Mains water is off - can I attach a supply via washing machine?

My mains water is off due to frozen pipes outside. My next door neighbour's water is flowing fine.

Someone suggested I take a hose off his outside tap, feed it in a window and attach it to the washing machine intake pipe in my utility using brass connector. This would feed all my taps, header tank and therefore showers and toilets. Would have everything back except washing machine.

Does this sound OK or is it a bad idea?

What are the potential problems?

(e.g. have to leave a window open to get the hose in, hose could freeze if left on all the time - any others?)

Hope to hear your opinions please

Not sure about attaching through a washing machine but I know of several people who ran hoses from their neighbours houses directly to their own header tank, filled it up, and basically repeated this procedure every day until the frozen pipes issue was resolved.

Just be careful in case your washing machine is fed from your header tank in which case it will overflow. Although WM's are almost all fed from the mains nowadays.

Maybe try it but keep an eye on things.

Good points! Thanks for that.

I got a great idea on this site and it worked fantastically. My neighbour has water , we do not due to frozen pipes. Connected a hose from his outside tap to my outside tap and it acts as a mains supply in reverse. Thanks to whoever post this idea originally.

GENIUS!! Why did I not think of that!!

Gutted now that my water is back on, would love to have tried that ;-)