# Hooking up a washer to the kitchen sink?



## linguistmama (Sep 25, 2006)

Does anyone have any experience hooking up a regular washer to the kitchen sink? We don't have hookups in our apt. I called home depot and they said that it's possible, just to come in and talk to them about what exactly to buy. In theory this shouldn't be that different than using a portable washer designed to hookup to the sink, but the idea is making me a little nervous. The big attraction is that we can get a used washer with the extra parts needed for about $100.00. I haven't had any luck finding a used portable washer in our area and a good one will be at least $350.00 new.


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## lightheart (Jul 2, 2005)

I'm not plumber but since no answers yet I'll throw something out and maybe folks who actually know what they are doing will tell you the right way









2 things to consider, water in and drain water out

if you are looking for something that is hooked up all the time would need to truely plumb things, cut existing pipes and add T's to the lines, you would need to know what size and type of pipes you have already to get adaptors t fit from them to the washer hookup.

If you are looking for something that you hook up each time you want to wash, you will want a hose that fits from the faucet to the hose on the back of the washer (on my washer there is are 2 fittings, one for hot and one for cold, I would see no reason that you could not just hook one line in and choose your water temp with the knobs on your sink. Another thing you can do is to fill with buckets, or if you are willing to wait with the washer then you can fill with any type of hose that fits on your faucet and you stick that hose into the washer itself and when it fills up you turn off the water and remove the hose and listen for when the rinse cycle starts, you will have to fiddle with the washer settings and maybe advance it (i have to do that with mine with the rinse cycle, we fill ours with a garden hose but it is outside and in a spot that if it overfills the water just drains on the ground...can't let water be running all over the floor in an apt so be careful and don't get distracted)

drain water out, it's pretty powerful when it comes out so whatever you are draining into make sure the drain will handle the amount of water coming out of the machine. you have to somehow secure that pipe so that it doesn't flop around and end up on the floor, you could stay with it and hold it (probably not feasable, if you are having to stay with it to fill it, no big deal if you forget - no mess, you will just have an empty washer, but if the drain starts before you get to it you will have a big mess) you could make some type of support (don't know what you have but wire, boards, clamps anything solid might work)

okay probably no help at all but maybe someone who knows will see my crazy ideas and have to respond


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## linguistmama (Sep 25, 2006)

What you posted above is our basic idea. We would hook the hose up to the sink when we wanted to wash, turn the fawcett on and put the drain hose in the sink secured to the drain with something, coat hanger or whatever







We would definately be sitting right there with the machine for the first several times we run it since we don't want a lake! We'll be looking for a regular sized washer as opposed to a large capacity or king size. Hopefully this way we could put it on a platform with wheels and be able to wheel it out of the kitchen. We don't really need a giant washer right now anyway.


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## stelly (Sep 20, 2006)

If you are near NJ, let me know since I have a portable washer you could have for under $100.

Otherwise, did you try looking for a portable on ebay or similar?

We've had nothing but trouble getting our regular, full-size washer hooked up to the sink in our basement - we had to buy a new pump, I have a sieve hanging from stockings looped around the faucets to catch all the lint... it's been a pain. I liked my portable a lot more.


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## Laggie (Nov 2, 2005)

We have done this but in a permanent way, not in a portable way. The washer was placed in the front hall closet and the plumbing went through the wall into the bathroom next to it. I've done the same with a (formerly portable) dishwasher and it was quite easy.

I think to do it in a way where you can disconnect it would be a little bit more difficult - you would need to find the connector for a portable machine (probably available from an appliance store) and fit it to your water intake hose(s). Then you would have to set your taps to the temperature you want. With a dishwasher it's easier because you just want hot, but with a clothes washer you would probably want warm, then cold to rinse, unless you wash with cold. A 'regular' washing machine has separate hookups to hot and cold, but you would be adapting yours to run off of one faucet. You could do that by using only the cold inlet hose, setting the washer to COLD, and adjusting the kitchen tap to the temperature you want. If you only hook up the hot hose, your washer won't fill on the rinse cycle, so make sure it is the cold side that you hook to the tap.

Then the drain hose - make sure you secure it to the sink somehow, something like a loop of wire you can hang around the tap or something. Otherwise those hoses tend to jump out when the washer starts to drain. I've had to clean out a flooded basement a few times because either the hose has popped out of the laundry sink, or somebody has put something in the sink that kept it from draining. Not fun.

Anyway, I think it is totally doable, you'll just have to get the tap hookup thing (which I do not think you'll find at Home Depot) and then figure out the rest of the hardware/hoses. I think the dishwasher type hookups have two hoses, one is water in and one is the drain. You probably wouldn't want to try to connect your drain hose to that, though - I think it's too small. I've never seen a connector for a portable clothes washer but I imagine it's similar.

Good Luck!


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## linguistmama (Sep 25, 2006)

Stelly, we are in UT, but thank you. We actually went to a store that sells second hand appliances to get a regular washer and they happened to have a portable kenmore! So we bought it and it works great. Picture me doing a happy dance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## stelly (Sep 20, 2006)

Good for you! We had/have the Kenmore too. We found it helpful to take a plastic Coke-type bottle, cut the bottom of it, and secure it around the faucet adaptor so that the waste water coming out of the hose didn't splash all around the sink area. Before we put that on, it was splashing/misting on the countertop and floor a little bit.

We loved our portable, and I swear it got things cleaner than my regular washer does.


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## krlsmnr232013 (Nov 21, 2013)

Yes you can hookup a regular washer to a kitchen sink and it works well just like the portables.


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## krlsmnr232013 (Nov 21, 2013)

yes it works well i used one that way for about a year and a half and worked fine.


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