Installation of water hookups and a drain for a washing machine may seem simple enough, but if done improperly the problems can be ongoing. There are several aspects of the installation which need to be taken into consideration to ensure that that the water hookup and drain works properly.
Rather than having a solid connection to a drain pipe, washing machines have a drain hose that is meant to simply be inserted into a standpipe. This is to allow for the movement of the washing machine when it vibrates due to a heavy or unbalanced load during the spin cycle. One of the issues involved in the plumbing installation is the height of the standpipe which the washer drains into. If the standpipe is not the proper height the washer will not drain properly.
The washing machine will require both hot and cold water supply lines. The lines will have shutoff valves in the washing machine box where the hoses from the washing machine connect to the water supplies. The shutoff valves used for washing machines generally include water hammer arresters to prevent the hammering noise that can result from the sudden shutoff of the water when the washer has finished filling. A dual shutoff that shuts off both hot and cold at the same time is also a frequent option for washing machine shutoff valves.
Hiring a licensed plumber to install your washing machine hookups and drain will assure you that the installation meets local code and that you will be protected from the problems that can arise from improper installation.
