Portable washer/dryer combo?

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frontloaderfan

frontloaderfan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
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362
Location
Merrimac valley, MA
Well, now it has happened: I am moving to an apt. with no W/D hook-up and am faced with being parted from my well-loved Frigidaire laundry pair. I had to take it because it was the only place close to work that I could afford that would also take dogs.

My question: is there a washer/dryer combo on the market that can be hooked up to a sink tap and if so, is it available on the US market?

I would prefer a front loader, of course, but I realize this may not be doable.

Thanks.
 
Best wishes for your move

You would be far better off with separate machines. The 24" WP-made portable dryer is far better and faster than a condenser combo, can operate on either 120 or 240V and does not tie up your sink faucet for hours. Its drum is also far larger. Venting kits are available that allow you to raise a window a few inches to get rid of the moisture. There are portable washers that you can hook up to your sink that will mean that once the washing and rinsing are finished, you can have your sink back. If you have the room, your dryer can probably be wired to operate on 120V. I don't know if there is a portability kit for your Frigidaire FL. Depending on the construction of your new apartment, a top loading WP portable washer might make less vibration on the floor during spin than a FL.

I believe that dogs adjust better to moves than cats. As long as dogs are with their people, they are usually OK.
 
When I lived in an apartment many years ago that didn't have WD hook ups I purchased a WP portable washer and dryer. I agree with Tom in reply #1, the dryer hooked up to 120v works pretty good. I vented mine out the window like he suggested. I kept it in the kitchen and the top provided some extra space to put things on. The washer however only lasted about 2 years, was out of warranty when the trans./clutch failed and the repair was going to be almost 2/3 of what the machine cost. So I replaced it with a Maytag twin tub A50. That little machine was built like a tank! It spun the laundry way drier than the WP, I could get a weeks worth of laundry done in a little over an hour (washed, not dried). I really liked that machine alot. I think that there are still some twin tubs available. That would be my recommendation if your willing to get hands on with your laundry.
 
I know, I over talk these little machines....but the Avanti/MagicChef/RCA/Midea style machines are a must have.....I brought one to the wash-in, and the guys were impressed with its features, capacity, and performance.....

I got the 1.7, small enough to tuck out of the way, yet more than enough capacity for a set of queen size sheets, and then some.....you would be amazed.....

these can hook up to the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or like we did at the wash-in, to the shower hose....

great washing and turnover for a portable, but even a 850rpm spin....

just some ideas to consider....if we were closer, I would say borrow mine for a while, and see for yourself....

check Walmart for their sales.....portable dryer also available, can hang on the wall......and a rack is available....

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I think Martin's suggestion for the Avanti/Magic Chef washer is even better than mine for the twin tub. These little machines are impressive and priced reasonably! Also, you will be able to wash without any extra handling of the load.
Eddie
 
Key points to consider:

Do you have space for 2 compact machines?

Can you vent out a window?

Is a 240V outlet an option?

 

I think that'll help us narrow down the options. guys, anything else we might need to know?

 

Jim

 
 
I rent a place without hookups but with big closets.

I bought a 24" used washer that I hook up to the sink in the kitchen when needed, and for drying I hang the washer clothes in my bedroom closet with a dehumidifier running in with them for a few hours. Reposition the clothes once while drying and you're done.

The only issue has been lint. Yes, I am aware it's weird.
 
You have a drying closet, just like Martha Stewart and if you're talking weird, she is right up there.

If you read the reviews of the baby combos, and I encourage anyone contemplating buying one to do so, they are almost universally disappointing. Aside from the fact that they have to be hooked up to the sink for 3 to 4 hours per load for a complete wash and dry program because of the condenser drying, the little squirrel cage blowers that circulate the air during drying clog with lint because there is no provision for incoming water to flush the lint out of the blower and the lint is carried in the steamy air that the fan circulates. That means periodic disassembly and cleaning. The drums are very small for drying. People in apartments who thought that buying one of these machines would eliminate the need to send laundry to the cleaners found that was not so. They also found that just keeping up with towels, linens and clothing meant that the combo had to run every evening after work and most did not trust leaving it running when they were not at home. Most said the machines washed well, but they finally resorted to hanging laundry to dry on folding drying racks.
 
First off, thanks for all the suggestions. They are all greatly appreciated! There is a 220 outlet on the opposite side of the kitchen for the stove. Not sure if the cords are the same or not.

I really am kind of hooked on front loaders but the way things are looking, I may have to part with it :-((

There really is no room in the bathroom for a washer, so the kitchen will have to double as a laundry room if at all.

I spoke with the LL and he said having a portable W/D would not be an issue.
 
yeah, I was going to suggest renters insurance....for protection of yourself, as well as the landlord....

I had this, and permission to have a portable set in an apartment long ago....in fact, the landlord reduced my rent for having it.......

this was a NO W/D allowed apartment......others didn't want to purchase the insurance......once you guarantee to the landlord of covering anything that may be damaged....even if not by the machine, they are happy campers...

just a thought.....
 
Can you access the 240 volt outlet? It is easy to make a 240 volt extension cord with conduit by attaching the male and female ends. With an extension cord, you could take your dryer with you and maybe put your much loved washer in storage. It is pretty important to have venting or adequate ventilation with a 240 volt dryer. I buy cheap pantyhose to put over the vent tube to catch the lint when I vent mine indoors in the winter. Is there a window near where you could put the dryer for that window venting kit with the sliding panel?

The thing I would be worried about with a FL washer is that unlike in most permanent installations, you are not going to operate your washer with it against a wall, but (I guess) in front of the sink in the middle of the kitchen floor where the support is weakest. That is why I recommended a top loader because they do not generate the up and down forces on the floor when they spin. They generate side to side forces which result in less vibration through the floor and less chance of your downstairs neighbor appearing at your door with plaster on their head and shoulders. Of course, if your building has concrete floors, you don't have to worry about that.
 
Malber once sold their front loading washer and combo

Units with a "portability" kit which was mainly a set of casters. IIRC Equator and others did the same and all were an unmitigated disaster on average.

All H-Axis washing machines generate forces (often considerable) that by almost universal design are sent down through the machine to be dispersed into the flooring and onto the building. Thus the concept of such a washing machine on wheels at once becomes almost impossible.

Suppose if one could lock the casters it might be another story, but that does not account for one fact; H-Axis washing machines are happiest on solid and stable flooring. In front of or near one's sink/source of water and drainage maybe convenient but if the flooring does not lend the type of support necessary there will be problems. Miele and others suggest the best place for their washers is in a corner where flooring is often strongest.

The only way one could see a H-axis washer or combo unit working as a portable is if spin speeds are low enough to minimize vibrations.
 
LG makes the best of any washer Dryer combination. They make either a twenty four inch model or a twenty seven inch model.  The smaller one having a 2.1 cu ft capacity (10pounds). Or the larger one having,g a full 4.2 cu ft capacity (20 pounds). There ARE conversion kits available by the Equator Corpotation. However,THERE machines are garbage. I have,had both. They dry using a condenser dry method where every sixty seconds,the pump comes on to drain out the water that accumulates during the dry cycle from the steam mixing with the cold water changing from a gas to a liquid. I'll find the model numbers and place the info here so you may find out what is out there. I am sure you'll be pleased with the LG compact twenty four inch model. The last time I was at Sears, they had it in stock for $699. They are listed at $1599 on line. Regarding the issue of combos in general and my own recent experience with selling,using and repairing them, the LG is the very best. You have a direct drive,ventless washer dryer that has many different movements (6th sense technology), a fourteen hundred rpm final spin where the drying begins during its spinning. The secret to perfect outcome is to have very COLDs tap water.  The colder the water, the fastest the clothes dry. The warmer the water, the slower the clothes dry. The average cycle in Florida where I had mine took around three hours from pre wash to dry. Two washes, three rinses. Very quiet and it got my laundry really clean. They're made in South Korea. The others are made in China and, being a previous employee at Equator Corporation and seeing the thousands of faulty, no good pieces of shit they had made in China made me look more into their design. It was horrific and mostly cheap plastic parts. Some were miswired and caught on fire. Others would go out of line causing the tub to go off balance and make loud scraping noises. No balance system. Customers would call and complain about their portable combos walking the floor from unbalanced loads being on non locked wheels. The dame company that makes Equator also makes Haire,Pinnacle, and four other brands mostly for RVS and motor homes. To me,that makes no sense. Why would anyone be interested in placing a washer, front loading with a suspended chassis on springs and shock absorbers that HAS TO BE LOCKED WITH SHIPPING BOLTS TO KEEP THE SUSPENDED DRUM STABLE OTHERWISE CAUSING MECHANICAL DAMAGE want one on a moving vehicle that makes the inside of it to shake and rattle out of control?????????

I wish you the best in your selection.  I'll if you want,I'll go looking to find you a good deal. Aloha
 
Top Loader?

I would look at the Fisher and Paykel (agitator) machine.

1) Good capacity.
2) Quiet washing.
3) Lighter weight for easy movement.
4) Spin the dickens out of your clothes for quicker drying.

Malcolm
 
If you only have room for one machine and no venting, I'd go with the larger 4.2 cu. ft. LG combo, the heated drying rack linked below, and a 70 pint dehumidifier. 

 

Run a full load in the combo. Let the dryer run for a half hour or so to warm everything up. Take out the lighter garments, lay them on the rack, turn it on and run the dehumidifier in the same room. When those garments have dried, put them away and take more out of the dryer to place on the rack. 

 

Of course, if venting is an option and there's room for two machines, I'd go with Yogi's suggested washer and a compact dryer.

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

 

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