How to Make a Washing Machine Drain Recycle

Consult your local building codes department to ascertain if a gray water recycling program is legal in your area. Some states regulate the disposal and use of gray water, while other states allow homeowners complete freedom.

Set the 55 gallon plastic drum in the approximate location of your washing machine. The best location for the drum is outside of the house near the wall where the washing machine is located inside the house.

Locate the existing PVC drain line for the washing machine. For most washing machines, the drain line is a simple PVC pipe that sticks out of the wall behind or beside the washing machine. Remove the washing machine drain pipe by gently lifting the pipe from the PVC drain. Put the end of the washing machine drain pipe in a bucket.

Cut an opening in the floor or the wall with the jigsaw or reciprocating saw to create a new run of PVC drain pipe. Avoid making the hole too large. It is helpful to trace an outline of the PVC pipe and cut around the outline.

Cut an opening in the exterior siding the same diameter as the new PVC pipe. Again, avoid making the hole too large. Your wall cavity may have insulation; leave the insulation in the wall and move the insulation away from the hole opening to allow you to insert the PVC pipe through the walls.

Measure, cut and glue pieces of PVC pipe and fittings to create a new gray water drain pipe that replicates the existing drain pipe but leads to the outside and not to the sewer pipe system. Inside the house, put the new drain pipe against the wall and secure the pipe to the wall with 3-inch pipe clamps that you screw into the wall. Outside, the pipe should extend toward the 55 gallon plastic drum. Do not connect the new drain pipe to the drum yet.

Go outside to where the pipe extends from the exterior wall. Measure, cut and glue pieces of PVC pipe and fittings to the pipe opening on the top of the gray water drum.

Go back into the house and put the round, flexible vinyl short cap for PVC pipes over the sewer drain line pipe. This cap prevents sewer gases from rising from the sewer system into your home.

Spray expandable insulating foam in and around the holes in the exterior and interior sides of the house. Allow the foam to dry. Cut away the excess insulation with a utility knife. Paint the foam to conceal the installation.

Attach a hose or drip irrigation hose system to the drum spigot and turn the spigot to the "on" position.

Hook the washing machine drain hose into the new gray water drain pipe.