The adventures of the washing machine in the countryside: how to connect if there is no water supply with pressure?

Sales of washing machines in villages are steadily increasing. However, connecting them can be a real “headache” because the central water supply in rural areas is almost not seen.

How to make the washing machine work flawlessly in “special” conditions: this urgent problem is discussed in the article “The People’s Expert: Your Own Handyman”.

Author: Andrew Kashkarov, St. Petersburg.

Andrew Kashkarov as an innovator

The innovator as Andrei Kashkarov

A country washer has to have good pressure

Washing machines have reached the village life. And it’s not just a ponce – automatic laundries really relieve housewives.

But the village is not a city. Water is most often carried here by means of rockers from street wells and wells. You can’t hook up a washing machine to street water. Even if the village house has a local water supply, the pressure in the circuit is likely still not enough.

As a rule, washing machines are designed to work with incoming water pressure of 0.5-10 bar. Such pressure can provide a booster pump, or working on its basis water pumping station can be purchased at a price of 5 000 rub. .

Typically, in villages connected washing machines by the well-known scenario: above the washing machine set drum volume of 50-200 liters, from which with hoses, taps and adapters water flows into the machine by gravity.

But even this pressure is clearly not enough.

Water, bypassing built-in solenoid inlet valves 2 pcs , filter and nipple, drops into the tank so slowly that it will take all day long to start and finish washing.

The clever stuffing of modern machines will not understand such a indifferent attitude: the pressure of a teaspoon of water per hour she will regard as a complete absence of water in the house, and immediately stop the washing how quickly – depends on a particular model .

However, such a problem will not scare our muzhiks, and technological progress in the countryside will not stop. Folk craftsmen have come up with a simple way to increase the pressure – to the washing machine connect a water-inlet pump in the gap of the fill hose. The pressure in the incoming circuit comes back to normal, and a large village wash promises to be no worse than the city.

For such a noble purpose it is possible to use pumps of any type: submersible discharge, centrifugal domestic or vibrating – type “baby”.

They can all provide the necessary water pressure for the washing machine. The only difference is in some details: a submersible or vibrating pump will have to lower it into a barrel with water or into a well, and the centrifugal sucks water from the hose and directs a jet into the machine also through the hose.

Pump prices also vary from 1,100 to 4,200 Dollars.

The washing machine must be herded like a favorite cowslip?

Centrifugal domestic Fig.1 it is convenient to connect the pump in the gap of the regular filling hose from the washing machine, its cost is very affordable.

Thus, folk craftsmen include the pump in the mains 220 V through an ordinary household light switch. When the machine “asks for water”, you need to flick the switch, and water with the right pressure rushes into the washing drum and tank.

Fig.1. Connected centrifugal pump brand NBTs-0,37

But here are two interesting questions.

First. How to know when the machine “wants water”? If you do not understand your automatic laundry, the pump will turn on when the outlet is closed – and this is an inevitable accident and home flooding.

Second. An ordinary washing machine up to 20 000 Dollars several times “asks” for water in the washing mode, and then a couple more times or more will rinse the laundry in clean water. The housewife all the same, she would have to “graze” her washing machine for hours, to give it a drink in time.

According to surveys of villagers do so many who do not have in the farm water pumping stations, simulating conventional urban plumbing.

I want to live in the countryside and do laundry like in the city!

Meanwhile, there is a simple and accessible way out of the situation, which I am happy to share with readers.

Almost all washing machines, regardless of brands and labels, have the same principle of operation.

All of them have one or more electromagnetic valves at the inlet, fed by alternating voltage of light network 220 V through an electronic control and switching system Fig. 2 .

Rice. 2. Inlet solenoid valve of the washing machine

Such crafty words should not scare the average person, because the modification of the washing machine in this part is “easier than a cucumber.

To improve the passage of water you need to take out the rubber gasket in the barrel of the inlet connector of the washing machine Fig. 2 .

After that the capacity of the valves will be improved.

Next, you need to remove the top cover of the washing machine we are considering a front-loading model , unscrewing 2-3 screws on the back wall. The upper lid is removed by moving it “away” if you look at the door of the hatch .

Near the inlet hose there are two solenoid valves Fig. 2 . There are wires to them through connectors. When the machine asks for water, the valves are supplied with alternating voltage of 200-220V. They open and let water into the tank and washing drum.

There are 4 wires to the electromagnetic valves 2 per each . By connecting a terminal block in parallel with the contacts of the valves fig. 3 and connecting a pair of wires, they are led outside the washing machine housing.

Fig. 3. View of the washing machine with the lid off and the terminal block connected

Now, to these wires let’s call them conventionally A and B we connect the simple electrical circuit shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Electrical schematic diagram of the finalization of the washing machine

In fact, the circuit of the device is a rectifier direct current source with an output voltage of 12-15 V. Any voltage in this range is acceptable.

At the output of a source of direct current installed low-current electromagnetic relay K1.

Contacts of this relay include in the gap circuit of pump power. Now, as you have guessed, when the inlet valves of the washing machine are switched on the relay K1 and the discharge pump.

When the valves in the washing machine will turn off, the pump will automatically turn off. Such a connection will work cyclically as long as you like. And it is not necessary to stand for hours near a washing machine.

Let’s notice that to connect the pump directly to contacts of electromagnetic valves of the washing machine it is impossible – otherwise its electronic brains and electrics will “burn out” because of the high start loading of the pump. Now it is time for the big wash – fig. 5.

Fig.5. The washing machine in the village began to work, as in the city

No need to read: details for those who understand

In the schematic diagram Fig. 4 The step down transformer T1 is shown with an AC output voltage on the secondary winding of 8-10V. Rectifier – on diodes VD1-VD4.

Oxide capacitor C1 type K50-24 or similar introduced into the circuit to smooth out ripples in the power supply. The relay K1 was a car relay 3747-06 type, designed for 12 V.

However, you can apply other relays, such as WJ118-1C, Omron G2R-112P-V, TRU-5VDC-SB-SL, TTI-TRD-9VDC-FB-CL, Relpol RM85-2011-35-1012, Pasi BV2091 SRUH-SH-112DM, FRS10C-03 or similar.

It is important that the relay contacts ensure safe switching of the load with a current of at least 3 A.

The scheme also shows the piezoelectric capsule with built-in sound generator HA1, relay connected in parallel and LED HL1 connected in series with the limiting resistor R1.

These elements respectively provide audible and visual indication of the pump and the inlet valves of the washing machine .

If such indication or part of it is not needed, the corresponding elements are simply removed from the circuit.

HAP1 capsule can be any, designed for 9-15V voltage, such as FMQ2715D, FXP1205 single-tone sound , KPI4332-12 intermittent sound , KPS4518 tone siren or similar.

The rectifier, shown in the diagram fig. 4 , can be any, only if it provided the output current of more than 70mA at a constant output voltage of 12-15V.

It could be an industrial rectifier or a power supply for a radio or a burner, for example. Cell phone adapters are useless here, because the current output is not sufficient to power the relay.

That’s a simple way to automate the work of almost any washing machine in the village and live as in the city. And there’s no need to look for a master to give him the money.

Think for yourself, decide for yourself ..

Rural laborers will be happy if they venture to open the top cover of a washing machine, install a terminal block and connect in parallel electromagnetic valves.

If the washing machine is under warranty, opening the lid may deprive it. Here everyone chooses for himself: to “suffer” in the warranty, or to adapt the old washing machine, or decide to take the operation “the machine is asking for water” and live quite comfortably, as in the city.