.

**********************************************************************

The one issue with some washing machines is that if you have the highest point of the outlet pipe lower than the fill level of the water, they start to empty during the fill cycle and then just sit there pissing water down the drain. More likely to be a problem with older machines which use more water than modern ones.

[Andrew Gabriel]

That's not quite true - it must be looped up above the max fill level. The discharge point can however be lower.

True, and pushing the hose in too far so the end is under the u-trap water level is not good.

No idea. What makes you think that what you found has any validity?

The pipe must loop up higher than the highest water level in the drum (plus a margin), or the machine won't be able to fill to that level, as it will run out the waste pipe. The highest water level in the drum is always below the drum centre (the drum bearing seal is not designed to be submerged). The highest fill levels tend to be the rinses, and on some machines, the wool wash program (since woollens mustn't be repeatedly lifted out and dropped back into the water).

Washing machines don't close off the waste pipe, they rely on having to pump over a raised section of the pipe when they need to empty out.

There's some truth to the info, but it's not a good complete unambigous description.

Your setup cannot be as you describe, as the machine would never fill.

[NT]

scharge into a waste pipe or trap above the level of the top of the drum. T= he option is to hook the hose into the top of an open standpipe with a P-tr= ap and the bottom. The waste pipe should through the outside wall to a hopp= er head or gully. An air gap at the top of the standpipe is important to st= op back-siphonage of dirty water into the machine.

ter companies often insist on it being in place. But if you find it easier = to position your washing machine next to a sink you can change the sink tra= p to a washing machine trap, saving space.

t into a soil pipe via one of those 4-way waste manifolds. Much lower than = the drum all the way, and no problems.

There is. I woudn't never recommend just sticking the pipe in unsealed, washing machines chuck out all sorts of muck on occasion, and an unsealed connection is an invitation to flood.

NT

[stuart noble]

There has to be a good reason why an open standpipe is the norm

[Bob Eager]

Better than it backing into the washing machine, IMHO.

I put in an open standpipe 20 years ago, and it's never given any trouble.

[NT]

its cheap and consumer easy

that won't happen if its plumbed sensibly.

usually the way. But if your waste pipe blocks, and sometimes they do, you can say bye bye to your kitchen cabinets, carpets, some furniture and appliances. It only takes a simple connector to do it properly. Failing to do so is a false economy imho.

Before someone says insurance, claims too often result in enough premium hike to get the full amount back again, and a load of unnecessary hassle is just... unnecessary.

NT

[Bob Eager]

Utility room with concrete floor and washable flooring.

[NT]

Indeed. A lot of folk don't have that though.

NT

[sm_jamieson]

I've just checked and it is. From the outlet pipe its downhill all the way to the waste connection. Maybe my machine has some kind of valve to stop it draining. Simon.

[SteveW]

the waste connection.

But at what height does the outlet pipe come out? The pump (and the internal) part of the pipe will be at the bottom of the machine, but the outlet pipe may feed up internally or externally before leaving the machine high up - effectively giving you a fixed high point.

SteveW

[PeterC]

the waste connection.

The Miele that I installed (for somebody else) about 12 years ago could be run straight down to a drain as it had a valve of some sort. It could also pump high enough to get the water out of a cellar to a drain, IIRC, 10' above. Most machines though will just siphon out if the pipe's not high enough.

[sm_jamieson]

way to the waste connection.

The pipe exits the machine about 6 inches from the floor and is downhill al= l the way to a waste manifold at the bottom of the soil pipe (with a small = U-bend formed out of the pipe). It would certainly be a good design for the= outlet to have an upward loop internally, since the position the user plac= es the outlet pipe should not fundamentally affect the functioning of the m= achine. Simon.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Not sure I'd agree there.

Only problem I've had with a standpipe was some tenants who managed to pull it out, then run the machine several times, and then wait for

2 weeks before telling us there was a nasty smell in the kitchen, by which time £5000+ of solid maple flooring was written off.