When it comes to water and electricity, it is always worth going down the safer route to pay a professional plumber for the installation or removal of a washing machine regardless of whether you own a freestanding, integrated or built-in washing machine. A pipe not correctly blocked off during the removal of a washing machine could result in a water leak. An incorrect installation, where the dump hose is not correctly installed could result in the pump of your brand new washing machine being burnt out.

How much will it cost to install or remove a washing machine?

A plumber can assist you with installing or removing a washing machine. A few factors will determine the price, from the arrival of the machine, how many floor levels up or down does it need to be carried and what space is there to work in for the location of the washing machine? Often, what seems a bigger job of removing an old existing washing machine to fit and install a brand new machine might be a quicker and easier job than installing a machine when a washing machine has not been set up in that space before. This is because the pipework will already be in place to bring in water and a waste pipe to carry away the grey water, as well as an electrical socket (hopefully not right below the water pipe!).

Do I need special plumbing for a washing machine?

For a washing machine to run efficiently, it has four basic needs; a level base to sit on, an electricity socket for power, a waste pipe and a water feed. As a washing machine is usually being fitted indoors on a kitchen, bathroom or utility floor, this means the floor should be even to begin with. If there is a slight ‘wobble’ on your washing machine, you can adjust the feet to ensure a steady smoothness so that during the spin cycle there will not be any movement that could put stress on the washing machine drum.

The need for an electricity socket is an obvious ‘power-up’ need for any appliance. When moving into a home, most homes have an allocated spot for the washing machine to be installed where there is the water feed pipe as well as access to the waste pipe. Mostly nowadays, it is just the cold water that is connected onto the machine, but if you have the option for hot water too and your washing machine has a red valve inlet, then you can decide if you want to connect the hot tap. Washing machines come with a built-in heating element so if only a cold water feed is connected, the machine can warm the water.

To dispel the waste water, the washing machine will be supplied with a flexi-hose and this will either need a waste pipe standing upright to be ‘hooked’ over to or it will need to be fitted to join waste pipework under the kitchen sink.

Can I have my washing machine installed in a new location?

In short, YES, you can have a washing machine relocated and installed in a new area of your home but for safety reasons, you will want to ensure it is sitting on a hard floor incase of any water leaks or the times you need to empty the filter. Water leaking out would destroy a carpet and leave the room smelling. There will have to be a water pipe near for the plumber to ‘tap into’ for the cold feed and the plumber may have to extend pipework to reach the waste pipework for draining water from the machine. If you are planning to install your new washing machine in a bathroom, just remember that any plug sockets have to be a few metres away from a bath or shower and do check with the manufacturer of your machine that it is safe to fit in the bathroom.

How much will it cost to repair pipework or seals for my washing machine?

If your washing machine stops working, perhaps it is not draining, not bringing in water, extremely noisy or making a burning smell on the spin cycle, then before getting into the expense of replacing your machine, best is to call out a plumber and let them have a look at repairing the washing machine. It could be something as simple as a limescale blockage in the pipework, dog hair blocking the filter or a seal that has deteriorated. If it is a faulty part, e.g. the heating element is broken or pump burnt out, most local plumbers will be able to source the parts and replace any worn out components without charging you more than an hours call-out and the cost of the materials ordered (generic parts mostly are cheaper than the brand manufacturer).

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