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Factsheets - Disconnecting a washing machine Whilst all advice given is correct to the best of our knowledge, we cannot be held responsible for any problems should you choose to take our advice. Select from the following:

Plumbing Glossary

Emergency plumbing

How to disconnect a washing machine

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Washing Machine & Dishwasher Tips

If you are lucky, when you order a new washing machine the delivery men will take away your old machine and plumb in your new one. Often, if your old machine has not been disconnected, the delivery men will refuse to touch it and will therefore not plumb in the new one either.

If it is a straight swap, you could do it yourself, read how to do this below.

If you prefer not to risk it, or the new machine is different from the old one, you can call a plumber. This may take two visits one to disconnect the old one, then one to reconnect the new once it has been delivered.

Disconnecting my machine...

First disconnect the water supply. Ease the machine forwards so that you can reach the pipework behind it. There should be either one or two rubber hoses connecting the hot or hot and cold water supplies to the back of the machine. You need to find where these join the pipework often under the kitchen sink. Each rubber hose will have a washing machine valve at the end of it which has a red or blue lever.

Turning the lever 90° so that it points across the pipe (rather than along it) will cut off the water supply. Then you can unscrew the red or blue nut and pull the hose free. Please note it is easy to accidentally knock the valve lever on, so if you are leaving the machine permanently disconnected, it is better to buy a washing machine valve cap from a plumbers' merchant to stop unwanted leaks.

Secondly, disconnect the waste water pipework. Locate the other end of the ridged plastic hose running away the back of the machine. If the other end plugs into the U-bend under the kitchen sink, you will need to pull this off and plug the U-bend with a cap from a plumbers' merchant. If it hooks into a vertical pipe leading to the drains, then you can simply pull out the hose.

Connecting a new washing machine...

First connect the waste hose which leads from the back of the machine to the drains. This either simply hooks into a vertical pipe, or needs to be pushed over a spigot on the U-bend under the kitchen sink.

Secondly, connect up the water supply. Some machines need only cold water, others need both hot and cold supplies (some can work with either one or two pipes you will need to check the manufacturer's instructions). Fix one end of the rubber hose(s) to the back of the washing machine and take the other end to where they connect to the water supply.

This can be screwed onto the appropriate washing machine valve (red for hot, blue for cold). Once these are firmly attached, turn the red or blue lever on the valve 90° so that it points along the pipe (rather than across it) to turn on the water supply and check for leaks.

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