CJ You need to vent the dryer to outside. The problem is not heat, it is moisture. You need a plumber to come and give you an estimate, the drain in the bathroom might be able to be used, but you have to have a certain size for the washer and it has to be vented. If the bathroom sink is on the same wall that the washer will go, it is likely that it can be used. The drain for the pan is an emergency drain and code in your area may not require that it be connected to the drain. It has the purpose of draining in the rare occasion that your washer leaks or overflows. This prevents damage to the structure. Again, you need the advice of someone who is knowledgeable about the local codes. If you are rebuilding the room, pay attention to the floor and how supported it is. A springy floor is going to be problems for a washer because they all depend on placement on the floor for part of the damping of the machine. Front Loading machines use a shock absorber type of damping and the could be problematic with old floors and joists. Top loading washers normally use some form of floating damping system that may have quite a bit of vibration. Anything that can be done to reduce vibration and spongy floors during the build will serve you well.

It sounds like you do a very large amount of laundry. You might want to consider a HE TLer. I briefly had a 3.8 Cu Foot FLer and aside from the vibration problems, I was actually very disappointed with the capacity of the washer. Many people state, as Asolo did, that a FLer will hold twice as much as a TLer. That is only true if you have a basic size TLer. I owned a Kenmore Super Capacity Plus that I replaced with the FLer. Yes, I could do less loads with it than the TLer... 2 less loads per week! That is not going to save me any time since most cycles were at least an hour, without extra rinses that I had to use (skin problems). So I went from doing 15 loads a week to 13 loads a week. After two exchanges, I ended up with the Cabrio HE, and I love it. I can now do 8 loads per week! Unless I need something in the wash (or my hampers start to overflow :-) ) I only have to wash actual clothing once a week! And I finish it in the time it would have taken to wash and dry the laundry on one of the days I washed with my old TLer. With the old machine, I did laundry three days a week. I have not had any problems with the washer, and it is very easy to use. My teenage son, who washed cloths in the old TLer (when forced to) but was afraid to go near the FLer, can use it with ease. Best of all, since it is an HE machine it uses less water and adjusts the water level automatically. As it washes it senses whether there is enough water in the drum and adds a bit more as needed. It is nice to be able to throw a few thing I need right away in the wash without having to sort through both hampers to make a full load, knowing the machine will not waste a lot of water. I don't do that very often (dirty cloths are not hard to come by) but I have on occasion. The Cabrio HE is not the only TL HE out there, but some seem to have more problems than others. Some people have complained about wrinkling with the Cabrio, but I have not had any problem with that. I have heard more complaints than good things about the Kenmore Oasis, and with a TL HE you will probably want an extended warranty, Sears will charge a fortune for that! Plus their service leaves something to be desired in recent years. The GE Harmony is also the same, I have not heard a whole lot about it, no complaints, but I don't think as many people have them. I have never even seen one in any of the stores in my area, and I own a GE range and fridge! Fisher & Paykel (is that close? Most people say F & P.) make a TL HE also, but I don't know much about that either. I have only seen their regular machines. Good luck!

[This Appliances FAQ article was moved to the Laundry Room FAQ on 28 December 2004.]

[This Appliances FAQ article was moved to the Laundry Room FAQ on 21 May 2003.]