Running hotwater and cold water into one connection..

[montiee]

Hmm not sure if the title makes sense but hopefully the explanation below will.

Soon I will take delivery of a frontloading washing machine. A nice bosch one. The trouble is this thing only takes in cold water and not hot (alot of new ones are heading inthis direction). It heats the water itself. Now I guess for most households this is fine but I have a solar hot water system so I think it's stupid for the machine to heat water electrically while it's being heated by the sun for me for free. Is there a fitting I can buy from bunnings which will allow me to merge the two taps I currently have (hot & cold) into one for connection to the frontloader?

The idea is that I'll open the taps up so that on average the combined temp is 30C and that will I think save me time & money heating water unecessarily for most of my washes.

Anyone done something similar?

Note I really don't care for an elegant single tap if it's going to cost me alot. This is in the laundry so I could care less. It can be a couple of hoses merging for all I care. I guess I could knock it up myself form plumbing parts but hope there is something at bunnings which is ready made..

[wonderplumb]

More hassle than what its worth, you will end up having to use a tempering valve or a TMV, if youve spent good money on a fancy washing machine, whats a few cents each load to let it do its job????????????

[montiee]

More hassle than what its worth, you will end up having to use a tempering valve or a TMV, if youve spent good money on a fancy washing machine, whats a few cents each load to let it do its job????????????

Nah. I don't want anything as elaborate as a temporing valve. I mean it's like getting in the shower. You set the hot water tap at a quater turn and the cold at 1/8 turn (random figures used ) and you get ~30C. I'm not interested in anything fancy that ensures I'm dead on whatever temperature. If I'm off a few degrees no big deal.

As for a few cents a load sure but it's also time it takes to heat it up to that point etc. I guess if I get "hot" water for free why should the machine waste electricity making it's own and spending the time doing so. I do have a hot water tap already there..

I guess I need to find a two into one connector and then some tubing and an connector for the washing machine hose to screw into.

[SilentButDeadly]

Is there a fitting I can buy from bunnings which will allow me to merge the two taps I currently have (hot & cold) into one for connection to the frontloader?

Unlikely...be easier and cheaper to make something up from poly plumbing parts - 3/4" T piece, elbow, nipple, two hose nipples, two hose clamps and some pressure hose........and perhaps a non return valve on the hot water side.

But are you absolutely certain that the Bosch machine can't be told/programmed to not heat the water?

Given that we too are tossing up on a Bosch or Miele front loader over the new breed of top loader (eg F&P Aquasmart) we too might have to consider this option...

[montiee]

But are you absolutely certain that the Bosch machine can't be told/programmed to not heat the water?

Yes the bosch can do a proper cold load I am led to believe. Alot can't. However I think you get a better wash if it's luke warm 30C-40C. I'll be experimenting when I get it. Might just do a proper cold load first and see how it goes. If it's adequate they I'll drop the merge idea and if not well..

Given that we too are tossing up on a Bosch or Miele front loader over the new breed of top loader (eg F&P Aquasmart) we too might have to consider this option...

Yes I'm not a fan of the F&P. Parents have owned them in tha past and the control panels suck ???? and are expensive to repair when they eventually brake. You need to replace the entire panel. After we did this the pump died. I'm giving F&P a miss.

I wasn't too impressed with the one (toploader) my parents have had. I was surprised when they returned with another one after the first one broke down after only a few years. I asked why buy another one and I got the excuse that they heard they had improved..yeh right..

Anyway you might have a better run than my parents did. I personally think they where nuts to buy another one.

[wonderplumb]

Mate if you already have hot and cold water points there you could make up a breech with a valve between the two with some 3/4 chrome tube and chrome plated brass fittings, it'll look as ugly as a hatfull but will do the job.

[Smurf]

Assuming your hot water is mains pressure, just running both hoses into a Y shaped piece attached to the back of the washing machine will do the job. You can get brass ones for garden use and this should fit assuming the machine has standard sized connections (same size as outdoor tap).

You will need to remember to turn off the hot tap after the initial fill for the wash though unless you also want a warm rinse.

As for warm versus cold washing, my clothes get quite dirty at work and I can confirm that washing in warm water with decent detergent (I use "Biozet") gets them VERY clean. Jeans I've worn to work and had covered in all sorts of mess would easily pass as "clean" by anyone after being washed that way. Cold water doesn't get the same standard of cleaning in my experience - the same clothes eventually get that dirty look even after washing.

If you use hot (not warm) water then oil etc comes straight out too. I've never really understood why some people are so worried about getting their clothes dirty. Then I realised that they're probably using shoddy detergent in cold water and that's the problem. Also I don't see the need for all those pre-wash sprays etc - same reason I assume.

[Honorary Bloke]

Assuming your hot water is mains pressure, just running both hoses into a Y shaped piece attached to the back of the washing machine will do the job. You can get brass ones for garden use and this should fit assuming the machine has standard sized connections (same size as outdoor tap)..

Just be sure to get a nice brass one and check periodically for drips.

[Barry_White]

Why not use a bath mixer or tub mixer.

[bricks]

This won't work all that well.

If you join the two taps, you will have a cross connection. Over time, the other taps in your house will all become the same temperature, you may suck hot water through into the cold or vice versa.


WonderPlumb- you should have picked this up bruz- what's going on?

[wonderplumb]

Bugger me!! I forgot to mention a check valve on the hot side.....

Good stuff Bricks, well spotted bloke!

I still reckon let the machine heat the water, they use so much power as it is already a little more wouldnt hurt.

[bricks]

Bugger me!! I forgot to mention a check valve on the hot side.....

Good stuff Bricks, well spotted bloke!

I still reckon let the machine heat the water, they use so much power as it is already a little more wouldnt hurt.

You'd need one on both sides.

[Barry_White]

This won't work all that well.
If you join the two taps, you will have a cross connection. Over time, the other taps in your house will all become the same temperature, you may suck hot water through into the cold or vice versa.

I'm not a plumber but that sounds a bit of a furphy to me. Every house I have been in has either a shower or a bath or both as well as sinks and basins where the water mixes together with out check valves and the hot doesn't contaminate the rest of the taps in the house or vise versa with the cold when both are turned on together. Well at least not in my house. So plumbers of this forum educate me and tell me why you think it would happen in this case.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

But you don't simply block the outlet once the bath is full, you turn off the taps.

A washing machine, on the other hand, doesn't leave the water running all the time; it operates a "third" tap to shut off the flow but it doesn't shut off the other two. This leaves your hot/cold lines connected and any pressure differential between the two lines will give you a flow from one to t'other.

If Montiee wanted to stand by the washing machine manually turning off the taps every time the w/m shut off the flow, then it wouldn't be a problem. Or if he fitted a couple of one-way valves...

I'm no plumber. But even I can see it ain't a good idea to cross-connect your hot & cold lines.

[bricks]

Basically what he said.

I will point out that the tap washer may in some instances act as a stopper

If you have both taps turned on, and the two open ends are connected and that connection has an outlet Ie shower head or breacher then the water pressure will allow the water to escape.

It's harder for the water to go back into the hot/ cold tap than out of the open end of the shower/ spout.

If you have sealed the end then they will mix, just as if you have connected the pipes together without valves ( because the valves are doing nothing. )