How much water pressure is needed for a washing machine?

A washing machine is one of those essential appliances that you’ll find in just about every home as long as there’s a water and electricity line available. Are there any other requirements though? Does water pressure matter, for example? What are the requirements for getting the best wash possible from a washing machine? Let’s find the answers.

How a washing machine works

A simplified explanation of a washing machine’s functioning is as follows. Whether you’re using a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine, the process is similar. You put clothes and detergent into the washing machine and press start. The washing machine opens the inlet valve and allows water to pour in. In some cases, this water might be heated before it’s allowed inside.

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Once there’s sufficient water, which the washing machine calculates by measuring the weight of the drum, it starts the wash cycle. The first or primary cycle is the cleaning cycle, where the clothes are vigorously agitated in soapy water to dislodge any dirt. Once done, the dirty water is drained and fresh water is ingested. This takes some time, and might be repeated a few times depending on the wash cycle that was selected.

Once the cleaning cycle is completed, the washing machine will start rinsing the clothes in freshwater. This is like the cleaning cycle, but by this time the dirt would have been washed off and the rinse cycle is just trying to get rid of the detergent. This process is also repeated a couple of times, with the water being drained between each cycle, till the clothes are clean and free of soap.

Lastly, the spin cycle starts, which essentially spins the drum as fast as it can to force water out via centrifugal force till the clothes are as dry as the machine can make them.

Does water pressure matter?

Now, to the main question. The short answer is no. The washing machine will simply let water into the machine till the desired quantity of water is achieved. This is independent of whether the water is entering at high pressure or low pressure.

What will change is the duration of the wash. An average washing machine needs about 40-50 litres of water per wash, and the faster it can get that water, the faster the wash will finish. If the water pressure is too low, it’ll take far longer to load up on the desired quantity of water than when the pressure is high. The pressure itself doesn’t impact the wash cycle as the washing machine controls how the water is used after it is ingested.

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And there you have it. Good water pressure is useful for speeding up washes, but as long as there is a steady flow of clean water, the washing machine can function. One thing to note is that if water pressure in the machine is low despite the pressure being high at the tap, it’s possible that your inlet filter is blocked and in need of cleaning.