How to hook up a washing machine?

Question

I just want to hook up a new washing machine where my old one used to be. It looks easy enough but I cant get the old hoses off the water faucets or off the back of the old machine. Is there a trick to this or a special tool needed? My husband is in Iraq so Im trying to do this alone!

Answer 1

Hello: You can do this.
Behind the washer you should have water valves. Turn these off prior to removing the hoses. Unplug the washing machine.
Find or buy a pair of channel lock pliers. The folks at the home center will help you with this.
Use the channel locks to loosen the hose coupling from the wall. Remember; right to tight, left to loose, or righty-tighty, lefty-loosy. Turn the coupling counterclockwise to remove.
Water will spill out of the hose, have a towel handy. Remove the other hose from the wall.
Put the water hoses and the drain hoses into the tub of the washer along with the electrical cord. Call the Salvation Army and have the old washer dragged away.
On the new washer, install your new hoses. While you were at the home center, you picked up a new set of hoses for your new washer. Before attaching, make sure that there are rubber grommets inside the coupling, they look like a small donut. The home center will have these as well. Hand tighten as tight as you can, then use your channel locks and turn the coupler 1/2 turn tighter.
The washer will have the hot and cold hookups marked. The hoses *may* have red and blue markings. Put the red hose on the hot hookup, and the blue on the cold. If they are not marked, just hook them up. Take the hose that is attached to the hot side and wrap a bit of masking tape around the loose connection end so that you can identify it when the washer is in place.
Hook up the drain hose, if it is not installed. It may have a clamp that will need to be attached, as the water exits the washer with 20-40 lbs of force.
Place the washer in its spot inside of the drip pan that is required by code (you bought this when you bought the washer, or picked up at the home store). Take the hoses (checking for the grommets) and hook the hot hose to the hot tap, and the cold hose to the cold tap. Put the drain hose in the drain, and secure with the restraining strap.
Turn on the taps, and look for leaks. If there are some, tighten more with the channel locks. If none, plug in the unit and turn on the machine so it calls for water. Look for leaks, and tighten if you see any. Turn the dial to drain/spin, and check that the drain does not leak.
Turn the machine off, go and get a glass of iced tea.

Answer 2

After skimming the other answers, I don't see where anyone warned you to also make sure to grasp the faucets also when trying to unfasten the hose ends from it so you don't end up also loosening the faucet. You want to grip not only the hose end but the faucet also, especially if on the newer 'plastic' pipes. Spray WD40 OVERNIGHT where the hoses screw onto the machine and faucets usually will do the trick. Use channel lock pliers and not vise grips because vice grips will mash the hose ends making it more difficult to remove.

Also, throw away the rubber hoses if so equipped from the new machine and invest in some stainless steel braided inlet hoses that are 'burst proof'. Rubber hoses, even new, can burst without warning. Have seen it many times and sadly sometimes when people were on vacation and come home to water damage of biblical proportions.

Answer 3

Washing Machine Hookup

Answer 4

you can try using a pair of vise grips. it is a sort of wrench that clamps on to the hose and you can turn it easier since you dont have to use your hand strength but only use these to loosen the hose then turn with regular pair of plyers or your hand. if it still wont loosten also try using wd 40 or a better product to use would be PB penetrating catalist (found in any hardware store or auto parts store). if you spray it on and leave it a few min. it will break the hold that the hose has on the pipe and on the washer. then make sure to change the rubber rings inside your hoses because if not they wont seal properly (also usually found in the garden department at any hardware store) to the new washer and will leak and make sure to change both ends not just one end on the rubber inserts. also you are going to need some teflon tape. you wrap the teflon tape a couple times around the threads of the pipe then screw on the hose. this prevents water from leaking through the threads. I hope this helps. My husband is also in Iraq so I know how you feel.

Answer 5

Shut off the valves first or you will have a mess.

Use channel lock pliers or a pipe wrench if you have one to loosen the hoses. The hoses were probably tightened with a wrench.

Be sure to use the hoses that came with the new washing machine. A busted hose can cause some real water damage.

Answer 6

I put in a new washer last year and the hoses were stuck. spray WD_40 into the threaded area, wait a few minutes, and then turn the fitting with channel lock pliers. if it wont loosen try going back and forth a little as this will help loosen the corrosion. Use teflon tape and a new hose on the new machine to prevent this

Answer 7

1. Turn off both water valves (clockwise)
2. Unplug the power cord.
3. Use a pair of pliers to remove the hose couplings from the faucets. (counter-clockwise)
4. The drain hose should just pull out of the drain pipe.
5. Remove the old machine.
To install the new machine reverse the order of what you just did. Hot water is usually on the left.
*hint* (lefty loosy & righty tighty)

Answer 8

The Bold one did a great job. I only have one thing to add. If the pliers don't do the trick and the WD40 don't do the trick with the pliers......PB Blaster is the best stuff out there. You can find it at Automotive stores like Advance. It eats corrosion for breakfast. Good Luck!

Answer 9

Probably rust, get yourself a good pair of pliers or vise grips. you could also spray a little WD-40 on the connection and let it sit for 10-15 min.

Answer 10

After reading the answers orak the bold hit the nail dead on I've not a thing to add Good Luck you've been given good advice