Washing Machine Outlet Box HELP!

Removed old washing machine to discover my Saf-T-Drip box is corroded, has side water valve entry and bottom center drain. Cannot locate comparable outlet box with same config and size. Help!

Am I going to have to hire a plumber to re-plumb the water lines and have sheet rock work done to accommodate a new box?

Any ideas?

That really depends on what you want the final result to be.

The valves you have are old and unreliable and the box is notably degraded. The gap around the drywall at the top of the box is also not good.

If you want professional results and are unable to do it yourself, then you should hire a pro to do it for you.

That all needs to be redone. If you don't want to tackle it...we understand. you could save some money by tearing out the drywall, cleaning it all up, and agreeing to redo the drywall. Just pay the plumber for the plumbing work


By the way, those rubber hoses are about 4 year PAST the point where they are subject to burst at ANY MOMENT! Get rid of them, and get Fluidmaster braided stainless steel, and DO NOT use the so-called "Flood-stop" type.

This is a do-able DIY job providing you have a few basic skills. You would first have to remove the old box and cut out enough sheet rock to have good access. Keep in mind, it is just about as easy to repair a large hole in sheet rock as it is a small one. Cut it out to studs. There is a box with a single lever shut off for both hot and cold and a 2" drain outlet that would go it the opening. The plumbing would depend on the kind of pipe you have, and that does not show in the photo. Copper would be easiest, but if it is galvanized, you would have to use elbows, nipples, and unions to fit the pipes to the valve body, and make the connections to the existing pipes. As an alternative to that, you could transition to copper first, then use copper to complete the connections. Certainly replace those hoses with the braided stainless steel. Fill in the sheet rock after everything else is finished. It's not a really complicated job, but it does involve a lot of cut and fit work. Having the ability to sweat a copper joint would be a big plus. As Jimbo pointed out, you would save yourself a lot of piddling work if you hired the plumbing part done and of course a plumber would take half an hour to do what would likely take you all day.

Even IF you found a new box with the same configuration, you would have to do dry wall work.

I sure hope that doing some drywall work isn't causing you to fret! IMHO, every homeowner should be able to do at least simple repairs on drywall. My gosh, you can't call a drywall installer to patch a hole. It's like calling an electrician to replace a light bulb, or a plumber to replace a hose washer! Cut to studs, either the center of them or sister a short 2x4 to them to give a good nailing surface. Get a small pail of mud, and a couple of knives to apply the mud. If you're careful with the amount of mud, a damp sponge will soothe the joints. Not talking about drywalling the whole house here, just simple patching.

Gary Swart said:

Not talking about drywalling the whole house here, just simple patching.

Click to expand...

And in a laundry room, to boot!

I finally got over my "fear of drywalling" to do this same job after putting it off for years. As was said above, don't wimp out and try to cut a little opening - go for the gusto, get good exposure, fix the darn thing, patch the drywall, and get on with your life. After looking at the over-the-hill box you have, with valves that probably don't work, a nice, new box, with 1/4 turn valves you can actually use, will be a nice upgrade that will look nice, reduce the risk of flooding your house, and not cost much. What more do you want in a project? Not to mention the satisfaction you'll get by doing this job yourself, and the new DIY skills you'll learn.

We are here to help - take a picture when you get the wall opened up and we will be happy to guide you.