Actually plumbing in a washing machine comes under plumbing. So it’s not a topic covered by Whitegoodshelp. The drain hose should be fitted according to the washing machine’s manual. If you don't have the instruction manual you might be able to download one here – instruction manuals for white goods appliances.
Having said that, this page offers additional advice not covered by the manuals.
Sink
At the most basic level a drain hose can be hooked over a sink. This requires no plumbing in. However, it’s not ideal at all. If something (eg. a dish cloth) fell into the sink, or if a washing up bowl was left in, then the sink hole could get blocked.
This would result in the water flooding over the top of the sink. Also if the drain hose somehow fell off the sink you would have a serious flood. If left unattended the washing machine would continue to fill trying to make up the lost water. It would never stop filling and flooding until stopped.
So clearly a drain hose needs to be attached properly and permanently into the plumbing.
Drain hose
Washing machine drain hoses have traditionally been pushed into a standpipe, which was just a grey or white plastic tube that went through the outside wall and pointed into an open grate.
But this method has fallen out of fashion. Most washing machines are now plumbed into a u-bend under a sink. Plumbing into the u-bend is considerably easier and cheaper.
The drain hose now pushes onto a spigot, which in turn screws onto the u-bend. The spigot is usually tapered. If you push the drain hose onto it as firmly as possible it should fit quite snugly.
However, in order to ensure that the drain hose does not leak or come away completely you need to secure it with a jubilee clip or a cable tie. If using a jubilee clip be careful about over tightening. Obviously if you are clamping a metal band over plastic it will crush the plastic if tightened up too much.
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Plumbing the drain hose properly
After making sure that the drain also securely fixed to the plastic spigot you can screw the spigot onto the U bend. Make sure you don’t cross thread, which is easily done with plastic threads. The most important thing to ensure now is that there is not a direct run from this drain hose down into your washing machine.
This is because if there is a direct run down from the drain hose you can get water from the sink running down into the washing machine. This can cause water to build up in the drum.
Drain hose not long enough?
The drain hose on a new washing machine is quite short. It’s only long enough to fit right in front of the waste water pipe, or right next to the sink if plumbed into a u-bend. This is fine for most people.
But many people need to install their washing machine further away. So the drain hose is way too short. So if your drain hose is too short you can either replace it with a longer one (typically 2 or 2.5 m) or you could extend the current one using a drain hose extension kit. Try my affiliate Ransom Spares for drain hoses and extensions.
This is the second article on installing a washing machine. If you haven’t seen the first part which looked at the basics and then concentrated on fill hose related advice check it out here – How to install a washing machine. This article just looks at how to install the drain hose.
More information and advice on installing a washing machine
- Connected washing machine but now it just constantly fills with water and goes down the drain
- If you connect a washing machine in a new house and the washing machine won’t drain the water
- Aqua stop hoses for washing machines & dishwashers (What is an aqua stop hose and do you have to use it?)
- Washing machine is a hot and cold fill, but I only have a cold water supply
- What should I do with the old hot water tap when connecting a cold fill washing machine?
- Why you should not connect a cold fill washing machine to the hot water supply
Timothy says
I have my washing machine in our utility room. we are going to buy a dishwasher (compact/tabletop) that will also go in the utility room. We have the water supply run into the room so okay to plumb in the water but is there a way to install the discharge pipe into the washing machine or its discharge pipe or would I have to run a very long discharge pipe the the sink?
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Timothy. If the washing machine pumps water into an old fashioned stand pipe it’s possible to T off it and create a second pipe for the dishwasher to pump into. If it pumps into a u-bend connection under a sink you’d have to try and find a u-bend with more than one spout to attach a drain hose to. Not sure if they are available or not.
Either way I would avoid having them both pump water at the same time.
Simon says
Hi,
I want to move my washing machine out of our kitchen into our hall/utility area. A previous owner has had an washing machine there before as there is the water pipe fitting already there behind a cupboard. My only concern is the waste for the washing machine.
Where I would place the washing machine is roughly 50cm from the outside wall there is already a hole in the outside wall at floor level which has been filled using expanding foam. This hole runs through the wall and on the other side comes out 30cm above where the drain is which the downstairs bathroom and kitchen already drain into.
It looks like the previous owner must have just stuck the washing machine waste hose through the wall and into the drain below as there is no pipe work there.
Is it ok just to do the same or will that create problems?
Any help is appreciated
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Simon. Yes you will need old fashioned type plumbing. A stand-pipe a u-bend, brackets etc. Instructions are usually in the instruction book for both attaching to a u-bend under the sink (which is the standard way now) or the old way of stand pipes and plumbing.
Rab Lark says
Hi There, I want to install a washing machine in one corner of my kitchen but the soil stack is in the opposite corner 4 meters away on the other side of a door . Now ideally a new waste branch should be fitted below the floor level to the stack emerging near the machine for the drain hose to discharge into BUT its a concrete floor so the only way i can do this is. Raggle a channel under the threshold to lead an extended hose down below floor level ..then it’ll emerge back above floor level and enter the stack at a boss which is 8″ above floor level. Now will the washing machine pump be able to pump up the loop up from the pump on the back of the machine then go down 2″ below the machine for 2 meters then emerge up onto the floor (below the sink unit) then up a further 8″ into the stack? Ive seen many people wanting to install a machine in a basement but there must be owners who have had the same problemm as me, a doorway inbetween the machine and waste pipe.
Regards
Rab
john says
Hi. My new Logik washing machine outlet pipe is fitted under the sink(the same as your second picture).
but when it pumps out it makes a gurgling sound. you can here it quite loudly through the sink strainer.
my old Hoover machine was plugged in the same way and had no problems. is there anything i can do to fix the problem??
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
It’s not unusual for there to be a gurgling sound as water is pumped out into the u-bend. If your other machine did it, maybe it didn’t pump out quite as fast. If the washing machine appears to be working ok I wouldn’t necessarily worry about it. But if you wanted to make sure, there is a possibility something like a small button, a piece of underwire from a bra or a hair grip etc could be stuck inside the plastic spigot that the drain hose is attached to. You could remove the drain hose and inspect the spigot and inside the end of the drain hose.
Lucinda says
Hi, I want to install a Dishwasher and a Washing Machine that both connect to the sink trap. One will be positioned about 1M to the left of the sink, the other about 1.5M to the right of the sink. I also need to connect the sink overflow to the trap as well. Can you advise if there is a recommended trap suitable for this configuration? Also, is there a trap with the above configuration that would also support a double sink – or 1 and a half sink (and therefore two sink overflows as well)?
Rab says
Hi , B&Q do the kind of sink traps with the double inlets for d/w and w/m exactly as you need , its what i have, I’ll send you photo of my setup if you want
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Thanks Rab. That’s what I was going to say, you can buy U-bends that have spigot connections designed for 2 appliances. The main thing to remember Lucinda is that if using such a system, it may be better to try and make sure you don’t have both appliances on at the same time. Just in case it can’t handle 2 appliances pumping out at the same time.