Mine is installed with just a pan under it. The pans have sides that the machine is place into and the drain is directly under the machine. Our laundry pan drains into the shower drain that is adjacent to it in my master bath. I have had a leak only once in the 12 years we have had it. It happened when the shower drain got plugged up and the water ran back out through the drain and backed up into our washing machine pan. Then bc the pan for the washer was shorter it leaked over the edges. Luckily we caught it before it did too much damage bc we could hear the water dripping over the side. Hubby was unplugging the shower drain while I was trying to sop up the water on the other side in the closet where our washer was. After throwing every towel I owned in the closet to absorb the moisture, then I ended up using a blow dryer. The ceiling below was only a bit damp but dried without any damage. I am sure that if we had had just a drain in the floor the damage would have been a lot worse. It would have leaked out all four sides of the closet and left a huge mess. If the washing machine had just leaked it would have been no problem as long as the shower drain wasn't plugged. It would have just drained out the hole down the drain safely. As for the noise, I don't hear anything downstairs when it is running, but we can all hear it when it runs upstairs. And during the spin cycle we can feel some vibrations from the washer in our bedrooms.

Only one, and it has nothing to do with that unit. We once bought a (brand new) unit in a condominium and found out that they vented the dryer to the attic space. LOL. The builders couldn't get enough units sold to close in a timely manner and we converted to renting until we bought a house. That was a blessing in disguise.

[long post alert - but this question comes up enough that all the info should be in one place] lalitha - I'll answer your questions, but first, a few responses to recent posts: No, you don't have to "disclose" your 240V outlet. It is not a defect and does not violate building codes. I've used GE Advantium 240v over-the-cooktop high-speed oven/microwaves, despite that every other brand available runs on 120v. No prospective homebuyers have complained their food would be ready too fast. As for resale value, nobody is going to turn down a $325,000 home because they may have to hire an electrician for $180 to install a new outlet lest they decide to change an appliance. As suburbanmd noted, it would make sense to have a dedicated 120V/20A outlet in the washer area too, but there's a good chance there already is one. Also, if you're buying a 240V washer and dryer from the same manufacturer, you can use the commonplace 240V/30A outlet that most homes already have in the laundry room (usually used for the dryer). The smaller, more efficient European machines extract more water in the washer, so the dryer needs less power, and thus they usually run on 240V/15 amps rather than 240V/30 amps like most American dryers - half the electricity. For that reason, many dryers from the brands that sell 240V washers, including Bosch and Asko, include a fused 240V/15A outlet on the back of their dryers, which you can plug the washer (also 240V/15A) into. Then you plug the dryer into the existing 240V/30A dryer wall outlet, and now you have power for both machines. No electrician needed. However, having a separate 240v/15A wall outlet and circuit gives you the flexibility to use your 240v washer with any brand of dryer, each with their own wall outlet. Another approach, which Miele used, is a separate box with two fused 240V/15A outlets that plug into the common 240V/30A wall outlet. You plug the washer and dryer into the two outlets on the extension box, which has a 5' cord that runs to your wall outlet, and again provides power to both machines. Fagor sells these too. There are two types of 240V/30A outlets in wide use in the US - the older three-prong variety and the newer four-prong (with separate ground) type; you'll need to make sure your adapter box matches the outlet you have (or install a grounded outlet if necessary, not a bad idea anyway). Dryers in the US are usually sold without power cords for this reason - both types are common. There are many good reasons to go with a 240v washer. Hot water cleans better, but can also cause certain types of stains to "set" and become permanent or hard to remove if doused with hot water. The best way to clean, therefore, is to start with cold water (which won't cause stains to set) and heat it up as it's washing - which 240V machines do considerably faster. Asko and Fagor/Brandt washers don't even have a hot-water inlet. Bosch and older Mieles do, although both can be attached to a cold water feed only (via capping the hot water intake in the Bosch, or using a Y-shaped splitter hose with the Miele). Because of the long heating times needed to reach high temperatures in 120V washers, some of them "cheat" by starting with warm water, or by not reaching the temperature you set if it's taking too long (this has been discussed in other threads). Currently available 240v washers include everything made by Bosch, everything by Fagor including the aforementioned all-in-one washer/dryer, and all 24" wide Asko washers. Miele's only 240v machine is a very expensive semi-commercial model PW6065. Maximum temperatures are 205F for Asko, 195F for Fagor, and 190F for the Miele 240v machines that were discontinued a few years ago, although some are still available new. Bosch 240v washers, although foreign-market machines heat to 190+, only go to 161F on US machines. Whether temperatures higher than 160F are helpful has been the subject of much debate in these forums and elsewhere. Miele's instructions note that it can reduce elasticity and recemmends it only for very soiled cotton items. As for which used Miele I bought, I got a W1926, which dates from the late '90s. It has a wonderfully simple, direct control panel - no arcane buttons, lights, or LCD displays; no confusing cycle names like "kid's wear" or "outdoor/active" or "plaid flannel" that leave you guessing as to what the machine is actually going to do. Instead, just a few clear, consiee, properly labelled controls: one dial to set temperature (tap cold to 190F, in seven increments), one dial for spin speed (up to 1200 rpm), a few buttons for options like extra-water rinse, extra-gentle, or high-speed wash; and only four cycles to choose from. It's like comparing a cheap camera with a "sports mode" or "portrait mode" to a pro-grade SLR that assumes you're smart and knowledgable enough to actually set a shutter speed or lens aperture. The W1918 is similar but 4" shorter front to back, with correspondingly smaller capacity but will fit completely under a standard countertop or in shallow closets, and also can spin up to an even faster 1600rpm since the filled tub weighs less. Newer 240v Mieles include the W1966 and 1986; I think the latest that ran on 240V were the W1912/1914/1915 but there may be others - basically everything before the 3000 series. These had somewhat dumbed-down controls, but also added new features like a tub light. User manuals for their machines going back decades can be found here on Miele's website But enough proselytizing from me about how great 240V Mieles are/were. I'm just some random guy on the internet, and what do I know? Instead, read this similar opinion from a notable, sadly departed historical figure whose opinion may, indeed should, carry more weight. "We ended up opting for these Miele appliances .... They are really wonderfully made and one of the few products we’ve bought over the last few years that we’re all really happy about. These guys really thought the process through. They did such a great job designing these washers and dryers. I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years." Really, when the guy who brought forth the iPhone and iPad thinks a washing machine is cooler than any gadget he's used in years, I figured it must be darned impressive. And it is.

I created a design for a similar layout, and putting washer & dryer in closet requires much plumbing and exhausting. The price doubled before it was completed, because the contractor didn't factor in all of that. It turned out beautiful. I don't know exactly how your layout compares. Your photo floor plan doesn't have dimensions, and it's a mirror image on line, so all the words are backward. If you can give me dimensions, I'll be happy to help you out. The room in my client's home was one open space that I turned into a bedroom and media room. It was adjacent to the bathroom. The bathroom closet was not used, and we just flipped it to open on the media room side with custom made shutter doors. Here are a couple of layouts, closet, shutter doors & initial rendering of whole room. This is the dimensioning of the washer/dryer cabinet. Rendering of the entire area. 2 doors you see; one is into the bedroom and the front one into the bath. To the left side of the bathroom door is the washer/dryer closet (it's hidden behind the entry wall. This is final construction of the W/D cabinet. One side the stacked W/D, left side door has shelving inside. Right hand side door slides into the cabinet case. Left side does the same.