little 24” monster

[johnbee]

I had a trip to my husbands family in Georgia and I realized that everyone is in love with their old style agitator top loader.
They claim capacity
While I was there I run a full load of 8 bath towels.
Today I can prove that a small 24” front loader can handle more !
Btw we live in NYC and there’s absolutely no space for a full size washer. Even having a washer is kinda a luxury here

Check the following pics . 7 bath towels 7 hand towels and 8 wash cloths

 

[bradfordwhite]

People in the UK whose homes are often basementless and smaller in general than what we have in the U.S., will typically have a 24" space under their kitchen counters for a washer.
They've been getting on quite fine with such a washer for quite the while now.

I had a 24" Maytag/Whirlpool washer I bought in 2015. It worked just great. No problems.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Electrolux compact

Our rental condo this week in Florida has an older square foot Frigidaire Gallery FL set. It runs great but does not perform good enough interim spins. However it does use quite a bit of water. If this newer model is like the older one I am quite interested!

 

[rp2813]

John, you don't have to convince me!  There is no way our king size comforter could fit in any size top load machine.  Our Maytag Neptune front loader is small compared to most of today's front load machines, but the comforter fits in it. 

 

I won't ever again have a top loader as my daily driver, even a vintage one that fills all the way, rinses thoroughly and uses truly hot water when desired.   I've been using front load machines since 2007 and they are more efficient and better at cleaning. 

 

My 1987 Maytag top loader is hooked up, but it sees little use.

 

[askolover]

My 1997 Asko has served us fine for 23 years and we have a king bed.  The Miele w1986 holds even more than the Asko does.  I don't want an oversized behemoth because it won't fit in my closet with the doors closed.

 

[iej]

In Ireland plenty of homes have would tend to have space for laundry machines - utility rooms and garages being the most common, but you've almost zero demand for top loader agitator washers.

They were a niche product until a couple of decades ago, often used in B&Bs because they were able to wash loads relatively quicker than 1970s and 80s front loaders but their spin speeds and performance is pretty poor compared to modern front loaders and in light commercial use you'll typically now find Miele Little Giants and Electrolux semi commercial etc etc

But for residential use the standard sized cabinet machines are pretty much the absolutely norm. Also it's worth bearing in mind that standard European front loaders very in depth quite a lot

The higher capacity machines are significantly deeper front to back and you'll sometimes find very shallow, slim line machines used in tight apartments where you'd typically be expecting to wash for 1 or 2 people max anyway.

But you easily get a very large hamper of towels into a typical present day European washer in a single cycle. Most of them also use scooping ladle paddle systems and/or recirculation pumps to ensure total saturation of laundry, and it does genuinely do a good job.

As for basements in houses; they're very much a feature of tradition US construction due to an adaptation to climate. In the parts of the US with extreme winters, a basement allowed for simple furnace heating systems that used rising warm air and is a source of fresh air (through their the heating system).

In Ireland and British houses generally basements wouldn't be used in construction as they're unnecessary. Also due to the climate being rather more mild and damp, they tend to be a complete mould trap. So basements are just generally not a feature at all.

You'll find washing machines in kitchens in some homes, but depending on the layout a utility room is fairly common. In a lot of 1950s era houses there used to be a large utility room with drying space that was often accessed from across the yard - to give access to outdoor lines. Those homes would have had at last semi automatic washing machines back in the day and plenty of automatics and tumble dryers when they first arrived - those utility rooms also sometimes housed the boiler (if gas) but oil boilers (which were and still are common) were almost always housed in a separate boiler room with external louver doors. Many homes of that era used to have the boiler room seperated from the house with a short run of insulated pipes underground linking them. This was to reduce noise and also for fire regs.

These days you'll typically find gas boilers or heat pumps in the house itself as the underground piping is considered a huge waste of heat.

The 50s era utility rooms would often a deep sink, lines for hanging clothes indoors and sometime access to a covered yard (often perspex roofing) for hanging outdoors in the rain.

The other common location for laundry machines is the garage and typically in Ireland hardly anyone ever parks a car in their garage. It's just more awkward than its worth. They tend to become glorified storage sheds and workshops. In a lot of homes they're just scrapped and converted to an extra room. So in a lot of homes thats where you'll find the washing machine and dryer.

 

[pierreandreply4]

being budget wise

if for x reason i had to replace my 15 year old g1 whirlpool duet washer dryer set and could not afford the new frontload model beause they are 1 to costly or 2 had cycle i would not use i would go back to a topload washer mostly like in this set pic as an exemple with the matching dryer but so far after 15 years of use my g1 whirlpool duet washer is still going

 

[iej]

Machines in bathroom - rust issue?

I'm always a little surprised though with the way some continental countries seem to quite commonly put washing machines (and dryers) into quite small bathrooms, often in extremely close proximity to showers and baths.

It's illegal here due to both electrical and building regulations which are extremely conservative about electrical appliances and outlets in bathrooms. Installing a washing machine in a bathroom just isn't legally permitted at all. We can't even install light switches in bathrooms (other than ceiling-mounted versions, operated by a non-conductive pull cord). All bathroom light fittings have to be IP rated and any lighting or fixed devices like shaver sockets, fans, instantaneous electric showers, towel rails, heaters etc also have to be both IP rated and RCD (GFCI) protected and there's a whole load of tight regulation about earthing (grounding) that involves bonding of all metal surfaces and plumbing to the earthing system of the house to ensure equipotential zones i.e. that there's absolutely no possibility of a potential difference (voltage) between any metallic surface.

Electrical sockets (outlets) are can't be installed in bathrooms at all, with the only exception being a shaver shocker which only accepts 2-pin plugs found on shavers and toothbrushes and is limited to 0.2amps and connected via an isolating transformer to completely eliminate any shock risk.

I've just always wondered though when you consider that washing machines are not IP rated, beyond very very simple levels i.e. they don't have exposed electrical components and would generally not be suitable for installation in damp or steamy environments, do they not rust and cause problems e.g. if their electrical components or electronic boards become damp?

I wouldn't imagine that an open-winding electric motor, as found in most machines, would be too happy with constant exposure to steam. It would also apply to things like relays and certainly to the electromechanical controllers (cam programmers) that were used in older machines. Even modern electronic controls would probably have issues with damp conditions.

I appreciate that the machine's probably connected using a socket that's RCD protected, so the shock risk is extremely low, but it just seems like it would potentially shorten the life of any machine to have it in a steamy bathroom.

 

[ozzie908]

@iej

My washer and dryer are in the downstairs bathroom its in the corner where the hot water tank sat. There is a 13amp double outlet on the inside of the dividing wall its extremely difficult to access the plug due to the confinement of the space and its too far away to reach while in the shower, This was installed 2 years ago and is up to code as the whole house was rewired at the same time, I took a pic of my new washer its my logo.

 

[foraloysius]

In my previous apartment I had up to three washing machines and two dryers in the bathroom. Never had any problems with rust or electrical problems. I kept one washing machine in an unheated shed for a while, now that led to problems! The motor gut moisture on the inside and I guess it started rusting from inside. When I installed it and started using it after a few years, the motor gave a burning smell.

 

[iej]

@ozzie908 : I'd be interested to see if that actually passed a building or electrical inspector. The majority of electrical installations in this part of the world are self-certified with only spot checks / complaints going to the regulatory bodies.

If the socket (and machine) is not more than 3 meters from the bath/shower, it does not comply with England/Wales electrical or building regulations. I'm familiar with both Irish and British regs on this. They're a little different but they're quite similar.

While sockets are (in theory) permitted outside the restricted zones, the risk of using a portable appliance with a cable is taken into consideration, which is where the 3m rule comes from regarding socket outlets.
The rule as interpreted is that they must be at least 3m from the boundary of zone 1, which more or less bans them from all but the most enormous of bathrooms.

In theory your washing machine would be allowed 'outside zones' but would have to be connected without a plug and socket i.e. using a fixed, fused spur connector and an RCD to eliminate any use of sockets.

The fact that the socket is inaccessible is also a breach of code, as you're legally supposed to be able to isolate the washing machine either with an isolating switch or by removing the plug, which should be accessible if it's the only means of isolation.

 

[ozzie908]

@iej

The socket is not inaccessible it is difficult to change the plug but you can slide your hand down the gap to switch it off if you need to.

The electrics were all done by a reputable company here in Lincoln city and I too am aware that the distance between the washer and the shower are less than 3 meters but the difficulty to reach the power point while standing in the shower is practically impossible if you look at my picture the machine is in its corner the shower is to the right on the opposite wall.

The Circuit breakers we have are so sensitive they trip at the slightest hint of earth leakage, I have no doubt someone will find something to complain about but me I am more than happy to not have my washer in the kitchen have always hated that.

 

[johnbee]

Regulations

I've seen several new listings in New York City having the washer and the dryer installed next to the shower.
I would worry more about having a 230v dryer next to the shower rather a 120v washer.
In my case it was all about space. I really had no space next to my kitchen sink.
My heatpump dryer is located in the kitchen.

I also don't like the idea having the machine next to the bathtub for several reasons. BUT having a washer installed and not having to take myself to the laudromat is amazing.
FYI washer is connected on a GFCI outlet and always unplugged while not used.

 

[ozzie908]

@johnbee

Hi it is nice not have to go to the launderette I would loath having to use one nearest me and I am so used to having my own machines I could not live without them now.
As you have the washer in your bathroom why not the dryer on top of it ?

 

[johnbee]

Dryer on the top

For 2 main reasons
1. makes the room way too small. It makes me feel claustrophobic.
2. My outlet is 20amps. I would like to run both units at the same time and this is not possible-Safe. I need at least 30 amps.

 

[iej]

120V or 230V will efficiently electrocute you in the shower if there's no RCD/GFCI and proper grounding.
I wouldn't be more worried about either of them - they're both potentially lethal if not installed correctly.

 

[iowabear]

Many washers in the Midwest are located in old houses and unfinished basements without standpipes and just drain onto the floor, creating a big puddle of water on the floor around the drain.  I grew up with one like this...as a little kid it was fun to watch.  A neater approach is to have the washer drain into a washtub and have that drain more slowly into the floor drain.

 

The basement shower shared the floor drain so pausing the washer during a shower was a must.

 

[rieon]

Nice. Our kenmore Dd can handle a large load very well too!

 

[combo52]

Shock Hazards With Laundry appliances

Are nearly nonexistent with washers and dryers as these appliances are always permanently grounded through their power cords, in fact GFIs are not even recommended for these appliances.

 

In the US it would not make any difference whether the appliance is 240 volts or 120 volts, the shock potential to ground on a 240 volt dryer or electric range can never be more than 120 volts.

 

The only possible way you can get a 240 volt shock in the US is to get inside the appliance and touch the L1 and L2 wires at the same time, this will not happen even if you put the dryer in the shower with you, LOL

 

This is another reason why the 240 Volt GE Partio Carts were not any where near as dangerous as a string of Christmas lights as far as a possible shock hazard goes. The GE PC is permanently and completely grounded through the power supply cord, a few years ago we had a down poor durning cooking on one of our PCs and I didn't even turn it off, everything was still working and heating through the downpour.

 

 

 

John L.