In order for water to enter the washing machine, it is connected with a hose to the water pipe. Usually a branch with a tap is created here so that you can quickly shut off the water supply. How to choose the right one faucet for washing machine we have already said before. The inlet hose for the washing machine is supplied with the machine itself - you do not have to buy it separately.
But what if it needs to be replaced? There can be many reasons for this - leaks, damage to the sheath, inappropriate length, poor quality of the standard hose. And in order to buy a really good hose, you need to understand their varieties. This is exactly what will be discussed in our review.
Types of inlet hoses for a washing machine
The inlet hose for the washing machine has a fairly simple device. It is based on a PVC tube reinforced with reinforced threads and a nylon braid. Such a multi-layer "sandwich" makes it possible to count on the strength of the hose - it has a high tensile strength and can withstand high water pressure.
The ends of the inlet hoses are reinforced with metal sleeves, from which fittings and nuts peep out - one of the fittings is screwed to the washing machine, and the other to the water pipe.Nuts and fittings are made of plastic. Their margin of safety is not so great, so you need to tighten the nuts with your hands, not with wrenches - this way we can avoid damaging them.
This design of the inlet hose can be called the most common - these are the hoses that are supplied with washing machines. Their length is usually limited.And if the washing machine will be installed at a distance from the water supply, we will need a longer hose. Such hoses are purchased separately, and their length varies from one to 5-6 meters.
If necessary, the length can be increased by connecting several hoses using a special connector. In order to avoid water leaks, the junction is sealed with FUM tape. But it is best not to use such connections due to their reduced reliability.
Does the hose you bought look different? Easy to bend and wrinkle at any angle? Doesn't have a strong reinforced braid? In this case, its operation can lead to sad consequences, manifested in the form of leaks.
Is the inlet hose for the washing machine disassembled? Of course, anything can be taken apart. But the damaged hose is best thrown away and replaced with a new one. This approach will help to avoid accidental leaks - a new hose with serviceable fittings is always stronger than an old and repaired one.
Inlet hoses with Aquastop system
Leak-proof hoses are called Aquastop. Ordinary hoses, which we wrote about above, can break - this sometimes happens due to their natural aging. And if water from them gets on the floor, it can easily flood the neighbors.In order to prevent such a problem, hoses with the Aquastop system were invented.
The hose with the Aquastop protective block is a design in which one tube passes inside the other. A special material is placed between the tubes, which swells under the action of water and triggers a safety valve that shuts off the water. That is, the system works like this:
- In normal mode, water flows through the internal, main hose;
- At the moment of hose damage (break or slow leak), water comes into contact with the swellable material;
- The valve is activated, the water is shut off, the floor in the room remains dry.
These hoses are much more expensive than their classic counterparts, but provide reliable protection against leaks. There are situations when washing machine draws water when switched off, here the hose with the Aquastop system will not save you from leakage.
How to connect the inlet hose to the washing machine
In order to connect the inlet hose to the washing machine, you need to take care of the tie-in to the water supply. Here a tee with a shut-off valve is installed, and a plastic nut with a fitting is screwed to the tee itself. It should be noted that the bent fitting is connected to the machine, and the straight fitting is connected to a tee with a tap. Usually, such work does not have to be done very often during the entire operation of the machine, as well as drain hose replacement.
Some experts recommend installing an additional mechanical filter that purifies water along with the insert (in addition to the mesh already installed at the entrance to the washing machine). Thanks to this, the machine will be reliably protected from pollution.The filter is placed after the tee, before the hose.
What to do if the washing machine is installed away from the water supply? In this case, we can use a serial connection of several hoses. But the most reliable scheme will be laying an additional plastic pipe to the installation site of the washing machine - thus we are more likely to avoid possible leaks. Naturally, the shut-off valve is still placed at the very beginning of the tie-in to the main water supply.
How to tighten the inlet hose correctly? Some users put a decent amount of effort here, but it's not worth it - there is a high risk of damage to the plastic nuts. They need to be twisted with bare hands, without the use of tools and other improvised means that increase effort. All we need is to ensure a tight connection, in which the nut will not unscrew, and the junction will not let water through.
How to properly position the inlet hose
The inlet hose for the washing machine can be placed in any position. But strong bends are not recommendedas this may cause it to break. Location restrictions apply to drain hoses - it should not be located above a certain line indicated in the instructions for a particular machine (as a rule, no higher than the upper edge of its body).
