This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

On Jul 11, 7:54*pm, "Percival P. Cassidy" wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay...

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

They are to prevent backflow from the washing machine to the domestic
water supply if the supply pressure fails.

Remove them, clean them in CLR (or equal), replace the washers.

OR

Just replace them with new ones.

cheers
Bob

cheers
Bob

On Jul 11, 10:54*pm, "Percival P. Cassidy"
wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay...

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

I've never been anywhere that required backflow preventers on a
washing machine. The control valves on washing machines are right
where the hoses hookup. And the fill to the tub is above it. You
might be able to simply replace the rubber washer to fix your leak.
The fittings are the same as garden hoses. Personally I'd probably
remove the backflow preventers.

On 07/12/11 07:31 am, jamesgangnc wrote:

This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay...

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

I've never been anywhere that required backflow preventers on a
washing machine. The control valves on washing machines are right
where the hoses hookup. And the fill to the tub is above it. You
might be able to simply replace the rubber washer to fix your leak.
The fittings are the same as garden hoses. Personally I'd probably
remove the backflow preventers.

I took apart the leaking one and found that the rubber/plastic
"diaphragm"(?) was a sticky black mess, so fixing it would require
getting the appropriate replacement part.

I cannot find such a device on Lowe's Web site, and Menards (regional
home improvement chain) shows it a s a special-order item, so I conclude
that they are not widely used. Home Depot sells them, but our local
store closed recently.

Since HD describes the item as for a garden hose, it is presumably not
intended for hot water.

I think I might just remove them.

Perce

On Jul 12, 8:31*am, "Percival P. Cassidy" wrote:
On 07/12/11 07:31 am, jamesgangnc wrote:





This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay....

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.
I've never been anywhere that required backflow preventers on a
washing machine. *The control valves on washing machines are right
where the hoses hookup. *And the fill to the tub is above it. *You
might be able to simply replace the rubber washer to fix your leak.
The fittings are the same as garden hoses. *Personally I'd probably
remove the backflow preventers.

I took apart the leaking one and found that the rubber/plastic
"diaphragm"(?) was a sticky black mess, so fixing it would require
getting the appropriate replacement part.

I cannot find such a device on Lowe's Web site, and Menards (regional
home improvement chain) shows it a s a special-order item, so I conclude
that they are not widely used. Home Depot sells them, but our local
store closed recently.

Since HD describes the item as for a garden hose, it is presumably not
intended for hot water.

I think I might just remove them.

Perce- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, those are for outdoor use and when activated will release the
excess pressure on the hose side to the ground. Probably not much
water though.

On Jul 12, 9:03*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Jul 12, 8:31*am, "Percival P. Cassidy" wrote:





On 07/12/11 07:31 am, jamesgangnc wrote:

This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay....

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.
I've never been anywhere that required backflow preventers on a
washing machine. *The control valves on washing machines are right
where the hoses hookup. *And the fill to the tub is above it. *You
might be able to simply replace the rubber washer to fix your leak.
The fittings are the same as garden hoses. *Personally I'd probably
remove the backflow preventers.

I took apart the leaking one and found that the rubber/plastic
"diaphragm"(?) was a sticky black mess, so fixing it would require
getting the appropriate replacement part.

I cannot find such a device on Lowe's Web site, and Menards (regional
home improvement chain) shows it a s a special-order item, so I conclude
that they are not widely used. Home Depot sells them, but our local
store closed recently.

Since HD describes the item as for a garden hose, it is presumably not
intended for hot water.

I think I might just remove them.

Perce- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, those are for outdoor use and when activated will release the
excess pressure on the hose side to the ground. *Probably not much
water though.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree that I've never seen them on a washing machine. They aren't
on mine and I'll sleep soundly at night. It would be almost
impossible
for dirty washing machine water to make it back into the fresh water
supply. For starters, the washing machine solenoid valves would have
to fail to close at the same time the water pressure went to zero.

On 7/11/2011 10:54 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053


Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

Can't imagine why you would need it and have never seen them installed
on a washer.

If you think about it every washer I know of already has a built in air
gap because the water from the solenoid valves is routed to an outlet on
the top of the machine that is above the highest water line.

On 7/12/2011 9:26 AM, George wrote:
On 7/11/2011 10:54 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053



Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

Can't imagine why you would need it and have never seen them installed
on a washer.

If you think about it every washer I know of already has a built in air
gap because the water from the solenoid valves is routed to an outlet on
the top of the machine that is above the highest water line.


I also think washers have anti-siphon built in.

Could be the backflow preventers at the faucets are in case a hose is
connected instead of the washer. Could be local practice. The OP could
ask a plumbing inspector if they want a backflow preventer. I would
leave it off, and install one if flagged at home sale.

When some plumbing work was done here, a backflow preventer was
installed on the laundry tub faucet that is threaded for a hose. They
were not installed on washer faucet connections.

--
bud--

On Jul 12, 10:57*am, bud-- wrote:
On 7/12/2011 9:26 AM, George wrote:





On 7/11/2011 10:54 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay....

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

Can't imagine why you would need it and have never seen them installed
on a washer.

If you think about it every washer I know of already has a built in air
gap because the water from the solenoid valves is routed to an outlet on
the top of the machine that is above the highest water line.

I also think washers have anti-siphon built in.

Could be the backflow preventers at the faucets are in case a hose is
connected instead of the washer. Could be local practice. The OP could
ask a plumbing inspector if they want a backflow preventer. I would
leave it off, and install one if flagged at home sale.

When some plumbing work was done here, a backflow preventer was
installed on the laundry tub faucet that is threaded for a hose. They
were not installed on washer faucet connections.

--
bud--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I wonder if what the OP has are not backflow preventers, but maybe
those automatic valves that shut the water off if a hose breaks???

On 7/11/2011 9:54 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053


Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

no they don't need to be there. Design of the washer itself would
prevent back flow in this imaginary scenario the water companies would
have us to believe.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine
supply lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below
ground level, if that matters.


Purpose: Water pressure drops. It drops so much, it's a suction!
Double-nasty, dirty, bacteria laden, brackish water is sucked into the
distribution line. Eventually the pressure is restored and you or your
neighbor gets a glass of a less-than-tasty beverage that even a
double-helping of sugar-free Kool-Aid powder can mask.

On 7/12/2011 06:49, wrote:

I agree that I've never seen them on a washing machine. They aren't
on mine and I'll sleep soundly at night.


If the things are meant for garden hoses I wouldn't sleep soundly at
night if they were on the washing machine lines because:

- They aren't intended for use under continuous pressure
- They aren't intended for use with hot water
- They're intended for outdoor use where water dripping from does no harm

Local codes may require them to be retrofitted on garden hose spigots
prior to an inspection, such as when a property is sold. I suspect that
the seller may have erroneously considered the washing machine taps to
be garden hose taps.

--

Most responders in this thread are correct. Backflow preventers are
not needed on a washer because there is already a siphon break
component within the machine itselft. And in my experience as a major
appliance repairman, it is very hard to make backflow preventers not
leak, at the point they connect to your faucet, and at the point your
hoses connect to them.

On Jul 13, 7:54*am, AE Todd wrote:
Most responders in this thread are correct. *Backflow preventers are
not needed on a washer because there is already a siphon break
component within the machine itselft. *And in my experience as a major
appliance repairman, it is very hard to make backflow preventers not
leak, at the point they connect to your faucet, and at the point your
hoses connect to them.

Agaun, I wonder if what the OP has are not backflow preventers, but
maybe
those automatic valves that shut the water off if a hose breaks???

On Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:10:07 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine
supply lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below
ground level, if that matters.


Purpose: Water pressure drops. It drops so much, it's a suction!
Double-nasty, dirty, bacteria laden, brackish water is sucked into the
distribution line. Eventually the pressure is restored and you or your
neighbor gets a glass of a less-than-tasty beverage that even a
double-helping of sugar-free Kool-Aid powder can mask.

Only if the washing machine was operated in a grossly tilted position that
would also flood the room.

On Jul 11, 9:42*pm, DD_BobK wrote:
On Jul 11, 7:54*pm, "Percival P. Cassidy" wrote:

This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine supply
lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...ProductDisplay...

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below ground
level, if that matters.

Perce

They are to prevent backflow from the washing machine to the domestic
water supply if the supply pressure fails.

Remove them, clean them in CLR (or equal), replace the washers.

OR

Just replace them with new ones.



Ooops! I forgot that washing machines have a built-in "air gap".

I'm not sure why they're even installed in your situation...may a code
or inspection requirement because they are garden hose thread?

On 7/14/2011 11:04 PM, Michael Dobony wrote:
On Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:10:07 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
This house already had backflow preventers on the washing machine
supply lines when we bought it, and we continued to use them.

They are roughly like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

Now one of them is leaking, and I am wondering whether they are needed
at all. What purpose do they serve? The washing machine is below
ground level, if that matters.


Purpose: Water pressure drops. It drops so much, it's a suction!
Double-nasty, dirty, bacteria laden, brackish water is sucked into the
distribution line. Eventually the pressure is restored and you or your
neighbor gets a glass of a less-than-tasty beverage that even a
double-helping of sugar-free Kool-Aid powder can mask.

Only if the washing machine was operated in a grossly tilted position that
would also flood the room.

Not to mention, that scenario is sooooo far fetched, the cons of having
all these anti-backflow devices far out weigh any benefit they could
provide. IT's a joke. I'll not have them.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email