Adding a second washing machine to existing plumbing?

[jason589]

I currently have one washing machine plumbed in under my kitchen unit. It uses one cold and one hot water feed and has one waste pipe going to the bottom of the sink.

I would like to add a second washing machine right next to the current one. Is this possible and is it easy to do?
The second washing machine would only need a cold in water feed but would have another waste out pipe.
Are there brackets available which will allow me to split the existing cold water feed into two? And like wise for the waste pipe? Only one machine would be used at one time.

I don't have any pictures of the cold and hot pipes but this is what the waste pipe looks like (grey bottom pipe)

 

[seco services]

You can fit one of these to your cold supply.

Change the trap to a mcalpine wm11

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You can get double nozzle accessories that will convert your sink waste trap, so it can take to two machine waste hoses.
You will need to make sure your hose on the second machine is long enough to reach the sink trap, you can take a cold water feed by fitting a tee at the existing cold water.
You may also require a second socket for the electrics!
There you go, a little late!

 

[jason589]

Hello, thanks for both of your really helpful replies. I have a power socket spare so that is all ok. One last thing......
In my pictures in the original post,it looks like where the waste pipe is attached to the current white pipework at the bottom if the sink, it seems that the grey waste pipe had been glued on? Do I need any sort of solution to secure the waste pipe to this?

Thanks again.

 

[seco services]

When refitting to the waste trap all you need is a jubilee clip you don't need to glue the grey waste to the trap spigot.

 

[jason589]

When refitting to the waste trap all you need is a jubilee clip you don't need to glue the grey waste to the trap spigot.

Thanks. I have a couple of jubilee clips spare but they might be too large, will have a look.

The pipe I am connecting the second washing machine off of is the cold water supply. I don't know of the bar on it but would a normal pipe be ok to handle two washing machines and a cold water tap on a sink?
Bearing in mind that only one washing machine will be in action at any time?

I am guessing the answer is yes?

 

[seco services]

yes will be fine.

 

[jason589]

I am assuming that with the mcalpine wm11, it won't be a different length to the current waste pipe as shown in my picture, so it will still attach to the bottom of the sink and to the drain pipe in the wall without me needing to make the sink higher.

 

[seco services]

The wm11 is adjustable in height.

 

[jason589]

The wm11 is adjustable in height.

Ok thanks for the reply. And for the suggested Y Piece connector for the cold supply, would I be better attaching it to the far left connector in this picture?



The far left one goes to an external tap for hose pipes/watering cans etc. It just looks like it would be easier to attach a Y piece here than to the current cold water connector.
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[seco services]

Personally with that amount of spare pipe you've got i would fit another w/m tap in the pipe.

 

[jason589]

Personally with that amount of spare pipe you've got i would fit another w/m tap in the pipe.

Thanks for your post. I don't have the tools to fit that. I can do the basic stuff but not that. Do you think for the time being, I could get away with a y piece. When my brother comes round next, I will ask him to fit another water mixer tap into the pipe.

 

[seco services]

Yes you can use a y coupler if you want.
Just that another tap gives you a seperate isolation point for 1 machine rather than isolate 2 machines.

 

[jason589]

Yes you can use a y coupler if you want.
Just that another tap gives you a seperate isolation point for 1 machine rather than isolate 2 machines.

Yes I understand. I just wondered if there would be enough space for a Y.
I have ordered one, so will have a go when it comes.

Thanks so much for your posts, you have been really helpful.

 

[jason589]

Small problem. I bought all of the bits you recommended on the forum and installed. I got a small leak on the y-piece, nothing serious. So have removed that for now.

Washing machine 2 (the additional one) had half a drum full of brown gunge this morning. It was not there when I took the last load out and the washing machine is brand new (Samsung £400+) do you think that waste from machine 1 is going up machine 2 waste pipe when it is off and entering drum?

The macalpine you recomended did have a small piece in the trap to stop waste from one pipe going back up to the other.

I am guessing it is somehow getting through.