Opening the water supply tap for the washing machine

Every homemaker faces absurd situations that require immediate action. For example, it's important to understand how to turn off or turn on the water supply to the washing machine after a sudden power outage. Not everyone can quickly figure out the correct position of the lever. Let's look at how to tell if the valve is turned off and how to reset it.

Is the tap turned off?

Most washing machines are equipped with small tee-type faucets with straight handles in various colors, made of plastic and other materials. Often, the handles lack any markings indicating the faucet's position, making it difficult to immediately determine whether the faucet is open. As a rule, when the structure is correctly installed, the handle in the “open” position is located parallel to the fitting to which the device’s inlet hose is attached.

Thus, you can simply carefully inspect the outlet section of the faucet, where the colored plastic nut is attached. When the handle is parallel to the hose, it indicates it's open; when it's perpendicular, it's closed. However, experts acknowledge that this method isn't very informative, as there are many different faucet models. Furthermore, sometimes the parts are installed in a "home-made" manner, and the connection points may be non-standard.

A more reliable method for determining the faucet's position is to check after water has been turned on. Turn the handle alternately in each direction. If a hissing sound is heard and the inlet hose begins to vibrate slightly, the faucet is open. No sound indicates it is closed.

Important! If the water pressure is low, the hissing sounds may be so quiet that they are impossible to hear, so it's best to use another method.

In this case, you should adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

• close the hatch and connect the washing machine to the power supply;
• run the device in the “Rinse + Spin” mode;
• If the machine does not fill with water and signals an error, the tap is closed;
• when the water level is normal, you need to stop the program and select drain without spinning;
• After finishing work, it is worth disconnecting the equipment from the power supply.

Therefore, only the machine itself can reliably determine whether the water supply is shut off. It is strongly recommended not to remove the inlet hose nut for diagnostic purposes. Failure to do so could quickly flood the room due to increased pressure in the water pipes.

What happens if you leave the washing machine tap open?

There's a common misconception that if you leave the house without turning the lever to the closed position, a flood will occur when the water supply is turned back on. Fortunately, washing machines are equipped with an inlet valve. When the appliance is turned off, it's closed, meaning no water will flow even if the faucet is open.

However, concerns are entirely justified if the elements are faulty and fail to retain water. In practice, this happens extremely rarely.

Typically, the tee is turned off when the machine is not in use. If the faucet is stuck, or the user doesn't know its position, it can be left as is until the situation is resolved. The inlet valve easily withstands water supply pressure. Some housewives don't touch the tees at all and use their appliances for years without even realizing which position the faucet is in. In extreme cases, the unplugged washing machine can be left in the house even if the utility company shuts off the water supply.

   

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