What pressure is needed for a washing machine?

When you live in an apartment building somewhere in a large city, you somehow don’t think about what kind of water pressure you have in the water supply, as a rule, it is enough for the automatic washing machine to work. Another thing is the residents of rural areas and small towns, where the state of the water supply system is in emergency, there is almost no pressure in the pipes, which makes it impossible to connect the washing machine - it just does not work, giving out a system error.

In such a situation, there are two ways: to put pressure-pumping equipment, or to buy a washing machine that works independently of the water supply. Any other artisanal solutions are mostly ineffective and do not solve the problem.

Water requirements

Different manufacturers of automatic washing machines have different requirements for the water supply that will feed their brainchild. Very often this does not depend on their whims, but on the features of the program embedded in the machine 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. And what is easier to save time? Of course, on the set of water in the tank washer.

The faster the water is collected for washing, and then rinsing, the less time will be required to implement the entire washing program as a whole. Everything would be fine, but German, Chinese and Korean scientists forget, accustomed to living and working “in civilization”, where there are no problems with the water supply that their equipment 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 for lunch” and it cannot provide the minimum pressure set by the program.

Insufficient water pressure in the water supply may not lead to a stop of the washing machine. But this will lead to other problems: a slow intake of water in the tank and poor washing off 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 will drive it back to the store, because he can’t connect it in any way. In our opinion, it is time to correct this injustice. To begin with, we will find out at what minimum pressure values ​​in the water supply automatic washing machines of various brands will work.

• The minimum water pressure for washing machines LG, Samsung, Zanussi, Electrolux, Daewoo is 0.3 bar. In some cases, individual valves of these brands are equipped with inlet valves that accept pressure from 0.4 bar, but in the end, everything will depend on the software.
• The minimum water pressure for washers Beko, AEG, Ariston, Candy, Indesit, Whirlpool, in most cases is 0.4 bar. Although many models of Indesit washing machines work with lesser water pressure.
• The minimum water pressure for a Bosch automatic washing machine will already be around 0.5 bar. Around the same range, the minimum water pressure is perceived by a Miele brand washing machine, although much will also depend on the model of such a technique.
• The minimum water pressure for the Atlant automatic washing machine is 0.6 bar. In this case, the Kuppersbusch washing machine is a kind of record holder, because it needs a water pressure of at least 0.8-0.9 bar. Although some models work well at 0.5 bar.

And what is the pressure in the village water supply? Well, there is definitely no way to answer this question. 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 the automatic washing machine will work here.

How to increase the pressure?

Low pressure in the water supply is not a sentence. You can connect a special booster pump and thus increase the water pressure to the desired value.

Another thing is that this is an additional cost. To get a clearer picture of booster pumps and their cost, let's give a short overview of such units.

1. Pressure boosting 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, Jacuzzi and other things. Head - 9.5 m, temperature - from 0 to +60, power - 0.09 kW. The price is about 60 dollars.
   
2. Pressure boosting pump GRUNDFOS UPA 15-90. A slightly less powerful unit, but it is still more than enough to ensure the normal operation of the automatic washing machine. Head - 8 m, power - 118 W, works absolutely silently. The price is about 90 dollars.
   
3. Jilex Jumbo 60/35 P-24. This model of a boost pump is for those who need a unit to provide several consumers at once. For example, shower, dishwasher and washing machine. The pump gives a maximum head of 35 m, with a power consumption of 600 watts. The price is about 107 dollars.
   
4. Marina Cam 80/22. This is a full-fledged pumping station with the appropriate dimensions. Head 32 m, water intake depth up to 8 m, power 800 W. The average cost is 170 dollars.
   

The choice of pumps to increase the pressure in the water supply is quite large, and their quality is at a level. Take the model that is optimal in terms of performance and price.

Washing without water supply

In the vastness of the CIS countries it happens that there is nominal 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 house is a column or a well in the yard, there is a reason to get an automatic washing machine that does not need to be connected to the water supply. There are few such machines, to be exact, only three models of the same brand - Gorenje.

Autonomous washing machines Gorenie do not need to be connected to the water supply, since a rather large tank is attached to them on the side, into which water is poured. To start the washing you just need to connect the washing machine to the mains, pull the water into the tank and everything - you can safely wash it. Moreover, the Gorenie’s washing tank is so spacious that its volume can be enough for 2-3 washings.

By the way, you can order a tank of increased volume, which will contain enough water for 6 washes.

In autonomous washers of the Gorenie brand, in addition to the inlet valve, there is a pressure pump. So the water passes through the inlet valve of such a machine with a rather high 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 the automatic washing machine should work properly, it is necessary that the water pressure in the water supply system reaches a minimum that is programmed in its control module and is perceived 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 - to put a boost pump, and if there is an opportunity to choose a washing machine, you can take a model capable of working autonomously. Good luck