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Getabuilder Team 125 posts	Original message: posted 19-Mar-08 Plumb In A Washing Machine & Dishwasher Washing machines and dishwashers need a power supply and a water supply. They must stand on a firm, level floor, close to an outside wall or an internal soil stack. Water supply Washing machines are normally connected to the cold and hot water systems, but many will work with a cold supply only. Dishwashers usually only require a cold supply. If the machine is supplied from the pipe that feeds the kitchen tap, the water will be at mains pressure. If it also needs a hot water supply, this will be at gravity pressure from the cylinder upstairs. Most machines have a flow restrictor in the cold water inlet to even out the pressure differential (see the you can do it book). Waste connection The machine’s flexible waste hose has to discharge into a waste pipe or trap above the level of the top of the drum. One option is to hook the hose into the top of an open standpipe with a P-trap at its base. From the trap, the waste pipe must run through the outside wall to a hopper head or gully, or directly into a soil stack. The air gap at the top of the standpipe stops back-siphonage of dirty water into the machine. Some manufacturers recommend a standpipe, and some water companies insist on it. But, if possible, it is easier to position the machine next to a sink and change the sink trap to a washing machine trap. This has an inlet for the waste hose. Install a non-return valve to prevent back-siphonage of waste water; or fix a hook to the underside of the work surface and tie the hose to it, so that it runs higher than the level of the sink overflow Pipe connections If the machine’s hoses won’t reach existing supply pipes, you will have to drain and cut the pipes, add T-fittings and run branch pipes to the machine. These should terminate in mini stop valves, to which the machine’s hoses can be connected. If the supply pipes run close to the machine, you can install Tpiece stop valves and screw the hoses to them, or you may be able to use self-cutting connectors containing isolating valves, which can be installed without draining the pipes. Self-cutting hose connectors Check the machine is compatible with these fittings: some are not. The machine’s blue hose should be connected to the cold supply, and the red hose (if it has one) to the hot. To ensure a good seal between the connector and pipe, clean the area of pipe with wire wool; if painted, the paint must be removed. Before fitting the saddle assembly to the pipe, make sure that the rubber seal is correctly positioned. Then place the backplate behind the pipe and fit the saddle over the top, aligning the screw holes. For added strength, the backplate can be screwed to the wall. Clamp the saddle assembly in place around the pipe with its two halves square to the pipe, inserting the screws and tightening them home fully. Make sure that the valve is in the ‘off’ position, then screw it into the saddle by hand; you will feel it cut into the pipe as you do so. Keep turning the valve until it is fully home and the body of the valve is at a right angle to the pipe – to allow you to turn it on and off easily. Secure the valve by tightening its retaining locknut with a spanner or wrench, taking care that the valve does not move. Attach the supply hose to the valve by screwing its capnut on to the threaded outlet, making sure it is tight. Plumbing in a washing machine A typical washing machine installation: nearby hot and cold water pipes have been extended via T-fittings to reach the machine’s supply hoses. Mini stop valves allow the machine to be isolated without having to cut off the water supply. The waste hose is hooked into a standpipe with P-trap. Plumbing in a dishwasher A typical dishwasher installation will have a cold water supply only. The mini stop valve connecting the supply pipe to the machine’s hose allows the machine to be isolated without turning off the water. The waste hose is connected to a washing machine trap beneath the sink. Power supply Washing machines and dishwashers need to be plugged into a standard socket. A common problem in kitchens and utility rooms is that all the sockets are above the work surfaces. The solution is to run a spur from a socket to a switched fused connection unit above the work surface, then a cable from this to an unswitched socket below the surface to serve the machine. The connection unit should have a neon to show when the machine is switched on. Before starting any electrical work, see the you can do it book for more help and advice.
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