moving clothes washer to outside wall-cold

4just1don

To comply with city inspection they are requiring me to move a cloths washer to an outside wall. Small house, space challenged SO wondering do I place water lines and drain inside exterior 2 bye 4 walls and try to super insulate them to prevent freeze??? Styrofoam best product here???Or shoot it full of 'Great Stuff'?

Was thinking I might be able to get 2 layers of 3/4 " Styrofoam between drain line and ext. sheathing where drain lines were and many more layers where 1/2" pex supply lines were .

Would a sealed compartment in wall with a vent grate into heated room help or be good idea??? helping to heat area pipe? Would this be code compliant in your area??? And functional?

Northern Nebraska here where 20 below is common, 25 to 30 below possible but rare. Wind chill not so rare!!!

Could park drain and supply between washer and dryer but would be visible and ugly. Dont really have room behind washer , between washer and wall as it moves edge of washer farther out in a tight clearance corner

oh'mike

Ugly--But I suggest surface mounting the pipes---No install in an outside wall for you---it will fail.

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Alan

What's the possibility of building a second wall up against the first so that you can put the piping on the inner wall?

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4just1don

that puts me too far forward into a tight too small space,,,but good thought. Maybe keep supply lines in the room behind washer and park drain between washer and dryer to get pushed back as far as possible. I will super insulate the rim joist area where these pipes come close to outside in crawl space and try to eliminate all possible drafts in that area,,,,dont need water filling that area.

Alan

How about building a half wall inbetween the washer and dryer where you can house the piping and put a nice oak cap on it or something like that.

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AllanJ

Whether or not you put the pipes inside the original wall or build a second wall, do not have any insulation between the pipes and the inside wall surface.

FOr batt insulation, either cut a V shaped notch following the route of the pipe as wide at the inside wall surface as the pipe is set back, or alternatively squash the insulation back so the pipe runs in front.

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md2lgyk

What's underneath where you have to put the washer? Maybe you could bring the supplies and drain up through the floor and behind where the washer will sit. As an added plus, they'd be invisible.

Out of curiosity, why is the inspector making you move the washer? If it's because there's not much space, have you considered a stacked unit?

4just1don

moving it because where it is now is only place to put the water heater . Dryer is setting in service free area of electrical box,,,water heater in furnace service space. So water heater moves to washer,,,washer and dryer move to where kitchen table is now. Funny thing is city inspector says you dont have to have a table. Probably go to a smaller table in vacated corner!! All to replace an old antiqainted huge furnace with a hi eff small one which will run on half the fuel. And not chimney heat out of house 24/7