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It is operationally crucial for both washing machines and sinks to have a drain. The good news is, both appliances can share the same drain.
Find out more about how washing machines and sinks can share the same drain line.
Here’s if a Washing Machine and a Sink Can Share a Drain:
Both washing machines and sinks are crucial household cleaning appliances. The two also combine soaps and detergents in conjunction with water to clean. Whether you wash clothes or dishes, both components will always leave you with dirty, soapy water that needs to be drained.
Are There Any Disadvantages When Connecting a Washing Machine and a Sink to One Vent?
Sinks and washing machines are two of the most used components or appliances in a home. Both virtually serve the same purpose: they clean. While a washing machine is only designed to launder clothing items, a sink offers much more versatility.
Although you can launder clothes in a sink, there are many more advantages to using a machine for the task.
First, it removes all the manual labor. All you need to do is simply load the washer with the right load size, throw in some washing detergent, and choose from one of the many settings. The machine will cycle through washing, rinsing, and cleaning.
The machine will also do a more thorough job of cleaning than what you could do with a sink.
Washing clothing by hand in a sink is extremely inefficient and strenuous. Washing machines, on the other hand, require electrical connections.
Then there is the wear and tear on the internal components to consider.
Simply put, there are a multitude of things that should be considered when deciding how to launder your family’s clothes.
Obviously, a washing machine and sink each come with their own sets of advantages and disadvantages.
You could debate the two cleaning methods all day long. However, when all is said and done, most industry experts would agree, a washing machine is the easier and less time-consuming way to go.
Residential and even some commercial buildings have rooms solely dedicated to laundering devices.
The basements and even garages of some homes are plumbed for laundering appliances. If not, you can likely plumb them yourself with a little bit of DIY know-how.
Where there is a washer, there is usually a dryer.
It honestly doesn’t make sense to have one without the other unless you live in an area where you can hang the clothes outside to dry year-round.
Although a dryer doesn’t require any water, most residential models require 220 volts.
Even though the dryer doesn’t need to be plumbed for draining, it does consume space. In fact, it consumes about as much space as a washing machine. Many homes have rooms specifically designed to handle laundry appliances.
Unfortunately, these rooms are usually very restricted in space.
While a sink can be an excellent addition to the room and make your laundering tasks easier, they are sizable.
In most cases, combining the drainage of the washing machine and sink is necessary to accommodate the limited space. This is perfectly fine, but if not properly piped, it could later lead to major complications. One needs to be aware of the potential disadvantages of this type of installation.
For one, odors from the sink could travel through the pipes and get into your clean clothes.
If you aren’t using the sink for harsher-smelling applications, this won’t be something you need to worry about.
There is also the possibility of overloading the piping. If the washing machine and sink drain at the same time, the drainage pipes might not be able to handle the load.
Another thing to consider is that the washing machine uses a pump to drain water, whereas the drain relies on gravity.
In certain piping configurations, it’s possible that some of the water forced from the washing machine could travel back up through the sink piping and come out into the sink basin. This issue can be mitigated with a check valve or air gap, which can prevent dirty water from the washing machine from coming back into the sink.
Luckily, most of these disadvantages can be avoided by choosing the right installation methods. By taking the time to plumb both appliances correctly, you can bypass these potential issues entirely.
How Can You Connect a Washing Machine and a Sink to One Vent?
The washing machine will likely already be in place, meaning the sink will probably be the addition. You’ll likely find yourself tapping into the washing machine’s main drain to accommodate the sink.
The first thing you will need to do is find the main drainage line. You can follow the piping from the washer. More than likely, it will be a 2” PVC pipe, running straight up and down behind the washer.
What you’ll want to do is find a suitable location to tap into the 2” PVC and install what’s known as a sanitary T. The 2” PVC T is referred to as a “T” because that’s how it’s shaped. It allows you to connect both ends of the washing drainpipe back together while allowing for a new connection on the side.
Just remember that the sink will drain by gravity, so you’ll need to install the T low enough to ensure your sink has a proper slope for the entire length it needs to travel.
Your sink may or may not have a 2” drain. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to accommodate with reducers and other fittings.
Additionally, industry experts recommend installing a P-trap or U-trap between the sink and washing machine. These traps are crucial to prevent sewer gases from escaping and to avoid the backflow of water and odors. While there are other types of traps available, P-traps and U-traps are the only two suitable options for this kind of installation.
You’ll want to install the trap as close to the sink as possible, typically right as you come off the sink drain.
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