Installing a faucet for a washing machine

Connecting an automatic washing machine must be approached responsibly. The “simpler is better” method will not work in this situation. You should not power the washing machine through an extension cord, attach the drain hose to the edge of the bathtub, or cut a regular tee into the pipe for water supply. How to do everything right? Firstly, the outlet for the household appliance must be separate. Secondly, to drain the water, you need to connect the drainage corrugation to the siphon. Thirdly, it is important to install a faucet for the washing machine, which will “cut off” the inlet hose from the water supply.

Why can't you do without a crane?

The valve used when connecting an automatic machine to the water supply performs a special function. Using a shut-off valve, you can instantly shut off the water supply to the machine in unexpected situations. For example, it will be very useful if the washing machine starts to leak.

Do not forget about the possibility of water hammer. As a result, the inlet hose may be damaged, which will lead to a large-scale flood. In this case, not only your home will suffer, but also the property of your neighbours. This is why it is so important to connect the washing machine through the tap. The valve should be placed in a visible place so that if something happens, you have easy access to it. So, in extreme conditions, seconds will count, and proper placement will play a role.

What will be needed for installation?

When installing a faucet, you need to have a whole set of tools on hand. By preparing everything in advance, you will not have to be distracted from your work. So, when connecting you will need:

• Adjustable wrench. The device is necessary for installation, namely fixing the pipes, tightening the nuts,
• Calibrator will be needed to “adjust” the dimensions of the tap and pipe,
• Die (popularly lark). Necessary for “cutting” threads,
• Screwdriver, Phillips and slotted,
• Drill and file,
• Scissors for cutting polymers,
• Bulgarian. Required if the shut-off device cuts into the pipe.

In addition to these tools, a double hose will be needed. It sometimes comes complete with the washing machine or is purchased separately. It is better that its length is slightly longer than required. Due to this, there will be a small reserve that will be “useful” when rearranging equipment.

It is better to install a filter element in front of the shut-off valve. By using a small mesh, you can improve the quality and soften the water. All this minimizes the risk of scale formation on the internal parts of the machine.

In addition, it is important not to forget to prepare sealing rings, winding, a couple of spare bolts, and FUM tape. Without these devices, it is impossible to secure the tap and ensure a tight connection. Before starting work, you should consider which connection option will be optimal, considering the configuration of the room and the placement of plumbing.

Best connection options

In fact, there are several ways to install a shut-off valve. Let us look at the most popular options. We will tell you what the procedure will be in one case or another.

Option one. Assembling a flow device. Before starting work, be sure to turn off the valve responsible for supplying water to the apartment. Afterwards, it is necessary to drain the remaining liquid from the pipe so that moisture does not interfere with the process.

Usually in this case, a special threaded bushing is already provided on the pipe at the required height. All that remains is to screw a tap with two outlets onto it. Next, a connection to the inlet hose is provided. After finishing the manipulations, be sure to check the reliability of the connection. Inspect the joints to make sure there are no leaks. If you notice drops of water, install additional rubber gaskets, and rewind the areas with flax fibres.

Option two. Installation of an end valve. When a separate branch of the water supply is connected to the connection point of the automatic machine, it is allowed to install the end device through a tee. The mortise clamp is screwed to the riser so that the guide fitting “looks” outward.

Then, holes are made in the pipe using a drill, through which a connection is made to the pipe section where it is planned to install the tap. At the end of the pipe, using a grinder, a thread is turned, identical in size to the “grooves” found on the tee. Afterwards it is wrapped with sealing tape, and the tap is “pressed” into place.

The inlet hose of the washing machine is attached to the free end of the valve. The other edge of the tube is attached, respectively, to the automatic machine. It is important to remember to remove the transport latch. The assembled structure should be checked for leaks. If there are no leaks, you can safely use the equipment.

Option three. Installation of a shut-off valve with a cut-in. This method is considered the most difficult, especially if the apartment has a metal pipeline. In this case, you will need a grinder.

To understand how many centimetres of pipe need to be cut, just add up the length of the valve and the filter being installed. Then an incision is made. Afterwards, threads are cut at the ends to match the type of “grooves” on the tap. Next, a deep cleaning filter is installed - it will trap impurities contained in the water. Afterwards the crane is installed. If the pipes are polymer, you must first expand them using a calibrator.

The joints are fixed with special sealing rings. Next, the end of the inlet hose is connected to the tap. Finally, all the nuts of the structure are tightened with a spanner with an adjustable mechanism. For greater reliability, the joints can be wrapped with sealing tape or plumbing flax fibres.

Interesting solutions

Separately, I would like to talk about non-standard options for connecting a shut-off valve. They are used when conventional methods are unavailable for some reason. We are talking about the following installation methods:

• Installing a valve on the mixer,
• On old pipes,
• With double connection of an automatic machine (in addition to hot water supply).

Today the first option can be found more often. It is the simplest and most accessible. At the same time, installing a valve on a mixer entails some negative aspects. Firstly, the mixer itself suffers. Due to increased loads, its service life is reduced. Secondly, such “combination” complicates the process of using both devices. Therefore, experts allow this installation option only as a temporary measure.

This method will not work if you have an old-style faucet installed. Then to connect the tap you will have to perform a complex procedure. This will entail large financial, time and labour costs. If your apartment still has old cast iron pipes, installing the valve may be difficult. The surface of such communications usually has areas affected by corrosion. To make the task of installing a crane easier, you should:

• File the ends of the pipes. Due to this, you can align the edges of the elements and lay the hose as close as possible to the pipe,
• Install an extension cord. Due to it, it will be possible to hide the ends affected by corrosion. On the other side of the part, a hose with a rubber seal is connected.

The main task is to ensure the integrity of the structure and prevent further “decomposition” of the pipes. Another option is to coat the cast iron with a special anti-corrosion compound. It is ideal, of course, to immediately replace communications with more modern ones to avoid similar problems in the future.

Today you can find washing machines on sale (most often from Japanese and American manufacturers), which provide the ability to connect to both cold and hot water supply. Due to this, energy consumption can be reduced. In this case, you will have to install two shut-off valves at once.

Which faucet should you choose?

On store shelves you can find many types of devices designed for installation in front of the washing machine inlet hose. Multi-turn and ball valves are very popular. In the first case, the water is blocked by a moving plate, in the second - by a small ball located inside the structure. There are several advantages of ball valves:

• High tightness,
• Instant “response,” due to which you can turn off the water in a second,
• Simplicity of the device. Therefore, the service life of such cranes is longer,
• Small sizes. This makes it possible to install them even in the most cramped conditions.

Ball valves also come in different types:

• Checkpoints,
• Tees (three-way),
• Corner.

The walk-through valve can be installed either on a branch from the central riser or embedded into a pipe. This device has outlets on both sides. It is used not only to connect automatic machines, but also plumbing fixtures.

A three-way valve has three outlets. One hole is responsible for interrupting the flow of water, the other two combine all outlets into a common, unified system. Most often, such devices are used specifically for inserting into a pipeline, where they are combined with other devices, for example, with a mixer. Using an angle tap, it is easy to divide the outlet into two independent branches. Typically, such devices are used to connect toilets and non-standardly placed automatic washing machines.

When thinking about which faucet to buy, decide on the connection location. In small rooms it is better to use corner devices. They will help reduce the space required to organize the output point.

If you need to combine several plumbing fixtures, it is better to give preference to a tee. When there is a separate outlet for the automatic machine, you can install a regular straight-through ball valve. The diameter of the faucet purchased must match the size of the pipeline. It is worth paying attention to the features of the carving. It is also worth looking in which direction the tap will turn. The handle should not rest against the wall, otherwise it will not be possible to completely block the water flow. To choose the right locking device, you need to take all these nuances into account.