Some newbie questions about installing a washer.

[Bklynrx7]

Hello everyone. Like the title says I'm running new water lines into what will be a laundry room. I'm using pex and there are two things I'm not sure about.

After reading a few different opinions I decided to go with 3/4 pex but it seems like every pre-made washing machine box has 1/2 inch fittings. Is 1/2 the standard? Would 3/4 make any difference if the valve is 1/2 inch (actually smaller)? Also, this is a two family house and therefore has 2 hot water tanks. In an effort to make sure noone runs out of hot water due to the machine can I connect both hot water outputs to the feed for the washer?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[frodo]

.............

 

[Diehard]

Hello everyone. Like the title says I'm running new water lines into what will be a laundry room. I'm using pex and there are two things I'm not sure about.

After reading a few different opinions I decided to go with 3/4 pex but it seems like every pre-made washing machine box has 1/2 inch fittings. Is 1/2 the standard? Would 3/4 make any difference if the valve is 1/2 inch (actually smaller)? Also, this is a two family house and therefore has 2 hot water tanks. In an effort to make sure noone runs out of hot water due to the machine can I connect both hot water outputs to the feed for the washer?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Regarding connecting2 water heaters to a washing machine.

It sounds like the water heaters already exists. How are they currently piped? Is each go to each family?

Is it safe to assume that although it's a 2 family that there is no separation of water use or water heating bills?

Are you just planning 1 washing machine or 2?

This may have already been all thought out but I don't like to assume anything.

 

[frodo]

is the house a rental? how is the utility bill payed?
are the utilities separate ?

 

[frodo]

Regarding connecting2 water heaters to a washing machine.

It sounds like the water heaters already exists. How are they currently piped? Is each go to each family?

Is it safe to assume that although it's a 2 family that there is no separation of water use or water heating bills?

Are you just planning 1 washing machine or 2?

This may have already been all thought out but I don't like to assume anything.

good catch

 

[Bklynrx7]

yes, you can connect both water heaters. but their is a certain way it should be done.
you can connect 2 in series IF THE WATERS ARE DIFFERENT CAPACITIES
if they are both 40gal then this is the way to hook them up.

Im not sure what you mean by this, maybe i wasn't clear enough. The hot water tanks are already installed and servicing different parts of the house. They are currently completely seperate from each other. Can I put a tee into the output for each one and bring them together to supply the washer? Ive attached a very rough diagram.

Regarding connecting2 water heaters to a washing machine.

It sounds like the water heaters already exists. How are they currently piped? Is each go to each family?

Is it safe to assume that although it's a 2 family that there is no separation of water use or water heating bills?

Are you just planning 1 washing machine or 2?

This may have already been all thought out but I don't like to assume anything.

Its a two family house but my family lives in all of it. Nothing is rented and there is only one water bill. The only reason I wish to divide the washer between the tanks is so neither apartment ends up running low on hot water while the washer is in use, though im told this isnt much of a concern. If its too much of a hassle ill probably just put it on the tank for the smaller apartment ( 2 baths vs 3). But on to the technical stuff....

There is a single cold line coming in from the main, which feeds both machines, then a hot line out from each tank. The hot lines run parallel to each other for a short bit after leaving the tank, but one of them is split before this( the left tank in my pic).

 

[frodo]

you can do it , install a check valve on both sides of the tee to stop hw from one tank going into the other

 

[Bklynrx7]

you can do it , install a check valve on both sides of the tee to stop hw from one tank going into the other

View attachment 17836

That looks great, Ill give it a shot. Thanks a lot.

 

[Diehard]

you can do it , install a check valve on both sides of the tee to stop hw from one tank going into the other

View attachment 17836

I would be inclined to put the ball valves up stream of each of the 2 check valves. Not critical but allows total isolation of either water heater.

 

[chiraldude]

First, you haven't said what kind of washer. Is this an old school top load or a newer high efficiency? The old top loaders will use 20-30 gal of hot water but the newer high efficiency (some top load but mostly front load) washers will only use 5-10 gal of hot water per load.
Connecting to both seems like overkill and you won't be sure that it will draw water from both tanks at exactly 50/50.
For the supply lines, there is no reason to use 3/4 supply to a washer. A washer doesn't care about flow rates. It just runs water till it fills up. On the other hand, you want the supply lines to showers to be the least restricted so that the pressure drop from the washer is not noticed in the shower.

 

[frodo]

I would be inclined to put the ball valves up stream of each of the 2 check valves. Not critical but allows total isolation of either water heater.

i love valves,