What pressure is needed for an automatic washing machine?
When you live in an apartment building somewhere in a large city, you somehow don’t think about what water pressure you have in your water supply; as a rule, it is enough to operate an automatic washing machine. Another thing is for residents of rural areas and small towns, where the water supply system is in poor condition, there is almost no pressure in the pipes, which makes it impossible to connect an automatic washing machine - it simply does not work, giving a system error.
In such a situation, there are two ways: install pressurized equipment, or buy an automatic washing machine that operates independently of the water supply. Any other homemade solutions are mostly ineffective and do not solve the problem.
Plumbing requirements
Different manufacturers of automatic washing machines have different requirements for the water supply that will power their brainchild. Very often this does not depend on their whim, but on the features of the program embedded in the machine’s control module. The fact is that software developers for modern washing machines strive to make washing modes as short as possible and as efficient as possible. What is the easiest way to save time? Of course, when collecting water into the washing machine tank.
The faster the water is collected for washing and then rinsing, the less time it will take to implement the entire washing program as a whole. Everything would be fine, but German, Chinese and Korean scientists, accustomed to living and working “in civilization” where there are no problems with water supply, forget that their technology can work not only in St. Petersburg or Moscow.Their washing machines are also needed in some Siberian village, where the water supply system is “100 years old at lunchtime” and cannot provide the minimum pressure set by the program.
Insufficient water pressure in the water supply may not cause the automatic washing machine to stop operating. But this will lead to other problems: slow collection of water into the tank and poor rinsing of detergents from the cuvette, which will affect the quality of the wash.
So it turns out that some villager will buy a washing machine, say from LG, in the hope of simplifying his difficult village life, and in the end he takes it back to the store, since he cannot connect it in any way. In our opinion, it is time to correct this injustice. First, let’s find out at what minimum pressure values in the water supply the automatic washing machines of various brands will operate.
- The minimum water pressure for washing machines LG, Samsung, Zanussi, Electrolux, Daewoo is 0.3 bar. In some cases, certain models of cars of these brands are equipped with inlet valves that perceive pressure from 0.4 bar, but in the end, everything will depend on the software.
- The minimum water pressure for washing machines Beko, AEG, Ariston, Candy, Indesit, Whirlpool, in most cases is 0.4 bar. Although many models of Indesit washing machines operate at lower water pressure.
- The minimum water pressure for a Bosch automatic washing machine will already be about 0.5 bar. The minimum water pressure is perceived by a Miele brand washing machine within approximately the same limits, although much will also depend on the model of such equipment.
- The minimum water pressure for an Atlant automatic washing machine is 0.6 bar. A kind of record holder in this case is the Kuppersbusch washing machine, because it needs a water pressure of at least 0.8-0.9 bar. Although some models work great at 0.5 bar.
What is the pressure in the village water supply? Well, this question cannot be answered definitely. It all depends on the locality, but it is known for certain that in a number of cases the pressure in the rural water supply does not even reach 0.1 bar, where will the automatic washing machine work?
How to increase blood pressure?
Low pressure in the water supply is not a death sentence. You can connect a special booster pump and thus increase the water pressure to the required value.
Another thing is that these are additional costs. To get a clearer idea of booster pumps and their cost, let's give a short overview of such units.
- Pressure increasing pump WILO PB-088 EA. A relatively inexpensive pump with good characteristics, which is suitable not only for a washing machine, but also for a shower cabin, jacuzzi and other things. Pressure – 9.5 m, temperature – from 0 to +60, power – 0.09 kW. The price is about 60 dollars.
- Pump for increasing pressure GRUNDFOS UPA 15-90. A slightly less powerful unit, but it is still more than enough to ensure the normal operation of an automatic washing machine. Pressure – 8 m, power – 118 W, operates absolutely silently. The price is about 90 dollars.
- Gilex Jumbo 60/35 P-24. This booster pump model is for those who need a unit to supply several consumers at once. For example, a shower cabin, a dishwasher and a washing machine. The pump gives a maximum head of 35 m, with a power consumption of 600 W. The price is about 107 dollars.
- Marina Cam 80/22.This is already a full-fledged pumping station with appropriate dimensions. Pressure 32 m, water intake depth up to 8 m, power 800 W. Average cost: $170.
The choice of pumps that increase the pressure in the water supply system is quite large, and their quality is at the same level. Take the model that has the best characteristics and price.
Washing machines operating without running water
In the vastness of the CIS countries, it happens that there is nominally a running water supply, but there is no water in it. Under such conditions, no pumping station will help. If the main source of water for your rural home is a standpipe or, especially, a well in the yard, there is a reason to get an automatic washing machine that does not need a connection to the water supply. There are few such cars, to be precise, only three models of one brand - Gorenje.
Self-contained Gorenje washing machines do not need a water supply connection, since a fairly large tank is attached to the side of them, into which water is poured. To start the wash, you just need to connect the washing machine to the power supply, pour water into the tank and that’s it – you can wash without worry. Moreover, the tank of the Gorenje washing machine is so capacious that its volume can be enough for 2-3 washes.
By the way, you can order a larger-volume tank that can hold enough water for 6 washes.
In addition to the inlet valve, autonomous Gorenje brand washing machines have a pressure pump. So water passes through the inlet valve of such a machine with quite a lot of pressure, washing the powder into the tank without any problems. The washing quality is very high. You can learn more about this technique by reading the article Washing machines with water tank.
To summarize, we note that in order for an automatic washing machine to work properly, it is necessary that the water pressure in the water supply reaches the minimum that is programmed in its control module and sensed by the inlet valve. If the pressure in the water supply is below the minimum, the machine will not work. There is a way out of the situation - install a booster pump, and if you have the opportunity to choose a washing machine, you can take a model that can work autonomously. Good luck!
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I bought an Atlant machine for the village, and now I’m thinking about which pumping station to get to make it work. We don't have running water.
Washer manufacturers, plumbers and pump manufacturers have probably agreed. Some make machines with difficult water supply, others reduce the pressure in the water supply, and others produce pumping stations. They divide the proceeds among themselves. Kidding. But in every joke...
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We bought a Gorenye washing machine, one tank is only enough for 1-2 washes :)
I have a 290 liter barrel in the attic. Everything is working.