Dexter T-400 Washer Install Torture

[maytagneptune]

Ok so my next big hit might actually be one of those Dexter T-400 Washer extractors, It's going to be so much torture trying to install it, I am aware that I have to pour a 4 to 6" concrete base for it to sit on. My Idea is to pour the 6" pad and bolt the 432 pound behemoth to the concrete pad, adding grout between the machine and the pad and between the pad and the floor, I might look for a 1" pad of rubber to place under the concrete pad over the tile floor to protect the floor, I then would have to take 2 anchor bolts and bolt the concrete pad to the studs in the wall. Definitely a project that me and my dad are NOT looking forward to. Issue 2, I will have to preform 2 modifications to the machine that Dexter does not recommend, First of all, My laundry room floor is on the MAIN floor and is NOT in the Garage or Basement so I am unable to bolt the machine to a proper concrete floor so I am FORCED to pour and build a 6" concrete pad and anchor it to the studs and protect the floor with Rubber and Grout. The Second Problem I have to find a pump that is capable of getting all of the water out of the machine and down the drain within 35 seconds before the machine attempts a spin. My Laundry Room does not support a floor/gravity drain so I am FORCED to decrease the 3" line(Not Recommended by Dexter) to 1.5" and use a pump that is powerful enough to get about 5 or 6 gallons of water out of the machine and down the drain within 35 seconds, Approx 5-8 gallons per fill for approx 20 gallons per cycle as based on the machine specifications. If no such pump exists, I will have to dump the water into a 20 gallon tote slid behind the machine and let the pump do it's work. With either option, my idea is to wire the pump in series with the drain solenoid so the pump is turned on when the drain valve is open. Dexter Thoroughbred series washers thankfully can be wired with either single phase 240 or 3 phase 240 without replacing any parts to convert it. I just change 1 dip switch. They are also very very hardy and are industrial quality, Some of them are so big it's kind of scary, Take the T-1800 for example. The reason for wanting to do this is because it seems that parts for most of my machines are getting harder to find and I know the T-400 will be supported for the rest of the foreseeable future as the T-400 is still being manufactured TODAY and Dexter even sells conversion kits to convert the oldest model to the newest one.

Product Finder - Dexter Laundry

dexter.com

 

[neptunebob]

Could you place the machine somewhere else?

I guess I am kind of puzzled why you want to do this installation. If you have to protect the floor underneath the concrete slab with rubber, why are you placing on a finished floor? If you move, what will you do with the concrete slab which will be incredibly heavy? It may be hard to break up if you have to put rebar inside and if you do not place rebar, the concrete itself may not be strong enough to stabilize the washer. If on a main floor over a basement, installing a 3 inch drain line would not be too difficult.

 

[maytagneptune]

Floor

The floor is standard tile and is nothing fancy. I just don't want to chip it. Grout isn't too difficult to clean up if I move.

 

[egress]

I'd be worried about potentially exceeding your floors weight capacity with that slab. thats about 1000 pounds of concrete, in addition to however much the washer itself weighs.

 

[pro104]

What you are describing will not work. I have owned laundromats with hardmount machines in them for the last 36 years. The machine must be mounted to a concrete floor and pad. The pad must be poured so that it has rebar in it attaching it to the floor or it will walk. If you anchor it to studs it tear the wall or floor joists up.
If this is a new machine it will for sure void the warranty. I just installed 4 of the in a laundromat and we chipped up the ceramic tile underneath them and mounted steel bases on the concrete to put them on.What you are describing is dangerous.

 

[maytagneptune]

I didn't see rebar in the floor in the installation video. Guess I will just have to wait for my own place or lug the 432 pound machine down the basement stairs and run water to it. Or Secure it to the floor in the garage. This machine is not new, It's from a place that is upgrading their equipment. Thanks for the response though, I didn't think 100Gs would actually tear up or split the wood joists, even after bolting it to a 400LB concrete pad.

 

[maytagneptune]

Replies 4 and 5

I kind of don't understand the laws of physics here then. My Frigidaire Gallery GLTF1670AS1 spins at 950RPM The G force is around 269.1 G's The T-400 is only 100G's The Frigidaire Gallery washer's tub is supported by nothing but 2 plastic shock absorbers and 2 springs The Frigidaire Gallery's Tub is 3.1 Cubic FT the T-400 is 4.0 cubic FT I don't really understand how 0.9 cubic feet makes a big difference. The concrete slab weighs in at around 440 pounds. I am pretty sure the floor could handle it but If it really is an issue, I have no choice but to wait it out until I get my own house or I can accommodate a Garage installation.

 

[gizmo]

The laws of physics aren't the problem.

 

The Frigidaire Gallery has a suspension system, as you described, this allows for and absorbs the movement of the drum during spin.

 

The hardmount machines have no suspension - the drum is mounted rigidly in the cabinet, hence the need for such a strong mounting to a concrete floor. Deleting springs and shockers, and making it "hard mount" removed the need for periodic replacement of springs and shocks, which would be required all too frequently in constant commercial use, and removes the need for a flexible rubber door boot, which is a common point of failure, especially when the machine is mis-used by customers who don't care.

 

The forces in a hardmount are pretty wild - I have a vintage domestic hardmount top loader - a 1950s Turner Sapphire - and it isn't hard mounted, though it should be - I tried to hold it down when spinning, I couldn't do it, it jumped around madly and bounced me with it.

 

[launderess]

Here ya go: https://commerciallaundriesflorida.com/differences-between-soft-mount-and-hard-mount-washers/

http://www.washcycle.com/soft-mount-vs-hard-mount-washer-extractors/

Commercial/industrial washing machines installed anywhere above ground floors usually are soft mount. Forces generated during extraction would otherwise be felt through entire building if machine or machines were installed on higher floors. Not to mention overtime what all those forces might do to parts of building. It is possible I suppose if one was designing a new building to be done from ground up to cope with forces generated by a hard mount washer, but why bother with that time and expense when soft mount machines are available.

 

[launderess]

Installing Dexter washer/extractor:

 

[launderess]

Another, this time SQ.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I can't help with your question but I've always thought it would be so cool to have one of those laundromat front loaders at home... I've rarely gone to the laundromat in my life but I totally remember using the FL washers a few times and wishing I had one...In fact, when I got my FL washer (for home) in 2005, I remember being disappointed because it was nothing like a laundromat front loader. I think early on that's what everyone who got a FL washer was expecting...But I'm totally over that now...still would be super cool to have one of these.

 

[maytag85]

Installing a bolt down commercial front loading washer on a raised foundation or on a main floor of a house with a basement will cause and earthquake when it goes into spin since it’ll be shaking the floor. Would scare the hell out of me if I installed a bolt down commercial front loading washer on the main floor of a house with a basement since it make me think a 7.0 earthquake is about to happen.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

So what’s generally the best way to install a bolt down

Machine while still allowing it to be moved? And by moved I mean like when you have to actually move from place to place, As I own two vintage bolt down machines, which have a capacity of less than 4 1/2 kg and I do want to have them installed but my mum is not gonna let me bolt them down in the house or the garage, The garden shed does have a concrete pad but I don’t know how thick it is

 

[maytagneptune]

Reply 11

The Home and Commercial Coin operated Neptunes are the same machine internally.

 

[launderess]

Generally unless they are being replaced hard mount washers of all sorts aren't "moved". They are designed to be repaired where they are so that's sorted.

Things will vary by terms of lease but generally in most of USA commercial/retail leases state anything permanently affixed to walls, floors or ceilings becomes property of landlord. Many a LL has gotten a ready made laundromat because previous tenant for whatever reasons went out of business and couldn't get those machines out.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Dexter washer

A Dexter washer would be a great addition to have for extra heavy loads such as dirty jeans and towels.

 

[launderess]

Unless one has a particular wish or reason to have a Dexter or any other hard mount commercial washer there really isn't a need IMHO. Speed Queen make and sells a perfectly decent "commercial" washer for domestic/OPL use that is soft mount and thus far less bother to install.

Indeed FWIU SQ front loader sold for home or OPL use aren't that much different under bonnet if at all from laundromat or whatever other commercial/industrial use.

Remember early front loaders offered by Bendix for home use were hard mount, this was something that helped dinged them in sales.

 

[maytagneptune]

I found a safe workaround. I'll just install the machine in the garage. The garage is literally right behind the laundry room wall and the floor in the garage is thick enough to support the machine.