A drain hose in a washing machine is an important part that needs to be adequately secured. If the connection is loose, you will face the danger of having a leaking washing machine.
Additionally, your washer will be unable to wash the clothes properly because the dirty water will return to the drum. To avoid this problem, you need to fix the drain hose to your drainage system in a secure way.
To achieve this task, you will need the following tools:-
- Measuring tape
- Hose clamp
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Stud finder
- Anchors
- Cable strap
Installing Washer Drain Hose Securely
For proper installation, it is essential to understand the working of a washer. You cannot seal the mouth of the drain pipe but make sure the connection is secure.
Complete sealing of a drain pipe will create a siphoning effect you do not want. If the connection is loose, leakage and malfunction will be possible.
If unsure how to secure a drain pipe without creating a siphoning effect, look at the pointers below.
1. Wall-Built Drain
If the water drain outlet is built-in the wall, you need to place the bent end of the drain pipe into the wall outlet. Then, you need to fasten it with a hardware product.
Usually, a cable tie is provided with the washing machine to secure the outlet. However, you can also use a hose clamp to secure the connection better.
You can secure the hose to the wall by screwing the clamp into the stud and the wall. Additionally, you can use a screwdriver to ensure it further.
You can use a stud finder tool to find studs in drywalls. However, for brick or masonry walls, you must drill the surface, insert an anchor, and fasten the screw.
2. Standpipe Drain
For houses with standpipes for drainage, you need to fasten the drain hose to the standpipe with a cable tie. The cable tie already comes with a washer.
Sometimes the drain hose might not clear the 30″ minimum height requirement. In that case, you can connect the drain hose through the supplied drain hose clip or anti-siphon clip.
3. Laundry Sink
If you have a laundry sink at home, you need to connect the bent end of the hose over the lip of the sink. The sink should not be more than 45 inches from the washing machine.
You can secure the hose to the laundry sink using the plastic cable strap provided by the machine. Also, keep the hose end away from the bottom of the sink, as it can limit water flow.
You can call a professional if you are unsure about securing the water cable. It usually doesn’t take time to fix the problem, so you will spend around 50 dollars to get it right.
What Is A Washer Discharge Hose?
A washer drainage hose’s purpose is to drain used water from a washer into a sewer system. The drain hose helps maintain the hygiene of a washing machine.
Every washer must remove dirty water left behind after a wash cycle. This water consists of detergent, dirt, and debris that is expelled after clothes have been washed.
Proper sanitization of the washing machine requires this dirty water to be drained and disposed of into an appropriate sewage system. The drain pipe’s purpose is to drain out the leftover water from the machine into the waste disposal system of your house.
Should You Seal The Washing Machine Drain Hose To The Standpipe?
It is not recommended a washer drain pipe to Seal with the standpipe. Sealing the connection might create a reverse suction and prevent water from flowing into the drain.
While it’s necessary to connect the drain pipe to the standpipe properly, you should never seal the connection. People may think sealing the joint will allow the water to drain securely without leaking.
However, if you seal the pipe, there won’t be enough airflow to allow the dirty water to flow. This would create a siphoning effect that will suck the dirty water back into the washer.
It would help if you ensured the connection was tight enough to prevent unnecessary leakages. The best way to test the installation will be to run a wash cycle and check for leakage or siphoning effects.
If you are facing any of these problems and cannot find proper solutions, you can call a professional. They will help you deal with the issue immediately.
Does a Washing Machine Drain Hose Need to be Elevated?
The washing machine drain hose should always be elevated. This allows the water to drain freely and avoid a siphoning effect.
An Elevated drain pipe should always be placed higher than a washing machine. There might be a siphoning effect when you place the drain pipe in a lower portion.
This siphoning effect, as mentioned above, will draw the dirty water back into the machine. While the drain pipe doesn’t need to be placed extremely high up, you need to have a height of at least 30 inches for proper drainage.
Many houses have pre-made provisions for drain outlets. When installing a washer, ensure it meets all the requirements of your washer drain pipe.
The drain hose will have a slightly bent side on one end. This end should be connected to your house’s standpipe, laundry sink, or wall drain.
Final Remarks
Installing a drain pipe might be easy but doing it correctly requires patience. You need to understand the working of a washer to secure the connection and avoid mishaps properly.
Here’s a quick recap of what I’ve discussed in this article.
The possible ways to secure a drain pipe are:-
- Securing the mouth with a cable wire
- Using a hose clamp from a store
- Maintain proper distance and height from the washer.
My name is Rick Kinney and I am the founder of ExHandyman. I have worked as a handyman for many years, and fixing stuff is my greatest pleasure in life.