Connecting a washing machine to a faucet is required when renovations have already been made in the bathroom or kitchen, and the cold water connection points for the equipment have not been installed.
There can be many reasons. For example, you planned to connect the washing machine somewhere else, but your plans went awry, or you simply forgot to take out the outlet for connecting the washing machine and hid the pipes under the tiles. Now it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that there is only one option for connecting the washing machine - a mixer, and you need to somehow implement it.
Pros and cons of such an accession
When there are no alternatives to connecting the washing machine to the water supply, then there is little point in discussing whether this is right or wrong - it still needs to be done. However, we will outline the advantages and disadvantages of this method of integration into plumbing communications for the purpose of connecting a washing machine to give you a little additional food for thought. You may come to the conclusion that it is better to remodel the bathroom than to “trash” something like this. Let's start with the cons.
The adapter and hose extending from the faucet will somewhat spoil the appearance of the bathroom. Even if you choose prettier adapters, it still doesn’t look respectable at all.
If previously your faucet was attached close to the wall and looked neat, now, thanks to the adapter, it protrudes strongly forward, which is also dangerous. If you accidentally hook such a faucet as it should, the faucet can be torn out with all the ensuing consequences.
If you have a “scoop” type mixer installed, that is, Russian or even Soviet-made, where the main fastening nuts hang on eccentrics and not on the mixer itself, then connecting the washing machine in this way will be difficult or even impossible.
If the pipes under the mixer were initially routed crookedly, and then during the normal installation of the mixer this curvature was compensated with the help of eccentrics, it will come out again when you install additional taps and extension adapters. As a result, the faucet mixer and extension cord will no longer fit straight and you will have to come up with something so that the crooked connection does not allow water to pass through and maintains pressure.
One of the advantages of connecting a washing machine to a mixer is its relative simplicity. There is no need to climb somewhere under the sink or bathtub, break tiles, “damage” pipes, the connection is quick, relatively simple and convenient. You also need to take into account that if problems arise with the washing machine, you can turn off the water very quickly, since the main tap will be located right next to the mixer.
In the same sense, it is easier to monitor the condition of the inlet hose of the washing machine, because it is always visible. The slightest damage will certainly be noticed by you the moment you go into the bathroom to wash your hands.
Accessories and tools
Before you start connecting the washing machine to the mixer, you need to stock up on basic components and the appropriate tools. There will be no problems with tools, since they are almost not needed. In fact, you can get by with just a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. No drills, grinders, hammers or pliers are needed here; the connection is made quickly, accurately and without noise. You won't need any fancy components either; here's a list of what you'll need to purchase.
A 3/4 tee tap with two main outlets and one outlet for the inlet hose.
Main extension 3/4 corresponding in length to the taken tee.
Currently, you can freely buy plumbing kits, which include: the tee tap itself, an extension cord for it and a set of silicone gaskets, just to connect the washing machine to the mixer.
3/4 silicone gaskets.
High-quality expensive FUMka.
When you buy a tee, make sure that it matches your faucet in appearance. After all, you must admit, there is no point in buying a part with a golden coating and placing it on a chrome-plated faucet, allowing for such “color and aesthetic heterogeneity.” The general logic, we hope, is clear; we will not go into details.
Work progress
Having collected everything necessary for installation, we will prepare the workplace. Some of you will ask: what to cook here - cool, cool? This may be so, but if we were you, before wielding a steel wrench in the bathroom or kitchen, we would remove all breakable objects that may be at hand at the wrong moment: glass shelves, breakable soap dishes and cups for toothbrushes. Once all these fragile items are out of reach, you can get to work. Let's do the following.
We turn off the water.
Carefully unscrew the nuts holding the mixer.
Let's unpack our tee tap with extension and inspect the parts. If the outlets of these parts are already equipped with rubber or silicone gaskets, then there is no need to insert anything additional, if there are no gaskets, then take 3/4 silicone gaskets and insert them into each outlet.
We move the mixer to the side, and wrap the foam into the joints.
The foam must be wound correctly, firstly against the thread, and secondly in moderation, without excesses!
We screw the tap-tee so that the shut-off valve is located beautifully and conveniently, and direct the outlet for the hose downwards.
We screw the extension cord. When screwing these elements, be careful not to overtighten, so as not to damage the gaskets.
Now we very carefully screw our faucet to the tee tap and extension.
We connect the inlet hose of the washing machine to the tee.
We open the water and make sure that the connections are sealed.
Let's check the operation; to do this, you will need to open the cold water tap and simultaneously start the washing machine. Keep in mind that when the washing machine draws water into the tank, the pressure in the mixer will drop slightly, but this is not such a big problem, especially since it will not last long. There are other options for connecting a washing machine, especially if you need connect washing machine and dishwasher at the same time, read more about this in the article of the same name on our website.
To summarize, we note that connecting a washing machine directly to the mixer is not very difficult, but we draw your attention to the quality of the components. Take only the highest quality gaskets, tees and extensions, so that later there will be no unpleasant incidents in the form of flooding of neighbors. Good luck!
Connecting a washing machine to a faucet is required when renovations have already been made in the bathroom or kitchen, and the cold water connection points for the equipment have not been installed.
this curvature was compensated with the help of eccentrics, it will come out again when you install additional taps and extension adapters. As a result, the faucet mixer and extension cord will no longer fit straight and you will have to come up with something so that the crooked connection does not allow water to pass through and maintains pressure.
Before you start connecting the washing machine to the mixer, you need to stock up on basic components and the appropriate tools. There will be no problems with tools, since they are almost not needed. In fact, you can get by with just a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. No drills, grinders, hammers or pliers are needed here; the connection is made quickly, accurately and without noise. You won't need any fancy components either; here's a list of what you'll need to purchase.
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