Centro II 1/2 in. Brass PEX1807 Washing Machine Outlet Box

We have been having problems with washing machine drain line and recently solved them. When the plumbers worked on the drain line, the existing washer outlet box got pretty messed up. Hence, I ordered this OATEY Centro II 1/2 in. Brass PEX1807 Washing Machine Outlet Box as a potential replacement for the old box. What I really like about this outlet box is the simple design and the included 1/4 turn ball-type brass shut-off valves. Our old washer box has gate valves that require several complete turns to shut the water off. As we learned from our recent washer drain overflow problems, being able to shut the water off quickly is very important. The instruction sheet included with the Oatey washer box is pretty minimal, but adequate. Five perforated plastic straps are included with the Oatey washer box, though it appears only two could be used in mounting the box to the wood wall framing. It supposedly included blue and red clips that fit onto the ball valves to indicate hot and cold water lines, but ours was missing the blue clip. I guess if you have one clip, the other line is self-evident, so not a big problem.

The Oatey Centro II brass PEX laundry box is a pretty good design in that is has quarter turn valves and the drain goes in the middle, so this will work for most normal plumbing installations, however, the box is what I would describe as a low profile or significantly smaller than most traditional boxes, so it could create a problem if you are having to replace your old box. This box may not match the old hole identically, but some dry wall work is probably going to need to be done either way.

The Oatey Centro II 1/2 in. Brass PEX1807 Washing Machine Outlet Box is a nice unit. It was received well packaged. The unit comes complete with brass fittings, 1/2 inch, with control knobs that are easy to access and turn. The knobs are NOT color coded. There are two colored ring washers which need to be installed. These indicate the hot/cold. The box is well constructed, made of heavy durable plastics, and has four mounting tabs, two on each side. There are also brackets to help support the unit. Instructions are sparse, but you can figure it out. The box also has top and bottom knock out plugs if the box requires to be installed either in the upright, or upside down variant due to plumbling. An outer frame is also included to give you a nice trim on the wall. This is a very nice unit. I recommend it. I rate this unit 5*s out of 5. Thank you Oatey for allowing me to try your product.

The Oatey Centro II 1/2 in. Brass PEX1807 Washing Machine Outlet Box is a nice kit for replacing an old outlet box or for new construction. What I really like about it is it can be used for water lines coming down or going up as there are two drain connections that can be used, so the PEX fittings can point up or down. This uses the standard PEX connections. What I'm not sure of is if there is enough lip and slope around the drain where if the washer hoses or cut off leaked if the water would flow into the drain or if it would flow to the wall. There are several mounting options to choose from so it can acommodate most applications.

I understand basic plumbing but have never mastered sweating fittings. This is excellent for people like me and this kit was a good replacement for our 25 yr old rusting box and corroding valves. First, this box and valves are smaller than others. The box does seem flimsy but installed without issue. This is our experience with using this as a replacement in a finished laundry room. To install we turned off the water, cut open the wall below the box. and cut the copper supply lines. Then sawed the existing drain line a few inches below the existing box. Using a reciprocating saw, we sawed along the edge of the old box and stud since it was held in place from a bracket under the wall board.Then pried the old box out. We actually removed one of the valves from the box, which was super difficult, then realized we needed to cut off the supply line anyways. So don't bother removing the old valves from the old box, just cut all the plumbing off. The brackets are designed to go over the front of the studs then covered with wall board. So we figured out a way to mount the box inside the studs. Getting the old stuff out and mounting the new box (since we could not use the supplied brackets) were the hardest parts of the job. To connect to the existing plumbing I purchased two 1/2" SharkBite fittings, a length of 1/2" Pex tubing, A 2" PVC coupling, a length of 2" PVC pipe and PVC primer and cement. Following the directions for the SharkBite, I put the separately purchased 1/2" SharkBite connectors on the cut copper supply lines, added a section of 1/2" Pex between the supply line fittings and the bottom of the box, then pushed it into the Valve fitting. Super simple. To attach the drain line, I put the coupling on the existing drain pipe, added a piece of 2" PVC pipe and inserted this in the bottom of the box, then disassembled and glued it all back together. Putting the PVC pieces together is a pain, but perhaps there is a trick or technique to make it easier. We had to go online to find the instructions for the drain line "knockout". The old box was significantly wider than the new box and cover plate so the wall next to the box will need to be repaired along with the wall below the box. If you need to reconfigure the valve and drain placement you will have to remove the valves from the pre-installed position and move them to the correct position.

Easy to install connect