Believe or not, it works.

I got laundry (washing machine only) up and running today, despite my best efforts to eit myself repeatedly. My basic plan was to extend the drain hose so that it would reach the sink, and put together a hose that would connect the cold port of the washing machine to the faucet. I can control wash temperature by changing the hot/cold mix at the faucets.

So I was all set to get started on this: I had bought all the required connections. I finished the drain hose (larger hose in the photo--friction fit the corrugated washer hose into a 1-1/4" ID hose with a hose clamp), then started on the feed hose. Hmm. It was then that I realized that I had bought male and female hose connections, like a garden hose. However, laundry hose is female at both ends. Gah. Bats being stupid event #1.

This morning, I made an early run to Big Orange (Home Despot) for the correct hose connector. Got it assembled and connected to the faucet, and opened up the taps. This was quickly followed by my yelling, "CRAP!" and trying to control the arterial-style spurting at the faucet connection. One disassembly and reassembly with teflon tape later, it worked. Bats being dumb #2.

So with this connection ready, I fired up the laundry machine. I heard dripping from the back of the machine. Dripping from the back of the machine is a Very Bad Sound. Crap. It turns out that although I connected only to the cold line, and turned on the machine to cold, the solenoid valve that controls the hot line doesn't seal completely--therefore, the water leaks out the open port when the machine is run. This required a trip to get a garden hose cap. Man, this was taking way too long (especially because the first hardware store was out). Dumbness #3.

Well, the least I can say that with this project, I am well on my way to truly becoming a "hoser." (sorry)

Anyway, after three hardware store runs today and much swearing, I now have a load of laundry drying in the kitchen. You should all count yourself lucky that for most of you, doing laundry does not involve a 5-gallon bucket, teflon tape, and a pair of Channellocks.