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Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @BB11. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about washing machine plumbing.
It’s frustrating — and understandably disappointing — that your request was ignored, especially when you raised it before the rough-in and provided the manufacturer’s instructions. I can only confirm that manufacturers don’t include height specifications without a reason. Not following those guidelines can risk performance issues and may void your warranty, and ultimately, the manufacturer knows their machine best. That said, many builders and plumbers work to a “standard” cabinet plumbing setup, so if you want the taps mounted on the wall behind the machine instead, you might unfortunately have to cover the relocation cost. As for the drain hose, most top-loaders do need the hose raised to a specified minimum height to prevent siphoning. It might be fine for the hose to drop down first, as long as it then loops up to the required height before connecting back down into the waste — this creates the necessary anti-siphon effect while still allowing connection through a cabinet. However, that might leave dirty water in the bottom of the hose, which I presume could get sucked back into the machine. Once again, the manufacturer is the best place for information on this.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
