Laundry · DIY guide

How to connect washing machine hoses

Connecting washing machine hoses is one of the few plumbing tasks Victorian regulations specifically allow homeowners to do. It is also behind a lot of insurance claims, because a burst hose at 3am fills a laundry very quickly.

  • DifficultyEasy
  • Time20–30 minutes
  • Materials$0–60

Explicitly permitted DIY in Victoria

Checked as at September 2026. Rules and prices change — confirm anything you are about to act on.

What you need

  • Inlet hoses (replace, do not reuse old ones)
  • Multigrips only if needed — hand tight is usually right
  • Bucket and towel
  • Torch

Step by step

  1. Turn both taps off and check the hose age

    Rubber inlet hoses have a service life of about five years. If you do not know how old they are, replace them — they are $20 and a burst one is a five-figure claim. Braided stainless hoses are worth the extra.

  2. Check the rubber washers are in place

    Every connection needs its washer seated flat. Most leaks are a missing, doubled or perished washer rather than a loose fitting.

  3. Connect hot to hot, cold to cold

    Sounds obvious, but reversed connections are common and will ruin a wash cycle. Most machines mark the inlets.

  4. Hand tighten, then a light nip

    Plastic hose fittings only need hand tight plus a very small nip. Overtightening splits the collar — often days later rather than immediately.

  5. Set the outlet hose properly

    The drain hose must be hooked over the standpipe or into the tub at the height the manufacturer specifies, and it must not be pushed down so far that it seals. A sealed outlet siphons water out of the machine mid-cycle.

  6. Run a full cycle and watch

    Do not just turn the taps on and walk away. Run a short cycle with a torch and dry paper towel under each connection. Check again the next day.

Common mistakes

  • Reusing old rubber hoses
  • Missing or doubled-up washers
  • Overtightening plastic collars
  • Pushing the drain hose too far down the standpipe
  • Leaving the taps on permanently — turn them off if you go away

When to stop and call someone

Adding new taps, moving the outlet, or installing a machine where there is no existing connection is licensed plumbing work. So is anything involving the standpipe or trap itself.

This guide is general information, not advice for your particular house. Rules change — check the current position with the Building and Plumbing Commission, Energy Safe Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria before you rely on it. Plumbing, gas and electrical work must be done by a licensed practitioner. If your home was built or last renovated before 1990, assume asbestos until it is ruled out — see what a strip-out finds.

Doing this in an older Melbourne home?

What you find behind the wall depends a lot on when the house went up, and that varies suburb by suburb. If the job turns out to be bigger than a weekend, these pages set out what we usually find and what a full renovation costs there:

See every suburb we cover →

More DIY guides

Past the point where DIY makes sense? Book a free site inspection — complete bathrooms from $19,999 all inclusive.

Free, no obligation

Rather have someone else do it?

If this turned out to be bigger than a weekend job, tell us about the room and we'll come and look at it. Free inspection, one fixed written price, and a straight answer about what your budget buys.

Please enter your name
Please enter a valid phone number
Please enter a valid email
Please enter your suburb
Please choose a project type

We use these details only to contact you about this enquiry. The form is delivered by Formspree, which stores submissions in the United States — see our privacy policy, or email us directly if you would rather not use it.

Or call 0422 704 537 — Mon–Sat, 7am–6pm.

Thanks — we've got it.

We'll call you back to arrange a time, usually the same day.