Washer machine hookup

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GabeS

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Hi,

I hooked up washer machines to the undersink plumbing before. Probably not up to code, but worked fine. I was wondering if anybody hooked up both a washer machine and dishwasher together to the undersink plumbing?
 

Gary Swart

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I'm not sure about code issues, but it doesn't seem to me to be a very suitable way to hook up a washer. In the first place, the dishwasher is not connected to cold water. Secondly, you really need accessible cut off valves for a washer. Then there is the matter of the drain for the washer. It needs to have a 2" standpipe that is trapped and vented.
 

GabeS

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I'm talking about hooking the washer drain to the drain under the sink the same way a dishwasher drain hooks up. The supply lines would be tee'd off of the same supply to the kitchen faucet which would have shutoff valves.

I know it's not up to code to do it this way but I've done it before and it worked fine. However I've never hooked up a dishwasher and a washer machine together in this fashion. I was wondering if anybody has done it before and if it would work fine?
 

Verdeboy

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I don't know all the code violations, of which I'm sure there are many, but I think you are going to have a major backup in your kitchen sink every time you do a load of laundry. The volume of water that a dishwasher holds is a fraction of the volume a washing machine holds.
 

Jar546

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Dishwashers require a 1-1/2" drain line and trap.
Clothes washers require a 2" drain line and trap.

The clothes washer is 2 DFUs
The dishwasher is 2 DFUs

This would require the horizontal branch circuit that they both drain into to be a minimum of 2".

However, the clothes washer fixture drain is required to connect to a branch drain or drainage stack that is 3" minimum.

So what you are trying to do is wrong and not code compliant.

There are other factors involved such as the standpipe height where the washer connects and vent sizing.

Bottom line is that you are not suppose to do it that way.
 

GabeS

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I understand that you are an inspector jar and it probably annoys you when you hear people rigging stuff like this.

I am asking if this would work and what would be the potential problems of this setup?

This kitchen sink has a two inch traps that drains directly into a vertical 4" stack about a foot away. Would it be okay to drain the washer machine into the kitchen drain above the trap?

Gabe
 

Verdeboy

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I understand that you are an inspector jar and it probably annoys you when you hear people rigging stuff like this.

I am asking if this would work and what would be the potential problems of this setup?

This kitchen sink has a two inch traps that drains directly into a vertical 4" stack about a foot away. Would it be okay to drain the washer machine into the kitchen drain above the trap?

Gabe

You're never going to get him to say it is "okay". If it works, you are going to do it, and I don't think the world is going to come to an end either way. :)
 

GabeS

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I'm not trying to get him to say it's okay to do it, because it's not okay to do it if it's against code. I'm asking what would be the implications if one were to do it?
 

NHmaster

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Here's the implications. Clothes washers must discharge into a 2" trap. Close washers drain pipes must have an 18" stand pipe , minimum 42" maximum. Clothes washers must discharge by an air break into the stand pipe. Each stand pipe shall be individually trapped.

Does that clear things up?
 

GabeS

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No, not really. You just pointed out all the requirements to set it up properly. I'm asking what would happen if I set it up the way I'm talking about.
 

Verdeboy

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I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but the implications are that all the filthy water from your dirty clothes and loaded diapers will back up into, and overflow out of, your clean kitchen sink--the same sink you will be washing your vegetables to put in your Crockpot.
 

Jar546

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Why don't you just do what you want to do because you are going to do it anyway.

Many things will "work" but that does not mean that they are done the right way.

There are codes for a reason.

Why can't people just do what is required? Is that so difficult? Are we becoming that lazy?
 

GabeS

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Actually it was already done a long time ago, I was just asking about opinions and worst case scenarios.

It comes down to the amount of money to be spent to replumb a 2 inch line in an existing kitchen. It's very disruptive and can get very expensive. Why is that so hard for you to understand? It's pretty simple actually.

Also, I wouldn't consider the bottom of my kitchen sink clean. It's probably one of the dirtiest and infested parts of your house.
 
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Jar546

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The right way will be more expensive in your case but it is still the right way.

You were given information from multiple people telling you not to do what you were planning on but you continued to prod looking for "approval" as many people do.

Eventually someone will tell you what you want to hear.

Sorry doing things the right way will not be the less expensive option but it is the right way. You follow your own ethics and local laws.
 

GabeS

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Jar,

I'm not asking or looking for approval. I ask this question again, as I already asked it many times and have not received any answers.

What are the downside risks, specifically, to doing it that way? What can happen? Give me specific details and don't just say it's not the right way to do it.

If you don't know the answer, that's okay, just say you don't know.

After knowing the downside risks at least at that point I can make an educated decision to leave things the way they are or change them.
 

NHmaster

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Jar, your wasting your time. Whatever reasons given don't make a bit of difference. So here's the reason. When the you know what hits the fan and there is property damage done and you try to claim it on your homeowners insurance, with luck they will tell you to screw.
 

Furd

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Downside risk is that you could overflow the sink and ruin the floor. You could backflow into the dishwasher and contaminate the inside and also have it spill out onto the floor.

Too expensive? Having to replace your dishwasher will cost more than the correct plumbing. Having to replace your floor will cost more than the correct plumbing. If you ever decide to sell this home you will likely be required to properly re-plumb before selling.
 

Basement_Lurker

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You can discharge into a kitchen sink from the top like you would into a laundry tub and you would be fine; its done with portable units all of the time since you still meet the air gap requirement.

You can connect into your existing sink drain between the sink trap adapter and the p-trap, providing that its all 2" piping for the trap arm (I can still get away with 1.5" piping for a traditional clothes washer, but the newer style units require 2" piping as they discharge like commercial units). But this type of installation is really ill advised; it is done with a laundry tub because the laundry tub is deep enough to handle any backup, but doing it with a kitchen sink would not only put you at risk of flooding if the basins filled up, but you would put your dishwasher at risk of backflow, and at the very least you would definitely get a mound of suds backing up into your sink basins every time the washing machine discharged as well as contaminating your sink with filthy laundry water. And even if you were able to squeeze in another fitting for your laundry standpipe connection, you would still have to meet the standpipe requirements.

Your best bet would be to cut open the wall in your sink cabinetry, and install a tee below your sink trap arm in the kitchen sink stack and run a wet vented trap arm out to the standpipe (if wet venting is allowed where you are).

But you really should install and vent a stand pipe properly into a proper wash box behind where the laundry unit is going to go. Like everyone else is telling you, it will cost you less to do it properly in the first place than it will to pay for repairs and grief later on.
 
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