We select and install a tee crane for a washing machine

A very responsible, and perhaps the main stage of the installation of the washing machine is to connect it to the water supply. If you select the wrong components, and the work is done anyhow, all of this will end sadly for you and your neighbors. And you can flood all the lower floors. In the framework of the article, we will talk about choosing a faucet for connecting the washing machine to the water supply, other components, as well as connection schemes.

Choose a tap to connect the washing machine

Many people, purchasing accessories for installing a washing machine, often wonder why buy a crane tee. Why can’t you do without a tap, or for example, choose a regular flow tap? Of course, you can do without a crane, but at the same time you need to be prepared to make repairs to the neighbors below.

People who are familiar with such a phenomenon as a water hammer in a water supply system do not need to explain how this unpleasant, but quite common phenomenon tears metal and plastic pipes along the seam. Imagine for a second what will happen with the flexible inlet hose of the washing machine connected directly to the water pipe? It will break in seconds and after 15 minutes your apartment and the apartments of your neighbors will flood floods of water.

So, you can’t do without a crane, but why a crane tee? Such a faucet allows you to connect two or more household appliances, for example, a washing machine and a dishwasher, to one insert in a water pipe. A conventional flow valve will not allow this.

When choosing a crane, it is very important to pay attention to the following points.

1. On the material of which the crane is made. Available on sale are faucets made of brass, as well as silumin. The latter is better not to take, they will not last long.
2. On the design of the overlapping mechanism. The design of the crane mechanism can be either spherical or multi-turn. It is better to choose a ball valve - it will last longer.
3. On the design of the valve. The valve is needed in order to quickly block the water entering the machine. Therefore, the valve handle should be large enough and comfortable so that the hand does not slip and precious seconds are not lost in the event of an emergency with a machine.

Note! Silumin taps wear out about 4 times faster, but they cost less than brass, so it’s better to overpay 1.5 cu once, than then deal with the consequences of the flood.

What other taps are suitable for a washing machine?

If you do not use a tee to connect the washing machine, then what other taps are potentially suitable for connecting household appliances to the water supply? Depending on the position and number of leads, taps for washing machines are divided into: through-flow (flow), tees, angle taps.

Two-way flow taps. They are installed on a separate pipe, which goes from the main water pipe to the washing machine. Double tap valves divide the pipe branch in half, cutting off the household appliance from the communications.

Tee crane. Based on the name of this crane, it has not two, but three exits. In this case, only one output can be blocked. The other two exits are flowing and are used to connect the water pipe to its branch. There is an option when two branches have cranes, but one outlet does not overlap and the shape of triple cranes also varies.

Corner crane. This is a two-outlet valve of a modified design, which allows you to divide the outlet pipe into two parts, while turning it 90⁰. It is quite convenient if you connect the washing machine to a water pipe in a confined space where there is no way to place a direct outlet. In addition to washing machines, with the help of such a faucet, you can connect a toilet barrel, a bidet and other plumbing to the water supply.

Note! Manufacturers of washing machines often recommend accessories (including taps) for connecting their household appliances to plumbing and electrical networks. Perhaps you should heed their recommendations.

How to connect the washing machine to the water supply?

Choosing a suitable tap, you can begin to connect the washing machine to the plumbing system. Before starting work, it is necessary to stock up on tools and components. What is required?

• Double hose. If an ordinary inlet hose with one wall comes with your washing machine, we advise you not to install it, but to purchase a hose with a double wall and wire reinforcement - it is much more reliable. In addition, consider the required hose lengths before purchasing; short hoses are often included with the machine.
• Flow filter for water purification. Such a filter is connected to the tap thread and mounted on a branch of a water pipe. You understand that the quality of tap water leaves much to be desired, therefore, the more filters there are on the way from the riser pipe to the washing machine, the better.
• O-rings, nuts, winding and more. Accessories necessary to ensure a reliable and tight connection of all pipes and hoses.
• Adjustable wrench. We will need to tighten all the nuts, ensuring the connection of pipes and hoses.
• Calibrator for plastic pipes. It is necessary to fit and install the crane in the pipe insert.

Having picked up all the necessary components and tools, you can proceed with the installation of the washing machine to the water supply, after selecting the appropriate connection scheme. Let's start with the connection diagrams of the machine to the water supply.

Connection through a tee tap with a pipe insert. Turn off the water by blocking the riser with cold water. We cut the pipe section by calculating the length of the tee crane (excluding threaded connections). We put the mounting nuts on the pipe, these nuts must first be removed from the tap. We expand the openings in the pipes with a calibrator and mount a tee crane, not forgetting to tighten the joints of the pipe and the valve exits with tightening rings. We connect the inlet hose of the machine to the outlet that overlaps the valve.

Connection via a double tap valve. The double-tap can be used when the pipe outlet is specially removed for the washing machine. Typically, such an outlet already has a threaded sleeve, so our task is only to screw on it a two-way valve connected to the flow filter, and already the inlet hose of the washing machine can be connected to the filter. Case for 5 minutes!

Connection through an angle tap. This scheme of connecting the machine to the water supply system is largely similar to the above scheme. The only difference is that to the pipe outlet we screw not a straight double-tap valve, but an angular one. You can read more about connecting the washing machine to the water supply and sewage system in the article about do-it-yourself machine installation.

To summarize, we note that it is quite possible to select and install a tee crane for a washing machine without involving a specialist. If you intend to do all the work yourself, pay attention to the tips in this article. Have a good work!