Alex, thanks so much for the advice! The small-load/more suds thing does make sense because the first 2 loads I did were a pair of queen sheets and I did not get the sudsing. But all the other loads were smaller and even though I cut down the amount of detergent it was apparantly still too much. We have fairly soft public water here (3 grains/gal). Looks like I'm going to have to get the contractor guy to reinforce the flooring from underneath. When I bought the house I asked the home inspector that very question (because the previous owners added the laundry area and so it's on framing rather than a slab) and he assured me that the framing was "perfectly adequate" (prev owners had a one-piece Kenmore washer-dryer in that space). I did tell him that I was planning to replace the existing unit with a stacked pair too. Now I'm wondering whether the failure of the dispenser cups to properly drain, might also be a function of the spin cycle being too wobbly.... Thanks for the link to the Samsung issue. I have a feeling mine might be also related to the flooring/swing possibility now, because it isn't only small items that get tossed to the front: sheets and heavy items like jeans do too. It's pretty amazing to watch: I can load the drum perfectly evenly front to back, turn on the dryer, and in less than a half dozen revolutions the whole load is tumbling right up against the door and the rear half of the drum is entirely empty of clothing! And remains so throughout the entire cycle. Sheets are a real pain because everything quickly balls up into one big cocoon. I did two queen sheets last night and had to stop and separate them three times during the cycle because one sheet was entirely encased in a cocoon formed by the other sheet's layers. The drum is level when it is stationary but now I'm wondering if (due to floor flexing) it may be tilting toward the front as soon as the rotation starts. I have not yet run the washer and dryer at the same time, by the way. This is my first experience with a stacked configuration and I'm definitely NOT a fan. The washer is too low and the dryer flirting with being too high. Before this, I've always had them side by side, on pedestals and on a slab foundation. But there is nowhere else in this house to put the W&D other than in this bumped-out recessed area.

Mari, I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I don't own a mechanical dryer, and I don't use any "fabric softeners"; liquid or sheets. We have naturally soft water here, so there's not much point. I've noticed most brands have come out with a "fragrance free" version, but IMHO, they're all still just oily chemicals designed to temporarily give your laundry a soft "hand", but over time, will ruin the fabric. I'm just an original Laundry Luddite with a serioulsy cheap, green streak. I'd hate to waste electricity to heat up (and then cool down) my clothing when I have 100 ft of perfectly good clothesline that can air dry everything but heavy comforters in about 20 minutes - for free. Our clothes smell fresh and clean without resorting to artifically scented (polluting) chemicals, and I get to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and a little exercise, so for me it's win/win. Still, I have a tidy little laundry space with a washing machine, and a place to put the "laundry aids" such as they are. (White vinegar, borax, a bottle of laundry detergent and clorox bleach, a box of baking soda, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.) I designed a fold up ironing board with a shelf to hold the iron and a spray bottle, but I have to wait to get the hot water heater moved before I can put it up. Still haven't made up my mind what color to paint the clothesline poles, but when I get it all done, I'll post pictures too. I know that not everyone can use a clothesline; some people are physically unable, some don't have access to a place to put one, some people live in restricted neighborhoods with anal retentive HOAs, and some live in areas with so much dust, grime and pollution their clothing wouldn't remain clean if they did hang it outside wet. What can I say? I'm one of the lucky ones. :^)

Love-love-love our stacked Frigidaire w/d, which is about 4 years old now. Our laundry room is around 6' square at most and when we had the two machines side by side they took up the entire room! It also wasted a huge amount of space above; since I'm only 5'2"ish I couldn't reach more than the edge of a shelf or cabinet mounted above them. So, we had them stacked, which enabled us to hang two nice big (to me anyway, 30x30x12) wall cabinets next to them for cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and such. Rack on the wall for broom/mop/etc. Hooks on the opposite wall for hanging coats, since we have no coat closet. Litter box for a future kitty would go under the wall cabinets, currently cases of dog food are stacked there. It was an ENORMOUS improvement in function for, surprisingly, the house as a whole. There's room enough for a folding drying rack (stored folded) were I so inclined to have one but the VERY few things I have that must hang dry I hang on the shower rod... I make a point of not buying things that must be fussed over like hand washing, dry cleaning, ironing, etc.! I'm "horizontally gifted" along with being "vertically challenged", about 200 pounds, and I bet you I could hang from the top of the dryer without that stacked unit moving at all (and I could almost guarantee you the door would snap off if I tried to hang from that). LOL But if you're nervous about tipping there are these things called "earthquake straps" which are used to secure tall appliances and furniture to the wall (to studs, obviously). The stacking accessory basically bolts the two appliances together so there is no way the dryer's going to slide off the washer. I also have arthritis, back injuries, and little strength in my arms/hands, so I sit on a stool to load the washer down below and don't try to take the wet clothes directly out of the washer to put in the dryer. I sit on my stool, pull the wet clothes out into a basket, put the basket on the stool, and load the dryer from there. If I stand a bit to the side to look up it's easy to read the dial for the different dryer settings and I certainly don't need to do anything like get up on my toes to turn the dial or press buttons. (Top loader washers are a nightmare for me - lifting the wet, heavy clothes at that awkward angle, so painful! My washer spins the clothes so much they are little heavier than dry ones, and if I'm sitting on my stool I'm pulling them straight toward me instead of lifting.) Still needs such niceties as paint, window treatment, etc., but here's my space...

Wow! That laundry room on page 19 I would love that! It is too bad they didn't mention the GE brand as it has a vented dryer and because if you look at its ratings on Home Depot and Lowes you'll find that it is very well rated and it's about the same price as the Electrolux both of which are much less then the Bosch, Asko, Miele group. (Can you tell I like my GE vented dryer (the vent is about 1 foot long)?) I cannot guess at the insides of the Miele dryer but to me the main issue with the new fire code is that you use ducting that is also fire resistant, no more plastic ducting. You still have to keep the entire run clear and if the run is too long you really should be looking at a condenser type dryer instead of a vented dryer. The advantage of having a vented dryer disappears where the vent run is long or where the vent ducting is located in a place you cannot clean it. Unfortunately, I do not think that most people bother to clean their dryer vent even once a year.