Washing machine water connecton

JeffG1947

Member
We have a stackable washer/dryer in the 3585 and don't have access to the water line connections behind the washer. I regularly check all the other water lines and sometimes find one a little lose. I'm a bit concerned that we'll turn on the washer one day and have a flood in the bedroom.

The only thing I can think of is to cut an access opening in the panel that separates the closet from the washer. I'd rather not have to remove the dryer to check the lines. Thoughts?

Thanks!!
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
Can you raise the dryer on a platform to expose the connections? That's what we did, but ours are on the side....
 

Westwind

Well-known member
I would think about a pan that goes under the washer with a plastic hose drain that goes out of the trailer through the undercarriage. Not familiar with your floorplan I couldn't say how, but there is a post on this forum that talks to it. I would also spend the $$$ for the reinforced hoses, especially since yours is so hard to get to.
Since you probably don't have to winterize your FW, being in Texas. I have to get to the connections each year when I winterize the trailer and the Splendide washer in our Bighorn. Now that I've done it once, hopefully I won't soak the carpet near the Washer.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
We have a stackable washer/dryer in the 3585 and don't have access to the water line connections behind the washer. I regularly check all the other water lines and sometimes find one a little lose. I'm a bit concerned that we'll turn on the washer one day and have a flood in the bedroom.

The only thing I can think of is to cut an access opening in the panel that separates the closet from the washer. I'd rather not have to remove the dryer to check the lines. Thoughts?

Thanks!!

I'd put in the access panel. Our Landmark does not have a wall separating the closet from the washer/dryer so I can get to the lines via the closet. Makes it very convenient. I have the drain pan and the braided lines also.
 

ZNK

Well-known member
I think it would be beneficial to ensure that they put pipe tape on the connection, moving the washer and dryer once applying the tape and ensuring a tight connection should allow you to not have to check the connection quite as often. With the vibration of the road it would still help to do a quick check every couple months or so.
 

JeffG1947

Member
Thanks for the replies!

To respond to some of the comment:
- We have the pan under the washing machine and it does drain out of the trailer.
- The hose connections are in the back of the washer, so raising the dryer (if there is even room) is not practical.
- I can't remove the entire wall separating the W/D from the closet because one end of clothes bars are attached to the wall.

I'll cut a opening in the wall for access and check the hose types and whether the used the plumbers tape.

Thanks again.
Jeff
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Makes me wonder how difficult that makes winterization with washer-dryer in place?

In my opinion, the best way to winterize is by blowing compressed air through the system. Run the washer on rinse cycle followed by drain cycle a couple of times to empty the water lines and hoses. Then add a little antifreeze to the washer drum and run the drain cycle to get antifreeze in the trap. Then add a little more to protect the drum.

You can do it all with antifreeze, but depending on how long the water line run is, you could use a lot of antifreeze.
 

JeffG1947

Member
Follow-up question - I asked Heartland but they weren't able to help - do you know how the water lines run to the washing machine? My objective is to find a T-valve in the path just to the machine. I want to be able to winterize the washing machine and then isolate it from the rest of the water system (the same way I can clean out the ice maker water line and shut it off with the T-valve at the kitchen sink). That way if we go out again the re-winterizing process is simpler and only requires the 12v water pump and not a 110v line to run the washer. Thanks!
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Follow-up question - I asked Heartland but they weren't able to help - do you know how the water lines run to the washing machine? My objective is to find a T-valve in the path just to the machine. I want to be able to winterize the washing machine and then isolate it from the rest of the water system (the same way I can clean out the ice maker water line and shut it off with the T-valve at the kitchen sink). That way if we go out again the re-winterizing process is simpler and only requires the 12v water pump and not a 110v line to run the washer. Thanks!

Can't help with that question. I just do a normal re-winterization if I take mine out in the winter. Does require access to 110volt power though.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Follow-up question - I asked Heartland but they weren't able to help - do you know how the water lines run to the washing machine? My objective is to find a T-valve in the path just to the machine. I want to be able to winterize the washing machine and then isolate it from the rest of the water system (the same way I can clean out the ice maker water line and shut it off with the T-valve at the kitchen sink). That way if we go out again the re-winterizing process is simpler and only requires the 12v water pump and not a 110v line to run the washer. Thanks!

If you take down the basement wall and look at the water lines, you should be able to figure out which ones go to the washer.

If your washer is in the front doorside corner, with the doorside part of the basement wall taken down, you should be able to identify the lines that turn toward the washer. You can then trace them back closer to the UDC to add gate valves or other type of cutoff.

Another option would be to take down the raceway at the top of the doorside cargo door opening. I would expect the washer water lines to go through that raceway. You could add an access panel at the rear end of the raceway cover and add cutoffs there. That would leave water in part of the lines, but it would be no worse than the rest of your bathroom plumbing.
 
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PUG

Pug
Save yourself a lot of work and just blow our your system (not high pressure) and then run rv anti freeze through every faucet until it is pink, then the same with washing machine until it is pink inside and then run the spin to fill that part of the washing machine system. Pink everywhere and don't spare.
 
Read thru this string and lots of good advice. We too have a Bighorn 3600 RE with a stackable w/d and I wondered how best to winterize the washer. I blew compressed air thru all the water lines and then pumped RV antifreeze to all the faucets but held off putting it thru the washing machine. I just didnt know if it would get sticky/gummy over the winter or even exactly how to get the antifreeze thru the machine without using gallons of it.

Would sure appreciate more guidance on how to do this. We are in central WY and it will be getting cold soon enough.

Thank you all in advance.
Scott
Casper WY
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Muchbroker, welcome to the forum.
I am not sure about the RV style washer, but on a residential machine I use the RV antifreeze.
I pour a bunch in the washer and then put it on the spin cycle. This will run the pink stuff through the pump.
I do that a couple of times to be sure all water is out of the pump.
It will not gum up. Just run it through a wash cycle in spring.
The RV antifreeze is not that expensive. It's better to use more than needed than to repair a leak from a broken pump or water line.

Peace
Dave
 

Mikemm62

Mike & Suzanne
Muchbroker,
I have the washer and dryer in our rig, once I winterized the rest of the rig I use about two gallons and set the washing machine to fill, then I spin it out. In the spring I set the washer to high level wash and let it run through the cycle,, so far no pink whites or strange odors , washing machine still looks like new.

Hope this helps
Mikemm62
 
How neat that is to get such clear, quality advice so quickly. I have stewed over this for a couple of weeks and in <30 minutes had the answers I needed.

Thank you all, we'll be running the pink stuff thru it this weekend. We leave our Bighorn trailer up on the Bighorn Mountains and treat it as our cabin. Just love it.

Thank you all again--
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi Muchbroker,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners forum and family. We have a great bunch of people with lots of info as you have just found out. Don't hesitate to ask a question, someone will most likely have the answer for if you need some help.

You just missed a couple of really good rallies in your area. The national rally was in Gillette and then the following week we had a state rally in Cody. Please think of joining the Heartland Owners Club and making some of the rallies and meeting great people and making friends for a lifetime. Check the list of rallies on the Portal Page.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Read thru this string and lots of good advice. We too have a Bighorn 3600 RE with a stackable w/d and I wondered how best to winterize the washer. I blew compressed air thru all the water lines and then pumped RV antifreeze to all the faucets but held off putting it thru the washing machine. I just didnt know if it would get sticky/gummy over the winter or even exactly how to get the antifreeze thru the machine without using gallons of it.

Would sure appreciate more guidance on how to do this. We are in central WY and it will be getting cold soon enough.

Thank you all in advance.
Scott
Casper WY

The stackable washer only uses a small bit of water. Just start pumping antifreeze and turn the washer on rinse cycle, warm water. It'll pull the anti-freeze thru both the hot and cold lines and thru the washer pump. That way your lines and the pump will be protected. Doesn't take more than an extra gallon.
 
Thanks Jim, This truley is a community site. I have enjoyed a lot of good reading on here.

We'll definately look forward to next years rallies.

Thanks again--
Muchbroker
Casper WY
 
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