How much are we likely to be charged for changing the valve that supplies the washing machine water?

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Our washing machine needs to be replaced but in order to do that, we need to disconnect the water inlet hose of the old one. The deliverers of our new washing machine were meant to do that today but could not because they reckon that the valve is broken and although in the closed position, they reckon it's still open so disconnecting the hose would make a terrible mess. I've been tasked with getting a plumber tomorrow to come in and change the replace the valve so that the old washing machine can be removed and replaced with the new one. I was hoping someone could advise me on how much we can explect to be charged for this? What would a typical same-day call-out charge be? The cost of the part(s)? And the labour cost? Is it reasonable to ask for an upfront quote before the work starts? Thanks very much.

Incidentally, is it normal for an electrical socket to be so darn close to a water outlet? I presume the kitchen electrics will need to be turned off just in case.
 

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if the handle has worn (very common) just remove the screw in the middle and lift the plastic lever off and close the valve with an adjustable spanner, when they fit the new washing machine just turn it back on again and put the plastic lever back on
 
If you don’t want to risk what @ianmcd has suggested, you could turn your stopcock off, open kitchen tap to make sure it’s off, and disconnect washing machine hose at machine end, drain excess into a bucket, then disconnect the valve end then play about and see if the ball inside turns on and off, if not then you could replace the valve if your able and confident. We can’t speak for actual firms as they all use different suppliers and materials.

Estimated cost of part: £5 max
Estimated labour: callout charge (not sure of going rate these days)

Have you obtained a plumber yet? Where in Cheshire? There’s a few on here work that area if you don’t know anyone.
 
I unscrewed the handle (which had cracked) and used an adjustable wrench to turn off the valve. Success! Thanks!

Unfortunately, the company that delivered the washing machine and were supposed to install it have some kind of policy that says they can't install it when the valve doesn't have a handle so they left me with the machine and refunded the installation charge. The problem I have with installing it myself is it seems like the drainage hose is too short. There is a piece of plastic holding the drainage host to the top of the machine - without that, I think the hose would be long enough but as it is, that plastic thing is basically wasting most of the length of the hose by forcing it to travel to the top of the wrong side of the machine. Do you think that plastic is just meant to hold it there for shipping purposes or is it to make sure the hose goes up to a certain height? I tried to find a way to unfasten the plastic but it doesn't seem to be possible. Anyone seen stuff like this before?
 

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As long as the hose gets close to the height it is now ,before dropping downward ,it will be ok . So it can run at an angle across the machine ,45'degrees for instance .
Your water supply hose is damaged ,looks crushed.
And make sure all transit bolts are removed !!
 
+1 on that hose, I'd replace it for peace of mind, and you need to ascertain how it's got damaged. Was it like that on delivery or has it been crushed when the machine was pushed back into position?
 
I will get an extension for the drain hose. They seem easy enough to fit. The supply hose was already kinked like that inside the bag, inside the drum. I haven't yet pushed it back against the wall because it's clear enough that the drain hose isn't long enough. The transit bolts were removed by the delivery people but thanks for the heads-up!
 
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the drain hose rises to that height to prevent water from the waste pipe running down into the washer. This often happens when a hose is attached to the sink drain and the sink plug is pulled out, if the drain hose runs downward to the machine. Dirty water, tealeaves, bacon fat and peas flow into your washing machine.

Lifting the hose up to that height means water cannot run down it, because it is about as high as the water level in the sink.

As terry says, you can run it by a different route as long as it goes up at some point, but the makers have designed it to make it difficult for homeowners or installers to make a common mistake.

BTW the socket position is horrible, and the socket has been fixed to the furniture, not to the wall of the house, which is poor practice.

I'd wager 50p that it is the work of a kitchen fitter, not an electrician. I'd prefer the socket to be higher that the water components, and far enough away that it will not get dripped, splashed or squirted when there is a plumbing problem.
 
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