Disassembling front load washing machine to get it up stairs

[kiniyagirl]

Hello,
Ok, I have my laundry room on the 3rd floor of our house that was built in 1890 and of course has wood floors. My problem is that our stairway is 26 1/2" wide. I need to replace our old stacked washer/dryer and would like to get a front load washer and dryer. With 2 young children, I do lots of laundry and would like to get a full size 27" wide washer (as opposed to the smaller 24").
I am looking for both information on what washer/dryers people would recommend for a 3rd floor laundry room with wood floors and has anyone taken apart a new front load washer/dryer and reassembled it? Are there any pitfalls to doing this? Does anyone know of a company in the Philadelphia area that would do this? I have checked with the big box stores and of course they will not do it.
Thanks for any help that you can provide!

 

[mrb627]

Question

Does your new set need to be a stack?

 

Malcolm

 

[yogitunes]

check out one of these machines in the link, still a very large capacity, and yet a smaller unit than the model before it......it is 27 inches wide.......but measure it front to back, its only 24 inches.....take a tape measure with you next time, measure both ways, not all models are built the same.....I have this model washer and dryer, and I have 6 kids with laundry, just look for the model with the sprayer, the older ones don't have it, only the newest ones do.....with rebates and sales, I got my SET for 800.00 (electric dryer)....you don't have to hit just sears, in Philly you have hhgegg, Gerhardts, and a few others, shop around!

Shop: Appliances, Tools, Clothing, Mattresses & More

Shop Sears for appliances, tools, clothing, mattresses & more. Great name brands like Kenmore, Craftsman Tools, Serta, Diehard and many others.

www.sears.com

 

[kiniyagirl]

update to my original post... my new set needs to be able to be stacked.

 

[appnut]

here is one from GE that has quite a bit of bang for the buck.  Has many features the big size mahcines have. 

GE Appliances: Shop for Home, Kitchen, & Laundry Appliances

GE Appliances is your home for the best kitchen appliances, home products, parts and accessories, and support.

products.geappliances.com

 

[yogitunes]

I think you hit the head on the nail Bob........

23 1/2 inches wide........and stackable

that should work

 

[appnut]

Thank you very much Martin.  I searched around quite a bit to find something that would meet the needs as well as features and be able to be brought up the stairs.  I have big doubt taht a manufacturer's warranty could be voided if a machine was disassembled to get it up those 3 flights of stairs.  And it's a decent size capacity, probably more than the stacked top loaders she's using now. 

 

[yogitunes]

Bob....we did this once in my partners last house, we had to take out the window and frame, and remove the top and door plus the knobs, with three guys on the outside on stepladders, lifted it up, one its side, and a diagonal twist thru the opening, and two guys inside pulling it thru and lowering it...but we got it......

the neighbor next door paid a contractor to remove part of the wall, get the machines in, and replace the wall.....a little over 1400.00....but this also included running water and drain lines, plus electric and venting.....don't look forward to them having to replace these anytime too soon....just odd built ranchers, a portable set just made it thru the doorways to the bathroom....and my neighbors never thought to take in the window!...yet they took out the old tub thru the window....go figure

 

[cfz2882]

i had to take my neptune partly apart to get it downstairs to the basement
and installed in DD row-took the door and front off along with the top,
with those removed it just fit...

 

[coldspot]

i own that ge washer. it works great and is built good. check around I got it for less then 600.00. They also have two drys that go with it now. Vent and a non vent. this is the link for the non vent one.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=DCCH485EKMS

This is the vent one.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=DCVH480EKWW

And this is where I got mine free shipping and it was worth it. There price right now 650.30
Vent dryer same price as washer.
non vent Condenser white is 861.52

If you want any info on the wash do not have the dryer. just ask.

http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/WCVH48.html

 

[3beltwesty]

2nd + floor balance issues

Many FL washers in the lower price range "want to see" a solid floor and only the med and higher priced units have a better balancing scheme/balancer and work on a 2nd + story floor.

Thus before buying a FL washer one should check it is a model friendly to a non concrete floor!

Here *I* would avoid at all costs taking a machine apart to place it somewhere. Maybe 27" machines are not 27" deep.

When I bought the FL LG WM2501HVa in November, it was marketed as one ok for 2nd floor usage and the lower LG models more iffy.

The can of worms is that a 2nd floor has a deflection issue and one of resonate frequency. Your 3rd floor's resonate frequency might be not close to Acme washer #34 and right on top of Kilroy washer #57 and thus be a big issue.

This muddys the water since another on this board might have a FL Kilroy#57 at it works OK on their 3th floor, you buy the same model and have issues. One can have balance issues where the washer is not happy and a load takes way longer, or your5 house/apartment vibrates and causes a ruckus

http://www.houseblogs.net/community/comments.php?DiscussionID=889

 

[yogitunes]

This is true for vibrations on many applications, and should be checked out first......Whirlpools Duet Sport version was a machine designed for 2nd floor applications, but is it the right size to fit thru the openings.....many home builders will not put in FL machines because of vibration issues......I guess I lucked out, and maybe because my home is a new modular, may or may not be built a little more sturdier because of transport, I have the frigidaires in the second floor bathroom, they did shake less before the pedestals were installed, but this is only during the wind up/down, during the spin they are silent...the shaking actually lets me know the machine is almost done, better than that beeper....

there are many other issues when placing a FL also.....where is the hot water heater, and can you purge the lines...placing a machine on the upper levels seems like a great idea, cause their near the bathroom and bedrooms where the laundry is generated, but do you want to spend all day running up and down stairs to change machines, this is no better than having them in the basement, and running down several flights of stairs....truth be told, I rather have them in the kitchen/family room, were I am at most of the time, mess be damned, its a matter of whats easier...6 kids and I am fighting to get into the bathroom to get to the machines....having a choice I would rather have a mud room off the kitchen, or have them in the master bath...funny, were lucky to have machines in our homes where some have no choice but to use a laundromat of some sort, and yet were still not happy....I have seen some off beat hookups, but people were glad to have a machine in their home..........

Who really runs a machine while their sleeping, or leaving the house?.....I used to, until I came home to a flood.....never again!

 

[toggleswitch]

When I worked for Sears at night, part-time, selling appliances, I had a customer come in insisting he wanted a 24 inch wide washer for a 23.5 wide space.

There was no way to get the space bigger even with a medical speculum, lots of KY and a good firm kick. Anyway.....

I simply put on the receipt

" **CONFIRMED 23.5 inch space. CUSTOMER INSISTS UPON THIS 24.00 INCH WIDE MACHINE**
The delivery department personally thanked me BY PHONE (NO PAPERWORK TRAIL) for saving them the trouble and damaging a machine.

So the salesperson (me) went from "@$$HOLE" TO "SAINT" in 2.5 seconds in their eyes. LOL

BTW this was a man from a turd-world refugee nation that basically shaves from his eyes-socket down and has at most a junior high school education. Arrogant beyond belief; he knew EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING, trust me on that one. LOL

Yes I do agree, the depth of the machines will be your saving grace! Machines in this country morphed to be at-most 27 inches wide (or deep) (read: usually just under) to be able to get through a standard 30 inch wide door. The door-stop trim brings the size down considerably.

I had to send home many a potential customer because they did not know if their dryer was gas or electric. That I can possibly understand, but when they would come in for a stove (cooker) and didn't know which fuel/energy supply they were using I simply deferred service to another salesperson. [this post was last edited: 1/24/2011-14:44]

 

[3beltwesty]

thinking out loud.

My newest FL LG the WM2501HV is deeper than it is wide; ie (TOO BIG!)

Dimensions (WxHxD)
27" x 38 11/16" x 29 3/4"
Capacity
IEC 4.2 cu. ft.

They get the "capacity" higher than my 1976 Westinghouse FL 27" wide washer by making the washer deeper.

The 1976 machine is about 2/3rds the capacity my new LG.

****Both machines have the same diameter basket; about 22 inches.****

The 1976 machine's basket is about 12 inches deep; the new LG's is about 18 inches deep.

Thus *IF* one does not mess with "taking the machine apart" you really need a smaller 27" machine than my LG, or a 24" wide unit.

A less deep 27" machine will be a lower capacity machine; ie like that GE in the link above.

A "less deep" 27 machine is at some local stores, a 24" machine here is basically mail order/freakish.

From a money standpoint a smaller 27 machine going sideways up the stairs might work; the issue is are they OK for a non ground level application for vibration.

 

[coldspot]

The ge one is safe for all floors or so they say. It does not vibrate at all. One thing nice about it you can open the door anytime just pause it. Even after spin no 5min to wait for it to open.

Mine is on concrete floor. But I made a call to ge before I bought it since I live in a apartment.Was told this unit is being made for thigh spaces in large apartment high raises. Also for homes with wood floors and upper floors.

I do wonder who builds it for ge looks samsung but not sure.

 

[yogitunes]

may people will discover vibration issues afterwards.......their first concern is will it fit thru the doorway, at that point, thats all that matters!

and Toggles is right!.....people are idiots, and they find us, no matter how we hide, and see them comming!..........I had a GAS dryer for sale....advertised on CL, in capital LETTERS, over and over, thru emails and when they called, I kept referring to the dryer needing a GAS hookup.....the guy came to the house, looked at them, paid me for them, loaded them in his truck and then commented on how small the electrical cord was for the dryer compared to the one he had at home....I replied again, you do know this is a GAS dryer!.....he said he wished he knew that, because all he has is electric in the house.....WHERE DO THEY COME FROM!

but aren't you glad that the ELECTRIC light bulb finally came on for them!....and they're allowed to reproduce!!!

 

[coldspot]

To add the heater works great. It is made to keep the water at temp Warm or hot or Sanitize.

 

[GrahamW]

Vibration

Vibration would be the first issue for me, given the age of the house, and second would be the noise as having a w/d near bedrooms (especially if your power is cheaper at night). Some machines are definitely quieter than others. After that, buy what will fit. I don't know of too many modern washers or dryers that are that much smaller once the pretty case is removed. Worse, the interior drums can be sharp and awkward to carry.

I have our euro-sized Miele washer/dryer in the basement on a concrete pad. We both complain about the stairs occasionally.

 

[tolivac]

Wouldn't disassembling the machines void the manufactuers warrantees?Maybe the laundry room should be relocated.