Connect washing machine

A new washing machine usually arrives with a courier who leaves it in the hallway. Connecting it looks like ten minutes of work, but it decides whether, after the first spin, there is water on your floor and in the flat below.

What connecting a washing machine involves

• removing the transit bolts from the back of the drum and fitting the caps: skip this and the machine walks across the bathroom on the spin cycle and wrecks its bearings;
• connecting the inlet hose to the water valve and checking the washers;
• running the drain hose into a trap with a spigot or a standpipe, at the right height;
• levelling the machine on its feet so it sits firmly on tiles or laminate;
• running a short programme with a spin and checking for leaks.

When the bathroom has no connections

Many older flats have no dedicated valve for a washing machine and no trap with a spigot. Then a tee with a valve goes onto the cold water pipe, or the basin trap is swapped for one with a washing machine outlet. Power is similar: the machine needs an earthed socket, and in a bathroom one with suitable protection. If you know something is missing, say so in the job or add a photo of where the machine will stand.

Integrated machines and a dryer on top

An integrated machine in a kitchen needs a furniture door fitted and an exact fit in the cabinet. A tumble dryer stacked on a washer needs the manufacturer’s stacking kit with a shelf, not a random board. These are separate jobs, so describe them in the same order.

Common questions