The Ariston are made by the Splendide company which provides the washer/dryer units used in RVs. Looking at the specs on the Splendide website, the Ariston washer has the capacity that my old Splendide 2000 had, which was awfully small. It could not handle our weekly load of 2 bath and 3 hand towels in one shot. We upgraded to the 2100XC, which has about 1/3 more capacity, and it barely handles the towel load. It also takes over 2 hours for the towels to dry (on regular heat). Because the drums are fairly small, I find things come out quite wrinkled from the dryer (or at least, from the combo unit after the dry cycle). I find myself drying everything except towels on low heat to try and minimize this, but it's still pretty annoying. While OK for our RV, I wouldn't try to get by at home with the small capacity. Right now, I'm doing almost 5 loads a week for 2 people (including one of sheets) in order to stay on top of things. Also, at least the Splendide version has a non-US-standard hose connection on the back. You cannot buy replacement washer hoses in the regular hardware/home improvement/plumbing supply store (as we found out when one of ours was leaking). You have to get the hoses from the US distributor, Westland Sales. I would look at one of the more readily-available, standard brands for a stackable unit. Hope that helps, Michelle

That sounds really old. I can relate to your problem. I had a 30+ year old one-piece stacked W/D that finally died. After much research I bought a Whirlpool FL set. What a difference! Sometimes new things can be better than the old ones. If you can afford it I recommend getting a new set that meets you particular needs. Your clothes will be very happy.

Olychick, that depends on the design of the machine. What specific brand and model do you have? As I said, a "stacked" set that essentially has the washer and dryer built as a unit typically has provisions for service access without removing the dryer. A frontloader washer and dryer pair that are separate machines but are "stackABLE" and can be installed with the dryer set atop the washer is an entirely different thing. Some Whirlpool and Maytag frontloaders for example, don't have a lower toekick panel for access to the pump. The entire front is one piece, which requires the top panel be removed first, then the control panel comes off, then the front panel is removed. The top panel must come off to reach the water inlet valve, the dispenser drawer, or the control panel and board. The top can't be removed if the dryer is sitting on it.

Have you settled on what you would get as a replacement washer? If you are looking at current Whirlpool/Maytag front load models, your existing stacking kit may fit the new washer or a current stacking kit may fit the existing dryer. That was the case a couple of years ago when I helped a friend replace the dryer in her Whirlpool duet stack. (In her case, it was the dryer she wanted to replace, but it seemed that new kits fit older machines and vice versa.) As tjmwine says, delivery companies generally refuse to stack different brands or mismatched sets. So, you may need help in putting the old dryer back up. That said, if you have basic DIY skills, or have friends who do, and you buy a different brand of washer with dimensions similar to your old Duet, you may be able to adapt the new washer's stacking kit to work with your existing dryer. This generally involves drilling new mounting slots or holes in the old dryer's sheet metal so the bracket can tie on with sheet metal screws. In past threads here on the subject of stacking mixed brands of washer and dryer, a common suggestion has been to add a platform of 5/8" or 3/4" plywood an inch or so above the washer and place the dryer on that. (Hopefully, your dryer vent still lines up properly.) Others here have gone with variations on what Dan1888 suggested above --- putting a pad or pads on top of the washer. That gets frowned on in areas that are earthquake prone (and some that are not) , and you'll sometimes see recommendations for adding a retaining bar or two across the front of the dryer to limit the risk of it falling forward from a laundry closet.