washing machine with a closed water system?

[Neiklot]

We are looking to move out to the cottage again!
(We have realized that the where to stay in an apartment is not actually what we want, and not what we want for our children!)

I wonder if it would be possible to connect a washing machine to a closed water system?

The machine gets its water from a barrel, through the washing machine and then out to same barrel again, but with a purification filter before it is once again back in the barrel.

Do you think it would work?

I have no running water and only have access to electricity from a small generator.

 

[~gd]

We are looking to move out to the cottage again!
(We have realized that the where to stay in an apartment is not actually what we want, and not what we want for our children!)

I wonder if it would be possible to connect a washing machine to a closed water system?

The machine gets its water from a barrel, through the washing machine and then out to same barrel again, but with a purification filter before it is once again back in the barrel.

Do you think it would work?

I have no running water and only have access to electricity from a small generator.

It can be done but expect to spend a lot of money on those filters! my mom had a machine lthat used two wash tubs one for wash water and one for rinse water it worked like this: Fill both tubs [she liked to heat her wash water] fill the machine from the wash and agitate. Wring {power roller] so the water returned to the machine and the clothes fell in the rinse water she would usually agitate them by hand but had the opition of pump the wash water back to the wash tub and the contents of the rinse tub could go back to the machine and be power agitated and the clothes would fall into her basket to be line dried. The first load would be the cleanest stuff and the last load would be muddy work and kid's play clothes. When she quit,the wash water would be muddy and it was used for watering the garden so it was not a closed system, We had walking water the well was about 100 feet from the house and the pump was manual. We always had wagons or sleds to do the hauling and there waspower to the house.
Where you would find one of those Sears 'Suds saver' machines today, that I do NOT KNOW! most machines today expest to be served with water under pressure and their pump only pump out. T think you will be suprised at the amount of solids come out of a load of wash. Is it possible/practical to take your clothes to a laundry-mat? What you suggested might work but I doubt you would be happy.

 

[Neiklot]

Thanks for the reply!

Hmm, I'll have to try to think about a solution.
laundry-mat available only in big cities here in Sweden, and even there it's pretty rare.

And with four (during November there will be five! ) Children in the house, it becomes pretty much wash, so washing is a key priority.

 

[Marianne]

You might do some reading on grey water systems, might spark an idea. The closed loop might be pretty difficult.

My mom also had a tub to save wash water - whites first, then colored or work clothes last. I know someone out here who runs a garden hose from her washing machine to her garden or trees.

There's also the bathtub soak, then agitate with stomping feet. Longer soaks mean less actual agitation. Hard to rinse and wring, but it can be done. With that many in the family, the little countertop washing machine models wouldn't be practical, but a hand crank spinner might work for you. Have you checked Lehman's online? They sell a lot of things that don't use electricity. Maybe dishes first in a tub, then water into a bucket with one of those plunger type things made for laundry, then water hauled out to the garden? Lots of hauling...

I have a Fisher/Paykel washer and dryer - it uses a LOT less water, spins clothes really dry. I think that's a Danish company - their products are hard to find in my area, you might have better luck.

 

[Neiklot]

The system may not need to be completely sealed. If you change the water after X number of washes then it should be easier.

I'm thinking of a simple sand filter, it is enough do you think?
It is enough that it is cleansed from dirt particles.

 

[Neiklot]

Okay, I'm not an animator, so be patient!

But something like this, the washer pumps out the water down the barrel with sand filter - the water is purified and go on to the barrel to clean gray water, and from there the water goes into the washing machine.

I need to have a pump between the tub with clean water and the washing machine, but that's easily fixed because I have to start the generator to power the washing machine.

 

[Neiklot]

Edit: The pump needs to sit in the hot tub with gray water.
The hose from the washing machine breaks down in the bottom and the water is purified on the way "up" in the barrel.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm wondering about a sand filter like they have on a swimming pool. I think they have a regular filter to catch solids, then the sand, but I'm not sure. I don't know that it would get the water clean enough to drink, and I don't know how it would work for detergents, bleach, etc but that would be one idea.

 

[Joel_BC]

Okay, I'm not an animator, so be patient!

But something like this, the washer pumps out the water down the barrel with sand filter - the water is purified and go on to the barrel to clean gray water, and from there the water goes into the washing machine.

I need to have a pump between the tub with clean water and the washing machine, but that's easily fixed because I have to start the generator to power the washing machine.

In other words, you need a motorized pump - and therefore you need energy input (electrial power) not only for the washing machine, but for that pump too.

Another way (and it would still need an energy input, but this could be a controlled flame/fire) would be to distill the wash water. Heat the water until it vaporizes (becomes steam), guide the steam to a condensing stage, and then capture the distilled water in a container, possibly a barrel. In other words, the first barrel could be used to collect the wash water, and then it would be heated in this barrel. The tubing coming out of the first barrel would guide the steam, and then condense it - and drip it into the second barrel. The second container or barrel would be where your purified water is collected.

You could stop the process while the dirty water container still has some liquid in it, which could be allowed to become a fairly thick liquid - and this could be drained off as the dirty liquid residue.

You'd be removing very dirty water from the cycle. Therefore, you'd need to input some new water into the whole cycle from time to time, to add to the distilled water.

 

[sleuth]

Do you have a stream or creek and a washboard? Now that's old school.