Space required around compact washer/dryer set
I'm renovating the bathroom of my small condo, it's the top unit of an 8 unit converted row house. The current washer dryer is an old stacked kenmore set with a top loading washer (sits on a frame). It vents to the ceiling. The current set is 25 inches wide and only 22 inches deep. (picture below)
I'd like to get a new W/D set as part of the renovation, but i'm having trouble finding anything small enough. The size of the space itself is just a smidge under 26 inches wide and 27.25 inches deep. As part of the renovation I can move one of the walls slightly to create more width, however I can't afford to lose any space for depth as the machines face the doorway and the entry is already very tight.
I've read on consumer reports and the home depot website that I need to leave at least one inch on either side of the machines left to right, and 6 inches behind the machine for electrical, water and venting. I'm wondering if there is any way around having to leave a full 6 inches behind them. Based on what I've been able to find so far, it's extremely difficult to find a W/D combo that's less than 24 inches deep, which means I'd really only be able to leave about 3 inches of space behind without impeding the entry way.
Does anyone have any experience fitting compact washer/dryers into a small space? Is there a way to build some of the venting/water/electricity hookups into the existing wall, or perhaps a side wall to allow for the machines to sit farther back against the wall? Or should I assume that the 6" behind the machines is required?
You can see in the picture below (rough mockup of possible remodel the nook for the W/D), the doorway faces the W/D, and it's a tight entry way already, hence my concern about depth. The dryer vents to the ceiling.
Here's another shot of the bathroom layout showing the way the previous owner had it (you can see the current w/d and the thicker wall to the right of the machines. That photo was taken from the doorway.
Any advice anyone has about how to push compact W/D's closer to the back wall would be much appreciated!
Comments (14)
weedmeister
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
enduring
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Looking for Compact Washer/Dryer 220Volt
Comments (4)It's actually probably a 240 volt outlet, since I don't think you can get an American power company to supply 220 volts :) But anyway, it should be more like $50 dollars to replace the outlet, but the company might have a minimum visit fee, so you could wind up paying more. On the other hand, if you have anything else that you wanted done electrically, you could probably get it done at the same time for the same price. The one problem that could make it *very* expensive if this is an older house is that you might not have a ground at that location. Some of the older houses had NEMA 10-30 outlets, which were hot-hot-neutral, no ground. You can upgrade them to NEMA 14-30 (in some situations), which is supposed to be hot-hot-nuetral-ground by tying the ground to the neutral and declaring it "safe enough." Obviously, you can't then convert it to standard three prong grounded, because there is nothing to ground to unless you can add a new ground, which might be where the extra cost comes in. That said, we are pretty happy with our Miele pair, and it fits in the space you described, but requires an additional part that doesn't come with it, and that the installer had never heard of. But as the other poster said, only the dryer takes 240. The washer takes 120 (standard american 3 prong)...See Morecompact stackable HE washer dryer
Comments (16)I had a Bosch condenser dryer with the same model washer as egganddart. It was not especially slow. It did a very good job. It was in a closet in the kitchen and the door needed to be left open. It did make that area warm but to say it heated up the house (which was an apartment with open kitchen) is not true. It replaced an illegal vented dryer that was not vented (long story) but we did not see any increase in the electric bill after putting it in. The only nuisance was a grill that had to be cleaned periodically. If someone doesn't have space or option for a vented dryer then condenser is the only real choice. Miele most certainly does make a condenser dryer. And I'm told they are discontinuing their vented dryers -- enduring and I got some of the last ones it seems. I don't see why you couldn't get a Miele washer and a different dryer -- buffalotina has that set up I believe. The only thing is can it be stacked with a different machine? If it needs to be stacked or fit into a closet then you're basically talking about pairs unless there is some super clever solution I've never read about (which there very well could be). Why I posted about the washer is because it does exactly what the OP says she wants. Excellent on hand wash. Excellent high temp cycles (sanitize is 165F and if you want to see an example I'm attaching the Miele cheat sheet which shows espresso stained chinos before and after. ) The high speed spin is excellent. And everything is adjustable. The Miele dryer is good to very good I would say. I didn't like the Asko dryer at all. My recollection is that I liked the Bosch condenser dryer best but it was nowhere near as adjustable as the Miele dryer which can partially dry woolens without issue. Miele's dryer has some very delicate settings I've not seen before. I par-dries woolens without shrinking. But it doesn't overdry towels or sheets. (I also have their rotary iron and it has a setting for that). The clinker is the cost, no question. I started out wanting the Bosch as I had liked that pair a lot. But the Bosch washer lacked the high heat which is essential for stain removal and whitening. Here is a link that might be useful: Miele Fans Washer Cheat Sheet...See MoreBosch compact washer and Asko compact dryer compatibility
Comments (4)The Bosch washer has a three-prong NEMA 6-15P plug that fits into a 6-15R outlet - 208 or 240 volt, 15 amp, with two horizontal slots in a row (both hot) and a round ground hole. If your Asko dryer outlet looks like the upper one in this pic (the lower outlet is the more familiar 120v), it should work. The dryer probably has a large 208/240 volt, 30 amp plug at the end of a thick cable, intended to power a large 27" or wider American electric dryer. Most of the smaller 24" wide dryers draw less than 15 amps, but are often supplied with a 30 amp plug anyway (either 3 or 4 prong, often owner swappable) with internal fusing at 15 amps because such wall outlets are common in American laundry rooms. Since the dryer draws less than 15 amps, a 240 volt/15 amp outlet on the back of the dryer allows a 240V/15A washer to plug into the dryer, and the dryer to plug into a 240V/30A outlet thus powering both machines....See MoreCompact washer/dryer. Electrolux or Blomberg?
Comments (14)I believe Speed Queen is called Huebsch or something like that in Canada. I have a SQ dryer and like it a lot, but I don't think it would fit in your space. I think you have to evaluate each brand by product. I understand GE makes a decent refrigerator, but I wouldn't recommend them for laundry equipment: poor build quality and even poorer customer service. I learned this the hard way. Whirlpool makes a fine vented dryer; my last dryer was a whirlpool. It was 11 when it went to live with another family who could make the needed repairs themselves. You probably already know that whirlpool and maytag are the same company: whirlpool. I go for functionality in my appliances. Washer and dryer are different brands and both are appliance white so they sort of "match." Good luck in your search....See MoreSarah
5 years ago
Jakvis
5 years agoSarah
5 years ago
scottie mom
5 years agoscottie mom
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSarah
5 years agoscottie mom
5 years agoSarah
5 years agoScottie Mom - I just talked to a miele sales rep and had a thought - where you have the picture of the back of your units with the measuring tape showing their distance from the wall - that's probably not 2.5" from the "lid" of the washer, right? I'm wondering what the distance is between the lid of that back washer and the wall - and I think you said you could have gotten maybe an extra inch back?
on the installation diagram, they talk about needing 2" in the back - but now i'm thinking that 2" might be from the back of the squares of the units, not from the lid itself, so maybe only 1" back from the lid? Actually looking at the diagrams below it's hard to tell... seems to me like from the back wall it would be total 25 5/16" total depth and then 2" behind. But it looks like your cabinets may only be leaving room for 26" of total depth - which I find to be a hopeful sign!
Sorry to keep asking the same question again and again!
scottie mom
5 years ago
scottie mom