Problems plumbing in Miele washing machine waste pipe

[DOTE]

I feel like a right plonker and hoping for some help! I have a new Miele washing machine, it was plumbed into a standpipe but the standpipe was far too small (it's only around 12 cm long and is about halfway up washing machine), this is what the fitters told me. So I thought I would plumb it into a spigot below the sink with a jubilee clip and thought that would be straightforward, I bought the new sink trap with spigot from screwfix, atatched with jubilee clip and...it didn't seem to work at all, when I looked at it - the spigot appears to be below the trap exit if that makes sense - is that why it didn't work? It came like that from screwfix so maybe that's why. And then I tried to go back to how it was but it doesn't seem to drain as well as before - looking at the end of the waste pipe just inside there is a hard black bit of plastic which when you press down seems to increase the waste flow. Is this supposed to be there and have I damaged anything? Appreciate this probably doesn't make much sense but any help appreciated. All the best

 

[sammathias]

Is your waste hose from washing machine running at high level under worktop before connecting to spigot on trap? Thats the prefered method of connection... As for the black rubber piece. That looks lile it ahouldnt belong there?

 

[DOTE]

Is your waste hose from washing machine running at high level under worktop before connecting to spigot on trap? Thats the prefered method of connection... As for the black rubber piece. That looks lile it ahouldnt belong there?

Hi, thanks for your help, the whole thing is driving me mad! 🙂 I should have just got a professional in but I thought I could do it. Yep the waste line goes along the top of the machine and then down slightly into the trap in the sink next door to it. I'm just trying to decide whether the problem was the trap (see attached photo, hopefully you can see that the spigot is lower than the trap exit - would this mean water couldn't flow through?). I've taken the trap back off now which is why it isn't attached to anything. Just trying to decide if that black bit just inside the waste hose should be there or not? I tried ringing Miele but no technicians in on a Saturday. It definetely changes the flow when you press it. Don't want to mess with it if it should be there!

 

[sammathias]

Never personally fitted a miele washing machine. Have you removed transit bars? Take it the machine spins and works just doesnt drain??
That trap is cheap but adequate. Some manufacturers have their spigots lower than the outlet and some dont. Dont understand what that black washer is doing in the waste house unless its a non return valve. Have you tried removing it?

 

[rpm]

Hi, thanks for your help, the whole thing is driving me mad! 🙂 It definetely changes the flow when you press it. Don't want to mess with it if it should be there!

The trap will do the job besides it is easy to change at a later date should you wish to.
The spigot the hose fits on to isn`t blanked off is it?
How do you know the water flows better when you press it, I`m lost on that bit.

 

[sammathias]

The trap will do the job besides it is easy to change at a later date should you wish to.
The spigot the hose fits on to isn`t blanked off is it?
How do you know the water flows better when you press it, I`m lost on that bit.

Believe that trap has a cap end on the spigot and not needing a hacksaw to cut it off. Maybe wrong tho!

 

[DOTE]

Thanks for all your help.

Yep the machine spins, works etc and drains when I just leave the drain hose in the sink basin, it just wouldn't drain when I fitted it to the spigot. That's when I undid all the work and refitted the original, non spigot trap and started noticing the black thing in the hose. You're right to check the spigot wasn't blanked off - it wasn't. I have a slight fear that perhaps what's in the hose was originally in the spigot but I didn't see anything when I did it (I am sleep deprived mind with kids!). Surely anything stuck in there that shouldn't be would come out under the water pressure? I could try pliers but I don't want to remove something that should be there - hence calling Miele but they couldn't really help, perhaps I'll have more luck Monday.

When I say pressing the black thing changes the water flow, right now I've given up on fitting the spigot and simply have the drain hose draining into the sink basin so I can drain the washing machine and play with the weird black valve thing

 

[DOTE]

I could go back to screwfix and take a look at one of those traps again and see if there are any caps that could have got lodged in the hose

 

[rpm]

I could go back to screwfix and take a look at one of those traps again and see if there are any caps that could have got lodged in the hose

It isn`t from the trap. Again tell us what you`re pressing and how do you know for certain it helps water escape faster.

 

[rpm]

Believe that trap has a cap end on the spigot and not needing a hacksaw to cut it off. Maybe wrong tho!

Wouldn`t be Black though, be a White cap surely?

 

[DOTE]

So when the waste hose is literally just placed in the sink basin the water flow out of the drain hose is pretty slow, when I put my finger up into the drain hose there is a black plastic piece which when you press it, the flow of water increases markedly

 

[DOTE]

Just some images to show you why I started all this in the first place - is that a dodgy setup with such a small standpipe and also it goes beyond the trap so open to the sewers? It does smell a bit in the room occasionally. Any ways that's just an aside so you know why I wanted to try and make it a bit better than the previous owners.

 

[DOTE]

Now I wish I'd never started messing! I really appreciate you two taking the time to help though

 

[sammathias]

Yeah white cap. Did you take a cap off the spigot originally?? If not its more than likely stuck in the hose where that black washer is...although ive never seen a spigot cap with a washer init before. As for the original standpipe.. bet it stinks in there
..best to cap off with solvent weld 40mm coupling and 40mm inspection eye.

 

[rpm]

So when the waste hose is literally just placed in the sink basin the water flow out of the drain hose is pretty slow, when I put my finger up into the drain hose there is a black plastic piece which when you press it, the flow of water increases markedly

Sounds like a one way valve, possibly inserted into the hose the wrong way, check the manual under installation.

 

[rpm]

Yeah white cap. Did you take a cap off the spigot originally?? If not its more than likely stuck in the hose where that black washer is...although ive never seen a spigot cap with a washer init before. As for the original standpipe.. bet it stinks in there
..best to cap off with solvent weld 40mm coupling and 40mm inspection eye.

A plastic bag taped around it will do for now.

 

[DOTE]

I don't remember a cap on the spigot, i did saw the smaller bit off. Thanks for the tips on the standpipe, at least my reasons for starting this were valid!!

 

[rpm]

Sounds like a one way valve, possibly inserted into the hose the wrong way, check the manual under installation.

Scrap that idea, manual I`m looking at say`s no need for a non-return valve, but I don't know which model you have.

 

[DOTE]

What I could really do with is somebody from Miele taking a look at one of their pipes and letting me know if there is some sort of valve at the end, but might have to wait till monday for that

 

[rpm]

Look at the manual!