First Washer/Dryer Hook-ups

[bajaespuma]

Enter the 'Flo's

I already posted a picture of our first automatic washer installed, ghetto-fashion in the kitchen of the apartment I was born into in another thread.

 

My parents bought their first home when I was 4 years old, not 2 blocks away from that first apartment, on 19th Street between 1st and 2nd avenues. They bought a row-house that was built in 1860 and had been used as a neighborhood clinic with another family; they had the first two floors we had the 3rd and 4th floor. On the top floor, a large bathroom was built for us kids and there was an alcove put into it for a washer and dryer. I'll never forget, as long as I live, the day we moved in and I saw those 2 matching appliances. I had to be told what a dryer was because I was convinced that my parents, for some delightful reason,  bought 2 washing machines.

 

[maytagbear]

Unfinished basement!!

Our house was built in 1915, my parents and sister moved in January Something 1958.
We were there until August Something 1996.....

We had a Maytag dryer and a Maytag square wringer to start with, and the lovely deep concrete tubs (OH, HOW I HAVE MISSED THEM through the years!).

The extensions for an automatic's water supply were already in place. We got our first automatic in 1964, the Whirlpool Imperial (Sometimes a POD, the twins and the exasperated mother.) For a while, Ma used the Suds Miser, but a few years down the road, not so much. I do know that our housekeeper used the Suds Miser more often (Her other gig was running/owning a college student rooming house, and she supplied the sheets for the beds.) When I started to wash, I used the Suds Miser a bit. However, when the Whirlpool died in 1978, the A208 we got was not a suds saver.

The thing that prevents the return of suds savers (besides modern squeamishness) is laundry installations that preclude the addition of a sink.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[pierreandreply4]

about suds savers

i think that its sad that they eliminated suds savers models because i can just see the saving in water if modern top loading washers or front loaders would have this feature as well as saving in detergent use since it would use the suds from the first wash

 

[rp2813]

Well yeah that's Robert's mom!  The Samantha Stevens headband tells that tale!  So stylish, and I agree that her gaze is overflowing with love.

 

My parents first house was in a brand new 1949 subdivision.  The laundry pair was in the attached garage, along with a deep concrete laundry sink.

 

When they moved into a mid 20's house in 1960 with that same set, the washer (a Norge) was on the service porch next to a double concrete sink.  The gas dryer (a Norge) was in the attached garage, which was probably a total of 20 to 30 steps away from the washer, to the end of the porch and down a couple of steps toward the basement, through a door on the right to access the garage, down another step and another right, then a straight shot to the dryer.  One big U-turn with the dryer being more or less on the other side of the wall from the washer.  When I look at that service porch area now, I can't even imagine squeezing past an automatic washer and double concrete sink in there.  I also presume my dad had to pipe gas into the garage. 

 

There's now a wet bar where the dryer used to be, as the garage became a family room in the late 60's, and a new laundry room was created as part of that project.  It includes a sink, but it's just a resin type.  I'd like to find a cast iron/porcelain one that has a metal cabinet surround instead.

 

[mattywashboy]

The first washer and dryer hookups i experienced were when my parents renovated our British kitchen. The house i grew up in had been lived in by my father and grandmother for many years and my grandmother used a Hoovermatic Twin Tub washer. She had about three in her lifetime so was certainly fond of them!

My parents then renovated the kitchen and put in couplings for a washing machine. Alas, dad did not measure the space properly so when the Hoover EcoLogic 1100 moved in, it fitted so snugly into the space that as soon as my machine went into any kind of spin cycle it would break the cabinet next to it. My parents solution was to drag the machine out of its hole when it was being used and use it that way. Ludicrous in reflection but my earliest memories include dad on his exercise bike in the middle of the kitchen with the washer churning away barely inches from him halfway out of its nook!

The picture below is of my Grandmother in that very kitchen before renovation. When it was renovated the space for the washer was just next to where my grandmother is standing. There was extra cabinets added onto the end next to my grandmother to make room for the washer and it was on the end. Where the twintub is was fitted with cabinets and where we put our microwave. The colouring mum chose was grey, apparently fashionable in the late 80's early 90's...

Enjoy, more to come...

 

[mattywashboy]

An Australian View

We emmigrated to Australia in 2001. The house we moved into and where my folks live now was only 7 years old when we purchased it and it had a standard Australian laundry area situated at the back of the house with a guest toilet leading off it.

Now the house i live in now with my friends is of a much older vintage. Around 1970 i believe. Now this house has a laundry room leading off the kitchen. There is a picture below for you to follow...

You can see there is a large deep double tub 'trough' as it is known. This would have been good for Suds Saver machines of which there were a few. Where the dishwasher now sits is a built in concrete pedestal (hence why the dishwasher is raised). This was once home to the water heater system that was a tank with a fire underneath that you had to supply with wood occasionally to keep the water hot. This house was modernised in that sense quite a few years back and just outside the window you can see the top of the newer hot water system. When we moved in the pedestal was being used to support a tall cupboard to house detergents and such. I took this down and moved it in order to be able to install the dishwasher.

The water fixings for the washer are as they have been since the house was built. You can see they lead off the faucet taps for the sink. The knobs for the taps have a double connection. If you turn the smaller outside knob that controls the flow to the washing machine hoses, if you turn the inner bigger knob, it controls the faucet water. Quite neat really. Another interesting fact about this laundry is the floor drain. Invisible until it was pointed out to me. Look alongside the bottom of the sink cabinet next to the washer. There is a 'slit' in it which is actually a drain hole that leads to the outside drain where all the water from the laundry gets dumped.

Hope you enjoyed.

matt

 

[countryguy]

Our house had an unfinished basement so the washer/dryer were down there.  There was a wood platform about 8' x 4' next to the outside wall and beside the sump pump.  Originally my mom had a wringer washer so I'm assuming the platform was there to keep the washer off the cement floor in case of a flood.  There were dual laundry tubs - made of steel or cast iron I think, definitely not plastic.  When the wringer washer was replaced with a Maytag automatic, it was placed on the cement floor beside the right side of the wood platform.  The Westinghouse Dryer was located at the other end of the basement on an outside wall.  I never knew why it was not located beside the washer.  The only reason I can think of is that the electrical panel was on the other wall and perhaps it was easier to hook up the dryer.  I don't think there was an outlet box - I think the dryer wire was connected directly to the electrical panel.

 

Gary

 

[turquoisedude]

The first laundry 'room' I remember was in a house in Hudson, Quebec where I spent the first few years of my life. We had a reasonably modern automatic washer and dryer set - GE V12's - and they were installed in a 'service porch' off the kitchen. The hookup was pretty bad, though. I remember my mother frantically running to find a mop when the standpipe drain for the washer backed up. The dryer was rarely, if ever, used. The wiring in that house was downright scary. The entrance was a mere 60 amps, so there was no way you could use the range and dryer (There was a box called a Load-Miser to connect the two and this must have had some kind of fuse or breaker that would blow if you turned both on). I remember the washer would dim the house lights when it started and blew a number of fuses if you happened to be using a few lights or the TV set! And get this, the service porch was unheated! I remember the water lines to the washer freezing up in January much to the dismay of my mother... Hence why she gave up and used the old Whirlpool wringer that was happily installed in the basement, hooked up to the old slate laudry tubs and plugged into the light socket.
I remember the sigh of relief that my mother let out when we moved into a house in the suburb of Pointe-Claire with 100-amp wiring and a dedicated dryer circuit, a permanent laundry room in the basement and plumbing that actually worked!!

 

[franksdad]

The first house I lived in the Frigidaire and later 1961 Lady Kenmore were on the back porch which was screened in. When my parents moved in 1963 the washer was in the kitchen beside the refrigerator. In 1974 my father converted the back porch of this house into a laundry room complete with shelves, a wire clothes line for non-machine dryables, and the freezer. My first house had the washer and dryer closed behind louvered doors in the breakfast room. The next two had separate laundry rooms.

 

[turnamat]

My first experience is the old Constructa washer,my parents bought in 1965,shortly after I was born!I loved to sit in front of the glass door when mom was washing!This washer had a real boiling cycle,I still remember the "bubbles"came out of the rich foam when using this cycle.After 3 years of use,the washer broke down and was replaced by a Zanker which lasted 20 Years!

 

[turnamat]

...and this was the Zanker,that took place after this Constructa!

My mom always said,this Zanker has been the best of all the washers,she ever had!

 

[golittlesport]

56 Westy

My mom's first automatic was a mid-line 1956 Westy Laundromat with black and gold control knobs. It went in the basement where she had done washing in cement stationary tubs with a Dexter wringer washer. (The Dexter was rolled into a corner and saved.) A plumder had to add hot and cold faucets in the water lines behind the cement sinks.

I was about 3 years old and have a few vivid memories of that machine. I loved the fact it had a window that I could look into and see all the splashing and waterfall fill/spray. One thing I recall was, probably the first load, that the force of the pump was so strong that the water flew out of the sink and rained on us kids. My mom tied an old nylon stocking around the hose to remedy that. I remember the stocking would fill up with water and suds and it looked like a dismembered leg lying in the sink.

Another memory: One day as I was standing there watching, a load became unbalanced and the machine jumped and banged and then the shut-off kicked in and it stopped and buzzed loudly. I took off about 100 miles per hour! I remember flying up the wooden basement stairs on all fours, passing my mom half way as she was running down the steps to see what was going on with her new washing machine.

I remember in the 50's that getting an automatic washer was quit a big deal. All the neighbors would come over to see and the ladies would talk about their machines over coffee. My grandmother had gotten a 1955 Frigidaire set the year before and kept telling my dad that he needed to buy my mom an automatic since he had produced four kids by that time. The Westy was my mom's pride and joy. With two of the four kids in diapers, it was a life-changing purchase.