What exactly is an "air break"?

[MollyCMo]

This washing machine manual says "an air break must be available at the standpipe"...and then the next sentence says to "not insert the drain hose more than six inches into the standpipe to avoid siphoning." My understanding is that an air break is a device you insert on top of the standpipe...which to me means if I'm using one, I wouldn't be inserting the hose into the pipe at all. But maybe an "air break" just means to not insert the hose into the pipe more than six inches, and that alone will be enough to prevent siphoning?

It would be ideal for the amount of vertical space I have to not have to add an air break device since it will add 5.5 inches to the height of the standpipe...5.5 inches I don't have. I'm hoping just inserting the hose into the standpipe no more than six inches and securing with a zip tie or U-clamp will work.

Any advice is appreciated!

[family wagon]

An air break is an opening in a piping system. It is arranged so that with normal water flow there won't be any water leaking out, but if/when water is drawn backward through the source pipe it draws in air at the opening (the "break") rather than pulling water up from the drain pipe. And you're right: an air break can be a concept (the simple arrangement of the drain tube being held in a larger pipe), or it can be an actual physical thing (like the gray plastic device in your picture).

Whatever way the air break is realized, it doesn't need to rise higher than the top of the washer cabinet; it only has to rise a little higher than the water fill level in the wash tub. If the whole works is much higher than necessary simply because the standpipe is so tall, then just cut it down lower.

The force of water pushing through the drain tube can case the tube to lift, so it's important to secure the tube well just as you said.

[MollyCMo]

Originally Posted by family wagon

An air break is an opening in a piping system. It is arranged so that with normal water flow there won't be any water leaking out, but if/when water is drawn backward through the source pipe it draws in air at the opening (the "break") rather than pulling water up from the drain pipe. And you're right: an air break can be a concept (the simple arrangement of the drain tube being held in a larger pipe), or it can be an actual physical thing (like the gray plastic device in your picture).

Whatever way the air break is realized, it doesn't need to rise higher than the top of the washer cabinet; it only has to rise a little higher than the water fill level in the wash tub. If the whole works is much higher than necessary simply because the standpipe is so tall, then just cut it down lower.

The force of water pushing through the drain tube can case the tube to lift, so it's important to secure the tube well just as you said.

Awesome thanks!