Washing machine water supply

[Rob Morley]

We've just got a new washer/dryer that's a bit too smart, and keeps complaining that there's a problem with the water supply. I know our mains has poor flow, although the pressure is good, because we're still on some ancient 1930s pipes.

The hot water system feeds from a tank in the loft, and flow from that is good although obviously pressure is limited to the available head. I could try the (cold water only) machine on the hot supply that fed the old machine to see if it complains about water, but will I be OK running hot water into the cold feed WRT the valves and plastics in the machine? I suppose I could turn the hot water off and drain it so it runs cold, but that's hassle and waste (although less than hooking up a new cold feed only to find the machine still doesn't like it).

[Tricky Dicky]

Have you checked the flow of water from the cold feed without the washing m achine hose on? A trickle would suggest some blockage or maybe something as simple as the valve not fully opening. If you previously had a a hot and c old feed washer you may not have been aware of a fault on the cold feed as the machine may have simply filled from the hot feed although I think some machines only use cold for rinse cycles.

Richard

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

What happens when the Mrs. washes all her woollens on a hand cold wash setting but you feed the machine with 50 or 60 degree water from the tank?

Don't see an issue with plastic, valves etc but shoving hot water into a cold feed (on a washing machine) as a catastrophe in the making.

Hell, I managed to turn her new and grotesquely expensive angora woollen jumper into an Action Man sleeping bag on it's very first wash just by doing it on a 30 degree wash with all the rest of her jumpers rather than doing a woollens wash simply because it was identical to a nylon one she always wears.

Pete

[Rob Morley]

Valve is definitely fully open, and flow is as good as we get from the kitchen cold tap (hardly surprising as they share a feed from the rising main). I've tried different hoses so it's unlikely to be a blockage there (I did wonder if cutting the hose down so it's only just long enough to reach might reduce any restriction that causes - it's certainly narrower then the 15mm pipe it connects to).

[Michael Chare]

Switch the boiler or immersion heater off and then have a bath first.

[Rob Morley]

That may be the best solution.

[Capitol]

Is there a flow restrictor in the cold feed connecion?

[Tim+]

Have you checked that there isn't a removable flow restrictor in the washing machine inlet? Some appliances are supplied with them fitted by default leaving you to remove them if you have low water flow.

Tim

[tabbypurr]

Some machines have 2 valve options for low & high pressure supplies. You might need to get the other valve put it.

If it's not that, you might have to get a refund as it's not suitable for the task. 'Smart' on products nearly always means stupid.

NT

[alan_m]

Especially if they just prefix the model name with a lower case i (or in the case of no-name vacuum cleaners include 'HD' or '3D')

[Rob Morley]

Pressure is fine, flow is poor because it's a rusty old pipe that runs behind the houses, fed from a new main[1] in the road at the front. I should really get a new feed straight from the main, but the hassle of running it behind the house[2], disruption and cost ... Besides, from what I've read, 15 feet of head from the loft tank should be /just/ enough to satisfy the new washing machine - I just want an easy way to check that is so, before running an independent feed from the tank (I think I have more than enough spare plastic pipe stashed in the loft, it would only cost me a couple of pipe fittings and some time/effort/pain).

There was a leak at our external stopcock, I fixed it.

They're closer to the main.

[1] New main went in a couple of years ago. Before that pressure was intermittently poor too, but I replaced the small tank in the airing cupboard with a larger tank in the loft so we could have a decent power shower, and the old washing machine didn't mind the poor supply. Everything else is just a bit slow to fill. [2] It might be easiest going under with a "mole". I should check prices.