Our local water authority has been conducting inspections on all our farms and every one has failed on washing machines and hosepipes. You are now not allowed to have a domestic washing machine connected directly to mains water. They say its because of the threat of backfeeding and won't even accept non return valves.
- Thread starter Bornfree
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dieselsamurai
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WTF how are you meant to feed it water then 
Small tank with a pressure pump.WTF how are you meant to feed it water then
dobbslc
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Is that a farm only thing?
It doesn't sound right to me. Has someone read the regs wrongly?
Cobbler
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Thinking about the design of a washing machine, you couldn’t make it back feed if you wanted to. Hose comes in via a solenoid valve, air gap then into a soap tray, then drops into the drum. I can’t see how water could be drawn back from the drum, through the soap tray & into the mains water system, it doesn’t make sense to me.
If your connecting a hose pipe then the tap needs to be fitted with double check valves to prevent backfeeding.
www.screwfix.com
Washing machines etc will be the same, although you may find that the machine already has anti back flow devices built in.
I'm guessing this has raised its head because its a business with high risk of introducing contaminants back into the Water system (farm waste etc).
www.waterregsuk.co.uk
Outside Tap with Double Check Valve 15mm x 1/2" - Screwfix
Order online at Screwfix.com. Brass and rubber construction. ½" BSP connection. Suitable for water. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.
Washing machines etc will be the same, although you may find that the machine already has anti back flow devices built in.
I'm guessing this has raised its head because its a business with high risk of introducing contaminants back into the Water system (farm waste etc).
Water Regs UK Limited Plumbing in appliances
Plumbing in appliances Commercial premises often need higher levels of backflow protection for their water-using appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines. This article
Agroshield
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The very first line of that document says it all:
"Commercial premises"...
The second paragraph, 'backflow protection' says that for an identical washing machine, its rating differs according to its place of use.
Is there any way to classify the farm house as 'domestic' and ensure the machine is situated there?
MetalMonkey
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The backfeeding thing has been around for a long while - I'm sure we had to swap out a load of taps at one place so they had approved anti-backfeed valves in.
Never heard anything about tanks and pumps though, that all seems a bit odd.
Never heard anything about tanks and pumps though, that all seems a bit odd.
Which is what @Bornfree premises is, its a farm so its commercial.
It makes no difference if its a domestic machine, its in a commercial setting, so needs to comply with the commercial rules.
Just as you can have a kettle or whatever in your kitchen, but if you take it into a work environment it needs to be PAT tested. Or you can use your air compressor in your garage, but if your a business it needs a WSE and routine inspection etc.
addjunkie
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Gravity feed them from a cold water tank in the loft….seems a bit odd to me, but he ho many of these things are odd, back feeding with a hose I get….but a washer absolutely mental.
Yet another good reason to drill a bore hole and not be on the mains
Yet another good reason to drill a bore hole and not be on the mains
brightspark
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providing the local water table isnt contaminated with pollutants .god knows what you will be drinking
Erie Fred
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Where does the municipal water come from ?
Pete.
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America
brightspark
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the reservoir but its treated and tested. yours is probably contaminated all the fracking going on in your country .
Erie Fred
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So the reservoir is surface water, much more liable to have bad stuff in it ?the reservoir but its treated and tested. yours is probably contaminated all the fracking going on in your country .
farm runoff, roadway runoff.
Does treatment remove everything ?
Fracking.
I don't think you are a Yoko follower.
Do you even understand the fracking process, and the actual numbers of problems ?
brightspark
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yes supposed to be sleeved pipe well blow the water table and sealed with grout but not always sealed
brightspark
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yes supposed to be sleeved pipe well blow the water table and sealed with grout but not always sealed
It's to do with the fluid catagory and perceived risk. If it's not domestic then your not supposed to even have a hosepipe directly connected. Need a fluid category 5 booster to provide required air gap or a RPZ valve but they need serviced annually. Its a bit OTT.
We did have a carry on a few years back on a school which had a swimming pool. We were refurbishing the building and as part of that the domestic water services were altered a fair bit. Anyhow there was a carry on with a taste into the water teachers were complaining about film in kettles etc. We couldn't understand it. As part of the job the swimming pool balance tanks were replaced to try and resolve a historic issue with the pool. Turned out that there had still been issues with the pool tanks once the pool was up and running. The swimming pool guys had decided to fit a top up system to help sort the tank issue. They took a 15mm connection of the incoming main and had a solenoid valve and a check valve fitted before connecting the mains feed to the Filtration line between the main Filtration pumps and the sand filters. This line draws the manky top layer of water with the dead skin etc from the pool and filters it. Unfortunately the filter pump could produce more pressure than the static pressure in the water main. The solenoid valve had failed and the check valve was passing. The manky water from the pool that was supposed to be getting pumped through the sand filters was getting pumped into the mains water supply.
We did have a carry on a few years back on a school which had a swimming pool. We were refurbishing the building and as part of that the domestic water services were altered a fair bit. Anyhow there was a carry on with a taste into the water teachers were complaining about film in kettles etc. We couldn't understand it. As part of the job the swimming pool balance tanks were replaced to try and resolve a historic issue with the pool. Turned out that there had still been issues with the pool tanks once the pool was up and running. The swimming pool guys had decided to fit a top up system to help sort the tank issue. They took a 15mm connection of the incoming main and had a solenoid valve and a check valve fitted before connecting the mains feed to the Filtration line between the main Filtration pumps and the sand filters. This line draws the manky top layer of water with the dead skin etc from the pool and filters it. Unfortunately the filter pump could produce more pressure than the static pressure in the water main. The solenoid valve had failed and the check valve was passing. The manky water from the pool that was supposed to be getting pumped through the sand filters was getting pumped into the mains water supply.
