Replacing toilet with washing machine

M1974D

I have an understairs toilet which I want to remove to make room for a washing machine. Does anyone know if this is a complicated plumbing job or is it easily done? Also, how much should I expect to pay a plumber? Thanks.

shane0007

M1974D wrote: »

I have an understairs toilet which I want to remove to make room for a washing machine. Does anyone know if this is a complicated plumbing job or is it easily done? Also, how much should I expect to pay a plumber? Thanks.

It should not be difficult to. It might not work as well a toilet as washing machines just ain't what they used to be!
You might want to make up a few signs regarding rules about aiming, door open whilst in use, etc.

Joking aside it should not be an expensive job. You will just need to change the cold supply from the cwst so that it comes from the mains. Modern watching machines do not require a hot supply.

spireland32

Sorry shane i think you may be wrong here... should be left from the domestic tank... only mains allowed is kitchen tap and roof tanks.

doolox

If you are only allowed to have mains water supply to Kitchen sink cold tap and header tanks for cold water supply to other outlets is there any way to spped up a slow refill on a newly bought and installed toilet.

I have bought and installed a closed coupled toilet with bottom fill connected to existing cold supply from a attic tank which has low pressure so that the cistern takes 3 minutes to fill. The tank is at a minimum height due to the presence of attic conversion in the highest part of the house.

I have timed other toilets in the immediate area to 1 minute or 90 seconds at most. These are old toilets with portsmouth valve and piped cistern about 30-40 cm above the pan, they have a wider fill pipe and this may be the cause of my problem, the modern fill valve may not be wide enough to fill with low pressure water in a short enough time for convenience.

Is it allowed to connect directly to the mains and dispense with the attic tank for bathroom bath, sink and toilet cistern supply??

Is there any way to increase the pressure of the existing supply ( closed pressurised tank, booster pump etc.....).

sanbrafyffe

leave the cold feed the way it is,,,why do you need to convert it to a mains,,,,bull,,,all machines now are more economical so a cold feed is all thats needed,,,try and find out where the valve to shut off the cold water to that toilet is and turn it off and install a washing machine valves,,,,as for the waste well see how you are from room,,,cut the 4" back flush if you want and get a connector to put on that brings you to 1 and half inch white wavin,,,,just make sure you trap it for safe and smell reasons,,,,you can get all this made up in the plumbing store

do it urself,,,sod paying a plumber for simple work

shane0007 wrote: »

It should not be difficult to. It might not work as well a toilet as washing machines just ain't what they used to be!
You might want to make up a few signs regarding rules about aiming, door open whilst in use, etc.

Joking aside it should not be an expensive job. You will just need to change the cold supply from the cwst so that it comes from the mains. Modern watching machines do not require a hot supply.

gifted

Mains/cold feed?...would it not depend on what the manufacturer recommends?..as in what pressure is required?

spireland32

Most modern WM's work on quite low pressure. The only place it may not work is an apartment with a combi cylinder but the apartment would be pressurized with pump anyway. In a house even a single storey off the tank works fine. Water by laws state kitchen tap and roof tanks as far as I'm aware.

shane0007

spireland32 wrote: »

Most modern WM's work on quite low pressure. The only place it may not work is an apartment with a combi cylinder but the apartment would be pressurized with pump anyway. In a house even a single storey off the tank works fine. Water by laws state kitchen tap and roof tanks as far as I'm aware.

I could well be wrong as domestic side is not my forte. I always thought washing machines are mains fed. I have yet to see one installed in a kitchen that is not teed off the cold supply to the kitchen sink. I would have thought that if they are off the cwst and other taps/appliances are used, then pressure to the washing machine could be affected, mains pressure used.

shane0007

sanbrafyffe wrote: »

leave the cold feed the way it is,,,why do you need to convert it to a mains,,,,bull,,,all machines now are more economical so a cold feed is all thats needed,,,try and find out where the valve to shut off the cold water to that toilet is and turn it off and install a washing machine valves,,,,as for the waste well see how you are from room,,,cut the 4" back flush if you want and get a connector to put on that brings you to 1 and half inch white wavin,,,,just make sure you trap it for safe and smell reasons,,,,you can get all this made up in the plumbing store

do it urself,,,sod paying a plumber for simple work

Are you guessing with that advice or is that educated advice?
What if the system is into a septic tank? Would you still plumb the washing machine into the soil stack?

Billy Bunting

While some machines will work on tank pressure if the head is high enough most require mains supply to help open the solenoid valves and fill relativly quickely, also a wash on older machines can take upto 150lt, i see very few connected to tank feed and those i do see have custards complaining of lenth of time to complete a wash.
I'm no plumber so it maybe bylaws but it certainly isnt practise.

jimf

just saw this thread she who must be obeyed had new washing machine fitted last week by me she would not pay but thats another argument

just checked installation instructions as i thought 1 in other out

as recommended by makers zanussi cold water fill minimum pressure needed from mains .5 bar can be connected to cold water storage but has to have a minimum of 5.5 m minimum height of feed

also pump discharge has to be at minimum 600mm height from floor

this is as recommended by zanussi maybe others differ

Solair

We'd a washing machine connected to low pressure water in an apartment I rented a few years ago and I would just warn that while the machine may wash, it may not fill properly!

We'd a Hotpoint Aqualtis, which is a pretty high tech machine. It seemed to be working but I started to get bad skin problems which I never connected with the machine.

We moved apartment and hooked it up to mains water and it filled about three times deeper!

So basically my clothes weren't rinsing!

The software on the machine apparently will wait for a level gauge to trip but of it takes too long it will just start the wash with insufficient water!

So, just make sure you have the pressure correct as skin allergies are nasty!

corkgsxr

Change the supply to mains. You can supply the whole house with mains if you want

Slow filling toilet could be either blocked nozzle or a high pressure nozzle fitted, change it to a low pressure one

spireland32

corkgsxr wrote: »

Change the supply to mains. You can supply the whole house with mains if you want

Slow filling toilet could be either blocked nozzle or a high pressure nozzle fitted, change it to a low pressure one

What a ridiculous thing to say.. you cannot supply the whole house with mains.

LIFFY FISHING

spireland32 wrote: »

What a ridiculous thing to say.. you cannot supply the whole house with mains.

You can once you maintain 220litres stored water capacity in a domestic dwelling.

spireland32

As far as I'm aware kitchen sink and domestic tanks that's it off mains. Would be interested to see it written in law as otherwise

demanufactured

spireland32 wrote: »

What a ridiculous thing to say.. you cannot supply the whole house with mains.

All my cold feeds are mains fed...
There is no pipe run for cold from the attic tank for taps.....only to feed the hot water cylinder.

spireland32

I'm fully aware that older systems had all the cold in the house connected to the mains. And then it went to a cold from tank did the bathroom. And as people got wash machines and dishwashers they were connected to the mains as thats all that was in the kitchen. Lets face it your not going to run a pipe from the attic all the way to the kitchen.

Then new builds in last approx 10yrs.. kitchen tap and tanks that's it on mains... wash machine, dishwasher, toilets, basins, bath, shower etc all off tank.

shane0007

spireland32 wrote: »

Then new builds in last approx 10yrs.. kitchen tap and tanks that's it on mains... wash machine, dishwasher, toilets, basins, bath, shower etc all off tank.

I disagree. All washing machines I see are mains fed and I still think they should be for the many reasons outlined here in previous posts.
I also see plenty of Triton T80's fitted which are also, of course, mains fed.

spireland32

Which shouldn't be. If John is in the shower and Mary puts on the wash machine, john has a bad showering experience.. poor pressure, hot/cold/hot/cold.. if both are connected to low or medium pressure main.

We're not going to agree so we may as well leave other there! Much respect regarding your knowledge anyway Shane

corkgsxr

spireland32 wrote: »

What a ridiculous thing to say.. you cannot supply the whole house with mains.

A stop there's a fortune of houses in cork either the tank only supplys toilet and cylinder, mains everything else.

Or combi boiler and everything off mains.

As long as backsiphonage rules are followed there are no laws as regards supplies, just don't supply hot water to toilet

dathi

and the winner is,,,,,,, building regulations 2008 document G (which is law)
part 1.3
the cold water supply to the kitchen sink should be taken directly from the service pipe supplying water to the dwelling, the cold water supply to the bath or shower and the washbasin and to other appliances in the dwelling should be from a cold water storage cistern.

demanufactured

dathi wrote: »

and the winner is,,,,,,, building regulations 2008 document G (which is law)
part 1.3
the cold water supply to the kitchen sink should be taken directly from the service pipe supplying water to the dwelling, the cold water supply to the bath or shower and the washbasin and to other appliances in the dwelling should be from a cold water storage cistern.

And this is 100% true
But my house was built in 1950.

sanbrafyffe

ive seen worse

shane0007 wrote: »

Are you guessing with that advice or is that educated advice?
What if the system is into a septic tank? Would you still plumb the washing machine into the soil stack?

spireland32

dathi wrote: »

and the winner is,,,,,,, building regulations 2008 document G (which is law)
part 1.3
the cold water supply to the kitchen sink should be taken directly from the service pipe supplying water to the dwelling, the cold water supply to the bath or shower and the washbasin and to other appliances in the dwelling should be from a cold water storage cistern.

Couldn't find that

corkgsxr

The Direct System
In districts where the mains supply is capable of delivering adequate quantities of water
at good pressure, the Water Authority may permit a district system of supply to all
buildings.
All pipes to the cold drew off points are taken directly from the rising main. There is
therefore no risk of possible contamination that may occur when water is stored within
the premises.
Figure 1 shows a suitable installation for the average dwelling, supplying a sink, WC,
wash basin, bath and cold feed cistern. The capacity of this cistern should be 135 litres.

from fas. you can supply wc bath and basin off mains

dathi

spireland its at www.environ.ie/en/tgd/ scroll down the page to part g hygiene and its on page 5;)

spireland32

FAS. ..don't mind them jokers. The lastest building regs say you can't which is what we go by or at least should go by

Joey the lips

I dont believe there will be enough pressure to open the valve on the washing machine. You can take the filer out of the hose but this lets in more trouble,

As regards the sewage you can close the pipe by siliconing a rubber 4" blank the blank comes with holes for the 1.1/2" pipe so its just a matter of plumbing it into it.