Putting a washing machine in an outhouse

sancho

Hi we have just bought our first houe :j and there is only one space in the kitchen for an appliance (washing machine/dishwasher) and we can't live without a dishwasher!!

Just outside the back door is a collection of, brick built, outhouses, which are covered between the house and them by a flat roof. When we looked around the house we decided we would put the washing machine in one of them and dishwasher in the kitchen.

We get the keys on Wednesday and have now realised i better check i can do it!!

The one we are thinking of using used to be a toilet, it still has the hole where the toilet used to be, although covered obviously, so there's a waste out. The garden tap is on the wall of that particular outhouse, so there's a cold water feed, and it has a light, so there's electricity. Which leads me to believe it is possible!!

Anybody done this or can give me some advice on the best way to tackle it?

Thanks loads in advance

ariba10

There is no reason why you cannot put your washing machine or even central heating boiler in a convenient outhouse.

As long as it is weather tight and you can get the necessary services to it.

macman

Yes, no reason why not, just make sure the cold supply is properly insulated to avoid the possibility of freeze ups in the winter.
You will need a proper power supply running in though, you can't run it off a 5A lighting circuit.
And check that the waste is actually still connected to the drains and not blocked up.

sancho

Thanks for the replies!

I don't know an incredible amount about DIY so apologies if i ask stupid questions!!

The water pipe for the tap is on the inside of the 'toilet' runs up the wall, then through the wall and the tap is on the outside of it. How would i get the feed from it for the washing machine? Is there something i can use to put a hole in the pipe and put another outlet into it?

How would i check the waste? sling some water down it and make sure it drains away?

Is it likely that the light is definitely a 5A circuit? Or would it be possible that it's a 13A circuit that just happens to have a light on it? How would i get a correct circuit out to it?

Thanks again!!

ariba10

You can get washing machine taps that will screw into existing copper water pipes.

It is very unlikely that the light is run off a power circuit. I would get a professional to check it out if I was you.

notsorichandnotsofamous

Yes its fine to do,
My washer is where the outside toilet used to be but ours doesn't have electricity,so we have to use an extension lead to plug in the washer.
The only problem we have is because there is no heating in there the inlet water pipe is the first to freeze in winter and can take quite a while to defrost.

dander

Even if you're not confident with DIYing electricity, it would be a pretty simple and inexpensive job for an electrician to run a spur out from the kitchen and put a socket in the outhouse.

ormus

your biggest problem is winter. you will need to figure out some form of insulation for the freezing days/nights.

macman

sancho wrote: »

Thanks for the replies!

I don't know an incredible amount about DIY so apologies if i ask stupid questions!!

The water pipe for the tap is on the inside of the 'toilet' runs up the wall, then through the wall and the tap is on the outside of it. How would i get the feed from it for the washing machine? Is there something i can use to put a hole in the pipe and put another outlet into it?

How would i check the waste? sling some water down it and make sure it drains away?

Is it likely that the light is definitely a 5A circuit? Or would it be possible that it's a 13A circuit that just happens to have a light on it? How would i get a correct circuit out to it?

Thanks again!!

Supply-Just tee off the supply pipe and create a supply for the washing machine.
Waste-well that would be as good a way as any.
Light-if it's not on a 5A lighting circuit then it's illegal and dangerous unless it has a 5A FCU inserted. It's not a big job to take a spur off a nearby ring main and run it out, as long as the cable can be run safely between the house and the outhouse (not a DIY job).

sancho

notsorichandnotsofamous wrote: »

Yes its fine to do,
My washer is where the outside toilet used to be but ours doesn't have electricity,so we have to use an extension lead to plug in the washer.
The only problem we have is because there is no heating in there the inlet water pipe is the first to freeze in winter and can take quite a while to defrost.

Do you fnd that a hassle? might be a good idea short term

dander wrote: »

Even if you're not confident with DIYing electricity, it would be a pretty simple and inexpensive job for an electrician to run a spur out from the kitchen and put a socket in the outhouse.

That sounds good, inexpensive as in under £30?

ormus wrote: »

your biggest problem is winter. you will need to figure out some form of insulation for the freezing days/nights.

Would something like this be adequate?




Thanks guys, it's helpful to have some pointers before i go wading in!!

At the moment it's obviously just brick that was painted a long time ago, is there anything i could put on it to make it smooth, like plaster for outdoors, i wanna say render, but that might be wrong

I thought i would put in a worktop over the machine and a cupboard above that, try and make it a bit more like an 'inside' room

ormus

yes thats ok for all the pipes. but remember any water left in the machine?
youll need to insulate the machine/room or provide some form of heating.


as for the finish of the room, why not just paint the bricks? very MSE.