There’s no way around it, plumbing can be confusing. This is why most people call professional plumbers to make their installations, perform necessary repairs, etc. But sometimes you might want to do it yourself or at least understand what’s going on. And at times like those, you could have some questions.
We want to help you find some of those answers, and so the common plumbing question we’re going to be answering for you today is “How high should the drain pipe be for a washing machine?” But you should buckle up, because this is a loaded topic and we’ll be diving deep into it!
How High Should The Drain Pipe Be For A Washing Machine?
The exact height a washing machine’s drainage pipe should be depends on a lot of variables that we’ll get into throughout this article. But despite all the different factors, the quickest answer to this question is to say that the drain hose should never be higher than 8 feet tall or you’ll run into some serious issues.
What Changes The Ideal Drainage Pipe Height For A Washing Machine?
When it comes to plumbing, it’s better to be exact and not follow a general guideline.
This will ensure that everything will run as smoothly as it can. So now let’s look at the two main things you need to take into account when deciding how exactly high your washer’s drain hose should be.
The Washer Type – A front loading washer will have a different ideal pipe height than a top loading washer.
The Brand – Every brand builds their washers slightly differently. So a washing machine created by Whirlpool might have a varying drainage hose height than a Samsung washer.
How High Should A Drain Pipe Be For A Front Loading Washing Machine?
Nowadays, front loading washing machines are the most popular type. This is partly because many people find them more convenient, and partly because they’re easier to stack with front loading dryers for a more compact laundry room. But how high should the drainage pipe be for this type?
Well, it’s recommended that a front loader’s drain pipe is placed at least 24” above the floor, and that it doesn’t go over the 8 feet limit.
How High Should A Drain Pipe Be For A Top Loading Washing Machine?
Although front washing machines are more popular, many people still have top loading washing machines. And these machines are still being produced and installed on a semi-regular basis. This means that it’s still important to know what an ideal plumbing situation would look like for this type of washer.
And professionals agree that a top loading washer should have its drainage pipe placed at least 30” above the floor, but it has the same maximum limit as the front loader (8 feet).
Are All Washing Machine Drain Pipes The Same Size?
After looking at how these variables can affect something as simple as how high a drain pipe should be placed, you might be wondering how different drain pipes themselves can be. And that’s a valid question, because it’s a concern of many people that when they get a new washing machine it might not be compatible with their old setup.
Rest assured that most drain pipes are normally around the same size, in diameter anyway. In fact, there’s a universal size of about 2 inches in diameter that is almost always used.
But the length can vary a lot more, especially if you decide to extend the hose. Furthermore, a lot of companies have started purposefully producing shorter drainage hoses so that they can cut costs. So this means if you’re replacing your washing machine after a long time, you may notice the new hose is a lot shorter.
Will A Washing Machine Come With A Drain Hose Guide
DIY installation projects are a lot more common than you might think, so most new washing machines will come with a guide that details how exactly to set up your drain hose. And this guide will probably answer most questions you have, which will allow you to install the washing machine with no problem.
But the guide will only be helpful if most of the necessary plumbing is already there, because in this case you’d only need to hook things together. If important plumbing features are missing or not installed yet, then you probably will need the help of a plumber to hook up your new washer.
So in the end, the answer to the question of “How high should the drain pipe be for a washing machine”, is actually… that it varies. But we made sure to cover all the variables that go into answering this question.
Hopefully whether you have a top-loader or front loader, Samsung or Whirlpool, etc you were able to find some value in this article. We will say that hooking up a washing machine to a drain should be fairly straightforward, especially now that you know a bit more information.
