How to Make a Laundry Water Recycler (Gray Water System)

How to Make a Laundry Water Recycler (Gray Water System)
For those interested in getting into gray water, this may be one of the easiest ways. I got this idea from Home Use of Graywater from the University of Arizona. The idea is very simple: Save the rinse water from one load of laundry in a tank and use that water to wash the next load, cutting the amount of water you use for laundry by 50%. By the way, this idea has been patented, but I don't think any commercial products using it have been made (a commenter corrected me on this).

I built my Laundry Water Recycler (LWR) over a year ago for a cost of about $60, and since then my household has saved four or five thousands gallons of water. You might be concerned that washing with the rinse water could discolor your clothes, but we have not encountered that problem.

This device is intended to work with older top-loading washing machines, where it saves about 20 gallons per load on average. Newer front loaders already use much less water, and, according to this article, they don't have a distinct rinse cycle anyway. Clearly, front-loading washing machines use less water than even a top-loader with the LWR, and the use less energy too. However, in comparing the two, you also need to factor in the energy it takes to manufacture a new washing machine. If you keep your top-loader for a while, then that manufacturing energy is not consumed yet. Anyway, enough green theory, onto the LWR!

The image below shows the LWR. At the bottom of the image is the top of our washing machine. Just above the left side of the machine is the washer outlet hose, which splits into two branches, each with its own ball valve. In this photo, the left ball valve is open, so the water leaving the washing machine will be pumped into the drain pipe at the top of the photo. The valve on the right leads to the storage tank, a 32 gallon plastic trash can, which is suspended from the ceiling on a hanging platform. An outlet at the bottom of the tank has a hose connected to it and this is used to introduce water into the washing machine at the beginning of a washing cycle.
 
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Step 1Is this project for you?

In order to build the LWR you need to have room directly (or nearly) above your washing machine for the tank. You also need a way to secure the tank safely, because when full it will weigh more than 250 pounds. My washing machine is in the basement, so it was easy to hang a platform from hooks screwed into the ceiling joists. If you are setting this up inside your house, then you must be able to fasten the tank platform to something that can bear the weight, such as your ceiling joists. It will be more tricky, because the joists won't be visible. Make sure you know what you are doing in regards to this issue, or get help. Alternatively, you could build a platform from the floor up, but that would take up more space, cost more, and take more time to build.
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47 comments
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Jul 22, 2010. 10:03 AMhmmmwasher says:
Well, this idea is with good intentions, but.... first, most washing machine manufacturers advise consumers that the drain hose should not have to drain more than approx. 66" off the floor. That is not even 6'. Failure to adhere to that will cause either premature pump wear or it just won't pump at all. take a look at this pic. No go. The stand pipe is at least 7' off the floor, as is the top of the can. second, Sudsaver washers did not use the RINSE water, they used the wash water because it was most likely warmer and had soap already in it. The process of draining the wash water into a holding tub allowed the heavy particles to settle. When the water was sucked back into the machine, the hose, which had an extension on the bottom to be sure it couldn't suck up crud on the bottom, would get only the 'best' of the water. We had a Whirlpool Suds saver. My aunt had a Lady Kenmore Sudsaver. Back when, everyone had a sudsaver. They haven't really been made for about 25 years. You would occasionally see one model, out of a manufacturers line maybe. That was through the 90s. third- you don't want to reuse rinse water as wash water, especially if you have used fabric softener. Fabric softener has a non-sudsing agent that will neutralize detergents. In other words render the detergent useless. fourth- the installation in this pic is not practical. Wouldn't one hit their head when trying to operate controls or load the machine? fifth- the installation, as pictured, does not seem to have any allowance for cleaning the can or for providing for an overflow, in case it should get too full. sixth- buy a front loader. they use 1/3 the amount of water that these old style toploaders use and 1/2 the electricity. They are so quiet, especially on a cement floor. And they get the clothes CLEANER. They have been coming down in price. I recently bought a brand new Whirlpool Sport (kind of bottom of the line model) for $440 . This was for an elderly relative. I have a Whirlpool 9200 and love it. seventh- if you want to recycle any washing machines water, do as someone already mentioned and send it to your garden, or even just your lawn. If you are on a sewer system, allowing gray water to replenish our dropping aquafur water levels and taking the burden off the sewage treatment plants is significant. Have a good day.
Jan 8, 2011. 8:29 PMoakironworker says:
Isn't funny how people leave comments saying what your doing can't be done.

Could you have and overflow the same height as the hose tip as in my rudimentary and crappy drawing. Then just pull hose down to start. No valve needed
tank.JPG
Dec 20, 2010. 9:58 AMsjurrens03 says:
Try searching for "Wye" fittings online if you don't want to have to make your own. You also might look at larger hardware stores or places that sell spas/hot tubs for these fittings. I think you want a 120° Wye, by the sounds of it.
Sep 21, 2009. 4:37 AMRoyalPayne says:
And since we're all being so green, you'll take that lint filled stocking, turn it inside out, removing the acumulated lint, lay it length ways on a large tree limb to dry,and leave it for the birds to use as nest lining materiel. This instruct makes me wish I had a top loader instead of my front. Wonder if a person could convert this to a gray water garden waterer? University of Arizona, you said?
Nov 1, 2010. 1:28 PMuberdum05 says:
You could probably use this with a front loader by connecting the water output of the tank to the cold-water input of the washer and just cap off the hot water input and just do a cold wash :P
Sep 11, 2009. 6:54 AMKlappstuhl says:
Would it be feasable to connect the water bucket (with the gray water) with the water reservoir in the toilet? Or would the chemicals of toilet cleaners cause a ruckus with it?
Jul 22, 2010. 10:05 AMhmmmwasher says:
so true. At only about 1.4 gallons per new tolilets.
Sep 28, 2009. 6:48 PMHollyHarken says:
Way back in 1976 Europe was dealing with a drought. We used the local pool as our bathtub until our skin got too dry from the chemicals. When we took a shower we plugged up the tub and then used the shower water to water the gardens. Yes it is back breaking work to use a pail to drain a tub, but we were renters and didn't have the ability to mess with the plumbing system. The drought broke as we were on a camping trip. Of course the tent leaked... I am thankful that I live on the east coast where water isn't a problem, in fact we had too much this summer.
Sep 21, 2009. 4:42 AMRoyalPayne says:
Not to mention all the exercise you are getting running up and down the basement stairs.
Sep 17, 2009. 11:49 AMstatic says:
he old conventional washers made this so easy, and simply to do didn't they? Reuse both the wash and rinse water as long as they done the job well. Perhaps the wringer left the cloths drier than the spin cycle, I'm not really sure. Then again in today's harried world has time to futz with a conventional washer? My sense is that only the really dedicated or those forced by neccesity to conserve water, and can't afford a front loader will employ this method. A good instructable detailing how you employed this idea.
Sep 12, 2009. 5:09 PMarlen says:
How does the rinse water in a normal system flow? Is it triggered by relays and solenoids? I'd think that you could some how tap into or scab onto the washing machine's existing electronics to make this automagic. Will try and remember to take a look at my washing machine when I get home in a few months.
Sep 11, 2009. 6:47 PMSTEELBREEZE says:
What I mean is, how do you disable the washer from filling itself with it's own water supply. I understand how to fill with the reservoir.
Sep 11, 2009. 9:29 AMSTEELBREEZE says:
How do you keep the washer from filling itself when using the reservoir ??
Sep 8, 2009. 9:50 AMtopcat5 says:
Very nice project. Sadly they used to sell washing machines here that did this very thing, but I have not seen one in a long time.
Sep 11, 2009. 5:47 PMMomLes says:
Yes, we always used to buy one when they were available. Haven't had one for several years now.
Sep 11, 2009. 5:54 AMnollidge says:
I have a Sud-Saver top loader as well (came with my house). It has two drain tubes, each going to separate sinks in the stationary tub. If you flip the switch to "drain", it drains like a normal washer into the right side. If you flip it to "save", it drains into the left side of the tub, where the drain tube stretches to the bottom of the tub. You have to remember to put the plug in the tub drain, obviously. Then when you start your next load, you turn the main washer knob to "sud saver", pull the knob out, and it starts sucking in the gray water. Once that's done, you turn the knob to whatever cycle you want, and start it like normal.
Sep 21, 2009. 5:04 PMnollidge says:
sorry it took so long, life intervenes. not sure if you can see: there's the "suds return" option on the dial, and the "drain" and "save" buttons on the left.
snapshot1.jpgsnapshot2.jpgsnapshot3.jpgsnapshot4.jpgsnapshot5.jpg
Jul 11, 2011. 9:24 PMjmatthews7 says:
Some washers have that option. One of my Grandparent's old 1970s
Sears Kenmore had that option called Suds in the PreSoak Cycle.
Sep 11, 2009. 8:24 PMskylane says:
I picked up one made by Sears "Kenmore". I got it free from Craigslist when my 29year old Lady Kenmore died. The owner said it had a water saving feature. It has two drain hoses (looks like hot & cold, or something like that). Nothing else to see other than two hoses.. Thank you to nollidge, I now know how to use it.
Sep 11, 2009. 10:33 AMJack of Most Trades says:
My mom had a Maytag w/"Sudsaver". It looked just like a regular top-loader, only with the 2 drain hoses. This was in the late 50's. I had forgotten about until nollidge mentioned it.
Sep 9, 2009. 10:39 AMtopcat5 says:
My grandmother bought a Kenmore washer in the 1960s that had their Suds Saver feature. It wouild pump the rinse water into a tank inside the washer then use it for the next wash. It would also add a little new water at that time. They claimed it saved 2500 gallons/water and 25 boxes of detergent/year.
Sep 11, 2009. 9:29 AMdeeberb says:
Loved this DYI. I live in Tucson, was remodeling my laundry was forced to handle water due to no drain. Thought about it and decided to gray water the wash water. Knew the laundry soap was not good for the plants. Found Soap Nuts on Internet. We love them, we make our own laundry soap now and use 100% of the water on the plants and trees around the yard. Plants love the slick water. Will be incorporating a collection method similar to this article in my redesigned laundry. THX
Sep 11, 2009. 5:38 AMtexasclodhopper says:
I suppose this works for you, but it really does defeat the purpose of the 'automatic' washing machine. Wow! You must have a family with LOTS of discipline to make this work. I can see a revolt in my house. Couldn't you have tapped into the machine's relay/valves and put relay/valves into your external drain pipes? Sounds better than flooding your basement. Most washing machines have schematics on the inside panels that show the wiring and timing of the cycles.
Sep 11, 2009. 6:51 AMdimitrii says:
I would use another ball valve to control the water into the washer. I am sure that even if I talked my wife into this she would quit the first time she was dowsed trying to fill the washer. The fully automatic system would be nice and not at all impossible to build. But there are many people that would be comfortable enough with their skills to build this, but won't go past plugging it in and turning it on when it comes to electricity.
Sep 11, 2009. 7:26 AMstrangebike says:
you say solenoid valves are expensive but theres two fitted to each and every washing machine to control the water input to the drum. these can be salvaged from old machines for little to no cost but on what voltage they operate i'm lost sorry. this would work at least then you could use switches for the valve changes and make it one step closer to a fully automated system.
Sep 8, 2009. 9:36 AMweblar says:
.........or, to separate lint out of the water, cut the leg off a pair of women's stockings/hose and fasten that with a rubber band to the end of your drain hose "hook" (an old trick known by people with septic tank sewer systems to keep lint of the system). If you use a long section (the whole "leg") of hose, it will hold a LOT of lint.
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Author:dlginstructables
By day I'm a mechanical engineer at a university laboratory. In my free time, I do my own projects.