I agree with greenshoe............I have used stackable in timeshares and they were not front loaders....I would advise against a front loader. JMO

I think laundry centres have top loaders but I don't really want one of those because not sure if the dryer is big enough to do comforters or bulky loads. I was thinking of getting full sized washer and dryer and stacking them.

I think it would be hard, if not impossible to stack a standard washer and dryer. I had a stackable LG washer and dryer In a vacation house and they were mediocre at best. The washer was a front loader and the dryer was on top. I think they are all configured that way. You would find it very uncomfortable to get clothes in and out of the dryer and as I recall the capacity was not particularly large. I would look for regular Speed Queen washer and dryer and configure them next to each other.

I have a Kenmore from Sears huge big washer and dryer stack able works very well.

No room in the kitchen for side by side or I would do that because i do love my top loader. As I get older and with my bad back I don't feel safe going up and down the basement stairs so figure the kitchen is the best option for me. My niece says she has full size stackable washer and dryer and if her kids aren't around she has to sit on the floor to reach the wet clothes stuck to the back of the machine and it does aggravate her back. I could get one of those reacher/grabber things if need be. I am also thinking if my floor would handle the weight and the vibration if there is any but these new machines do use less water. Everything is so expensive so I would hate to buy something and it doesn't work out.

If you have any other location in your home that would accommodate a washer/dryer, I would reconsider putting them in my kitchen due to the noise as well as the lint and hair that tends to fly around when doing laundry. My brother had a closet in his hallway that was large enough to fit a washer/dryer side by side and when he wasn't doing laundry he just shut the closet doors. The closet shelf was where he kept his detergent, bleach and fabric softeners. It worked out really well for him.

I don't know anything about stackables, so have no advice to offer with regards to that.

I recently got my first front loader (and I do like the way it washes) but I am here to let you know that it seems most or at least many of the good front loaders I looked at had the stackable option. I did not need that as we have a laundry room where there is space for side by side but just to let you know that stackable seems to be a very common feature. My daughter in fact has that and it's really fine.

The Laundry forum is really active and it is worth asking there also.

I use a grabber thing with my daughters washer as I can not reach the bottom of her top loader.Works well after you train the 6 year old not to remove it from the landry room

New major appliances of any sort work better, more quietly, and more efficiently than old ones. That's especially true for furnaces. No reason for nostalgia or loyalty to old stuff, it doesn't return the favor to you.

The same descriptions plus some work for front loaders compared to top loader washers, in my experience. Our front loader uses less water and energy, cleans better, clothes look better and last longer than did the old top loading clunker we got rid of nearly 20 years ago. There are pedestals they can be installed on to raise their height.

We have a European model which is lower (sized for installs under kitchen counters) and smaller than some sold now but it's had more than enough capacity for a family of 5. My back doesn't take kindly to repeated bending over and so I kneel on the ground when necessary, like when emptying it. It's not a problem, it's so worth it.

Good luck.

Go with a compact Miele but very $$$ and worth it or maybe Bosch..I think Electrolux may also have compact. They appear small but wash a lot...

Make sure you research before buying

Dawn if your having a problem with lint and hair flying around I'd be finding out why.

You can't stack the units and use a pedestals...I read up there^^ about sitting on a chair to remove clothes from a front loader so I just tried it..ddoesn't work as the chair would need to be only inches from the floor.

Like Elmer I kneel on the floor to empty my washer.

Elmer you have a Miele? Which model?

mamapinky, it comes from emptying the lint catcher thingy. Most of it comes out in one big piece, but there is always a little bit of fuzz and hair that floats around when I remove it from the lint screen. I vacuum it up, but this is one of the main reasons why I wouldn't want my washer/dryer in the kitchen

W 1926

Getting back to the subject of furnace replacement:

I replaced my furnace and A/C units last month. I upgraded to high efficiency units although it means that I won't be able to trouble-shoot and repair my furnace as I did in the past - too much electronics. Also, I must have yearly inspections made to keep the 5 yr warranty in force. I am anticipating a 10% reduction in my gas usage, maybe more. A local company did the installation and met building codes. They also pulled the building permit. I arranged for the final inspection after job completion. My old furnace was 41 yrs old and the A/C 16 yr old. What triggered this job was that the AC quit this summer. This package included:

100,000 btu/hr furnace, about 95% efficient (Replaced a 125,000 btu/hr furnace w/about 70% efficiency)

3 ton AC, SEER 14 (Replaced a 10 SEER unit)

Furnace and A/C made by Carrier.

Inlet and Outlet PVC pipes installed.

Chimney liner (for the gas hot water heater).

Added a dedicated 20 amp circuit for the furnace (reused existing 40 amp 240 V for A/C. The old 40 breakers were replaced with 30 amp breakers to match the lower demand of the new A/C.

About 8 ft of new air duct was installed to fit the return duct to the new furnace.

New digital thermostat installed.

Installation time: 1.5 days.

Cost: About $8400

Major change: increased efficiency and much reduced air flow up existing chimney. I may find that I will need to increase basement circulation.

Both units work well. The real test comes for the furnace in a few months. After about 2 winter months, I will be able to calculate the fuel savings. This can not be done merely by comparing last years fuel use to the present due weather variability. My fuel bill includes degree heating days and this can be used to make a fair comparison. Calculate btu per degree-day to compare. The one missing variable is wind velocity. My heat demand is sensitive to outside wind. To reduce possible wind variation, make calculations over several months and average the results. The more months used, the smaller the wind variance.

What forced this work was the failure of the A/C unit. The old unit had lost most of its refrigerant. The cost of testing and repair of the of the old unit was not a good investment. I would have had a patched unit with maybe the old compressor on a 41 yr old furnace. These new, updated units increases the sale value of the house and that is a real consideration. At our ages, we may be faced with moving out within 10 years.

Thanks Jemdandy for that info. I never considered all that has to be done to replace a furnace. I know the person who came to check my old furnace and talk about the replacement said it is going to be a big job for them to take the old furnace out and replace it with the new one. He did ask if my chimney was lined, I said yes because my brother assured me it was once when I expressed concern that I thought my chimney was going to fall. They asked me the same thing when I replaced the hot water heater last week. I was asked if I had an a/c and I showed the one I had in the kitchen window so I doubt I am going to have an a/c unit that runs through the furnace. I was also told they will replace my programmable thermostat to a newer one. The part owner of the company where I am buying the unit from is a relative so he is giving me a discount. not sure how much of a discount because I don't know how much furnaces usually cost. He knows my financial situation but he has to make money for his business too. I should have asked more questions but I trust he would give me the best deal he could. I also forgot to ask if the price he quoted me includes the taxes and any other work like electrical that may need to be done. His company does this as well. I am looking forward to having a new furnace and seeing how it performs. The only thing I disliked about my old furnace was going behind it to replace the furnace filter. I am hoping since the new furnace will be smaller it will be easier to change the filter.

cherry,

Are you in the Windsor area? I was up there the day of the rain/flooding. Tree lawns were stacked high with water damaged possessions. A mess. Fortunately my family didn't have any flooding, but the neighbors did. Random selection I guess.

Yes I am. It was pretty bad. I live in the Old Riverside area where often the storm sewers can't keep up with heavy rain but this time other areas of the city were hard hit as well. This storm was exactly 11 months since we had the bad storm , heavy rainfall and flooding last year. Some people just finished repairing the damage from that storm the same week and all was lost again.

My old furnace is being dismantled as I write this and the new one should be installed today.

That's next door to where I was visiting. All along Pillette and Ellrose all the way to Tecumseh, seemed like every other house had a flooded basement.