Stacked Washer / Dryer Combination

[vwnate1]

I thought I'd begun a thread on this, I want to buy a stacked washer & gas dryer setup for my home .

I was hoping someone could give ideas, tips or at least what to avoid .

Because I'm on a fixed budget I may have to go used .

Any comments regarding brands will be greatly appreciated .

[tbomachines]

Most new appliances are garbage

That said, we recently got a stacked unit and are very happy, electrolux brand. We have had good luck with them for washers/dryers.

In stacked units IMO the biggest thing is where the controls are. "stackable" units usualy have the control panel on top still, which can be out of reach of a lot of folks. The benefit is you can separate the washer and dryer should somethibg go bad. Combo units put controls in the middle and are a bit more compact. Also, for washers I prefer side load but you can go either way. The top load washers can be a little cramped as the lid usually opens 45 degrees. These tend to be cheaper though.

[Idle]

I have stacked Maytag units. Leave the washer door ajar when not using it or mold will form. This is recommend for all front loading units.

At my age the washer, which is always on the bottom due to vibration issues, can be hard to reach the back of as they are so low. It is not possible to put a cabinet beneath it as the dryer would then be to high.

But I love this set up and will never go back.

You will find a 'connection' package is necessary to keep the dryer in place. These are quite expensive at the dealer but the same package is almost nothing at Amazon.

If you have it delivered then ask the delivery people to lift the drying in to place and set it up. They are quite heavy when lifting them straight up.

[INSIDIOUS]

I'd worry about the gas connection. electric might be the way to go.

[vwnate1]

Thanx, keep the comments coming guys .

The units I'm looking at are all one piece, I asked about shipping and they said "keep it upright and well tied in the bed of your truck " .

I have just found a local guy who's affordable and judging by the Cinder block wall he made me in three hours, knows what's what .

I recently purchased a nice commercial stainless steel sink to replace my aging 1923 double porcelain washing sink, it has an odd size drain I've never been able to find a plug for, this new commercial sink is one well with wide drain boards on each side, the perfect thing for dog baths and rinsing old auto parts .

I'm headed to another appliance shop in South Central L.A. tomorrow, he has some for sale and hopefully the right price for the new sub harness on the GE microwave oven .


I always leave the washer door open so it dries, I hate the mildew smell .

[vwnate1]

I need a gas unit as my 1923 house I don't think wise to put that much load on the wires plus the local rates are astounding .

[Idle]

Originally Posted by vwnate1

I need a gas unit as my 1923 house I don't think wise to put that much load on the wires plus the local rates are astounding .

I bought a 1923 house in Oklahoma about fifteen years ago. It was a four story mansion.

It had three zones of A/C installed and this required a all new installation of wiring to carry the load. The house had three electric meters as so much load had been added over the years.

One meter for the original house, one for the HAVC alone and one for the shop building/garage.

[INSIDIOUS]

Originally Posted by Idle

I bought a 1923 house in Oklahoma about fifteen years ago. It was a four story mansion.

It had three zones of A/C installed and this required a all new installation of wiring to carry the load. The house had three electric meters as so much load had been added over the years.

One meter for the original house, one for the HAVC alone and one for the shop building/garage.

What was the electric bill?

[Tony H]

Interesting this topic would come up. 30 years ago I bought a Kenmore stackable washer and gas dryer but never stacked them. Kept them going for a long time but now they are done especially as the home we recently purchased does not have a gas dryer connection and I don't think it is worth installing one. We want to actually stack the new ones and I found this pair that seems highly rated.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Samsung-4-5-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-Front-Load-Washer-with-Self-Clean-in-White-WF45T6000AW/313846213

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Samsung-7-5-cu-ft-Stackable-Vented-Electric-Dryer-with-Sensor-Dry-in-White-DVE45T6000W/313846237


Anyone have these?

[vwnate1]

Thanx and keep them coming .

I want to buy a smaller unit that's one solid piece, more compact as my little house has very limited space .

[Mxfrank]

Price range would be helpful to know. Some thoughts:


1) If this is going in place of an existing unit, measure the space and then measure the actual dimensions of the new appliance. New machines are larger than the old ones.

2) Consider the direction the doors will swing. The layout of the room may dictate that either left or right is preferred. But some machines don't have reversible doors.

3) I would agree that keeping the door of the washer open when not in use is important, but I'd add that you should run a towel around the inside of the gasket. Front loaders tend to leave some water trapped in the recesses of the gasket after use, and this is what causes nasty mold and odor problems.

4) Also check the required plumbing. Some of the new machines have steam cycles which require provisioning extra hose connections.

When we moved here 28 years ago, we finished the laundry room and installed side by side Maytags. Those machines were what was the standard size at the time, something like a 28" footprint. When we bought new machines last year, we found they were so big that they wouldn't fit in the space, necessitating remodeling of the entire room. Some manufacturers actually lie about the size, to make it sound like the machines will fit the old spaces. In those cases, the machines had bulging back panels that moved them further from the walls. I even had to put the machines on a raised floor to make it easier to reach all the way inside (and top loaders are now so deep, it's tough to reach the bottom.) The reason new machines are bigger: those yellow energy star stickers. The easiest way to make a washer or dryer more "efficient" is to install a bigger drum, without installing heavier duty motors and drives. So you end up with a ridiculously huge machine which can't handle full loads without breaking.

[vwnate1]

As I have said, I want a combined unit, not two I can stack .

New they're under $1,500 so I'm hoping I can find a good used one for under $1,000 .