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frigilux

frigilux

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I'm moving to an apartment building in a couple of weeks (8-plex; four up/four down). Everyone's laundry equipment is in a central hallway that leads from the front to the back of the building. In other words, everyone walks through the laundry area every time they go to the back of the building to get to the garages.

ANYWAY... I'm probably going to get the TOL electronic Speed Queen top-loader. The pass-through walkway is fairly narrow, so depth of the machine is an important consideration. Briefly considered a SQ front-loader, but have seen too many videos of them shaking/vibrating on wooden floors. Plus, the tub really isn't much bigger than the TL, no internal heater, and the narrow walkway would preclude leaving the door open so it can dry out.

Question: Can I still use the clothespin trick to defeat the lid switch? If not, is there another trick that works?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with information!

EDIT: By the way, the other three sets on the upper floor (where I'll be) aren't too exciting. A couple of cheap GE's (HE models) and what appeared to be a BOL Amana. Downstairs sets were a bit more exciting. There was an awesome late 80's KitchenAid set in beautiful shape. Will take photos when I move in and can afford to be more nosy. I was with the landlord yesterday and didn't want to let my freak flag fly, LOL.[this post was last edited: 7/7/2017-07:51]
 
Are you saying...

That the laundry center is in a free range area where you have access to sets belonging to other units and they yours?

AFAIK, the clothespin enhancement still applies to current models.

Malcolm
 
Malcolm: Yes, that is correct. The upstairs central hall running from the front to the back of the building has each apartment's furnace, water heater and laundry pair. Ditto the central hall downstairs. In fact, anyone can walk in off the street (neither front nor back entrances are locked), open the door to the central hallway and use your washer & dryer while you're away. It's a very, very small town, LOL.

By coincidence, a woman who used to live across the street from me (she sold her house about a year ago) is in the upstairs unit right across from the one I'm moving into. We're neighbors again. I asked her if anyone had walked in off the street and used someone's washer/dryer; she said no. But, yes; theoretically, someone could come in with an appliance dolly and leave with your washer & dryer.

Martin-- Thanks for posting the video! I'm debating whether to defeat the lid switch or not; there are a few kids in the building. But I really hate that the machine would stop every time I'd lift the lid to check for rollover, suds level, etc.
 
Hi Eugene, I would get the SQ FL washer, since the larger tub with balance ring was added we have had NO vibration complaints with these machines.

The capacity is almost twice as large on the FL washer compared to the TLer. When comparing capacity on FL vs TL machines the same cubic foot FL will hold almost twice as much laundry as a TL washer and actually wash turn it over and get it clean.

Leaving the door open is not really necessary if you use the washer properly to prevent mold etc.,[ and I know that you know how to do laundry ] Martin will tell you about his MT Neptune's that he leaves the door closed on with no problems.

If you do not want to spend the money on a new SQ FL washer I would get a used WP built DD set, the DD washers are just all around better performing washers than the SQ TL machines.

John L.
 
What I'd like to do is take the Maytag 8100's with me, but they're 34" deep---and that doesn't even include room for hoses. I'm pretty sure the open doors would hit (or come very close to hitting) the machines on the other side of the narrow aisle. The washer sits right next to the water heater, so getting hot water into the front-loader wouldn't be a problem. Decisions, decisions. We all know I'm a front-load fan at heart.

Anyone out there with the new SQ front-loaders have problems with vibration on a wooden floor?
 
John is correct.....I don't leave my doors open, nor the dispensers.....never have, never will......

in fact, don't have to......any machine if properly used will never have an issue....

double that, any machine I got in that DID have a mold/mildew issue.....give it a few weeks with standard laundry practices, and it will all disappear....

'clean washer' cycles, and 'washing machine cleaners'.....pure nonsense and a waste of money......in fact, my machines don't even have a 'clean washer' cycle!...proof that it was never needed!....just a gimmick....
 
Saw my dealer today. Has the TOL SQ top-loader and the front-load pair with controls on the front on the floor. TL pair = $1700; FL pair= $3000. Much as I loves me a front-loader, that's a significant chunk of change. I could furnish the entire apartment with the difference in those prices, LOL.
 
Having grown up in a military family and moved all over the place, I know first and of storing one's washer / dryer in common areas. We had to do the same in a large duplex complex for a year. One's equipment can get damaged easily if your neighbors are moving theirs and kids running in and out. There is NO WAY I'd pay top dollar only to have it scratched or dented (or even used!). I've seen it happen.
Eugene, in my honest humble opinion, find a good used set if you can. John L.'s advice is sound, I'd try to find a good used Whirlpool DDs set if I could.
Then when you move out and get your own place, then spend the money!!!!!! Best of luck to you.

Barry
 
Excuse me for asking a weird question here, but I don't want several years down the road Eugene blaming me for not asking it.

Is it possible, if you don't care too much about appearances, to just bring your Maytag set with you and stack them rotated? That is, the set is supposedly narrower (27 or 29 inches?) in width, and if you rotate it 90 degrees, the door of the machines will open in what used to be the place for the dryer, no? You might need to extend the dryer vent and maybe the drain and water hoses, I dunno.

Worth thinking about it?

Cheers,
   -- Paulo.
 
OK, I've decided to go with the SQ top-loader pair for several reasons. It's probably crazy to spend even that much on a set that will be planted in a common area, but I was not impressed with the used machines either dealer in town had on offer. John, thank you, as always, for your insight and advice. However, in this case it makes sense for me to go with the TL pair.

The landlord (who I know casually) is recarpeting the whole place as well as giving it a complete re-paint and installing a particular American Standard toilet that I want.

There's an early '90s-looking Frigidaire electric smoothtop range that I'm replacing with a GE double oven range (model 860 in white to match the smallish year-old refrigerator already in place). Also need a new microwave, a small dining table, and a couple of other things---all to be purchased using the money I saved by not getting the front-load SQs. (For the curious: It will be noted in the lease that the range is mine and goes with me should I move.)

Paulo-- The machines cannot be stacked (cupboards above machines) nor can they be installed 'sideways' due to space being very tight. Good idea, though!

My life has changed so much over the past year or two. Dealing with change is not a strong suit for me, so it's been a bit of a wild ride, LOL.

I meet with the realtor later this morning. Three parties have made an offer on the house. Keep your fingers crossed for me, kids![this post was last edited: 7/8/2017-11:31]
 
Another option

If you get the SQ stack, then you could leave the washer door open and it would be out of the way in the spot where the dryer otherwise would be.

The lack of a heater or steam in the SQ FL really isn't an issue. If you want to make sure your warm or hot wash is indeed that, then just select a Pre-Wash. Ditto if you wish a warm rinse.
 
Another option

If you get the SQ stack, then you could leave the washer door open and it would be out of the way in the spot where the dryer otherwise would be.

The lack of a heater or steam in the SQ FL really isn't an issue. If you want to make sure your warm or hot wash is indeed that, then just select a Pre-Wash. Ditto if you wish a warm rinse.
 
Upper Cabinets....

Prevent a stack as being an option.

I would question having the newest nicest laundry pair in the community laundry room... Probably just me. A friend that shared a duplex with a similar setup had issues with a neighbor constantly using her machines.

Is there room for a portable dishwasher, if need arises?

Malcolm
 
Malcolm-- The wall of the kitchen with no cabinets will be home to my 6-ft work table, housing the Kitchen Aid mixer, the Keurig coffeemaker, food service-size plastic wrap and foil boxes, knife block, etc., just as in my current kitchen. I'm truly not bothered by losing the dishwasher. I've been "practicing" washing dishes manually and found that a good sponge, classic yellow rubber gloves, a glass/bottle brush, and commercial pot scrubbers are working out well.

I'm not too worried about anyone using the SQs. All eight units have a laundry pair, so no one is really looking to do laundry in someone else's machine. Remember, this is a very small town. I know nearly everyone currently in the building---some only casually; some very well. No chance in this little village for the cloak of anonymity one might have in a bigger town.
 
you can always get a portable or counter top dishwasher.......no big deal there...

one thing I would investigate, how do the other machines in that location look, scuffed and scratched?, or good shape?.....gives you an insight to any abuse your machine might suffer from in a walkway situation....

then again, you could always install a coin-op set....the humor in someone using your set is at least you will recoup the cost....

interesting thought, is this part of a HOA, or how does one account for the electric/gas/water for these machines?
 
I love it: Coin-op Speed Queens!

Each set of laundry hookups is tied in to the corresponding apartment's water and electricity. All hookups for dryers are electric, which surprises me, since they sit right next to your gas furnace and water heater.

Most of the machines are in good shape. A few look like they've been through several moves.
 
Some thoughts...for what they are worth... And apologies for stuff that may seem incredibly obvious.

 

If you haven't done it already, it would be worth actually measuring the space available, and measuring the washer. I personally find it too easy to guess something will or will not work...only to find when actual measurements are done that I was totally wrong.

 

Another option: would it be possible to put the washer in the apartment itself? Even paying for a hookup would likely be less than a new washer. (The dryer could still live in the hall, even if you went with a new dryer due to space. But dryers seem less important to me than washers.)

 

Like others, I have concerns about good laundry equipment in that hall. While it's a small town--and I understand just where you are coming from on that--being in the hall does expose the equipment to a lot of possible wear and tear just with things happening. Someone dropping a bag of groceries by accident, and a can of tomato paste flying and dinging a washer. Thus, I personally wouldn't be inclined to buy a TOL SQ TL.

 

In the same vein, another obvious savings would be getting a mismatched set--i.e. the cheapest dryer that will work for what you need. Why pay SQ pricing if WP will work? Since it's in a hall, who cares if there is a mismatched look? (This approach might make FL SQ more affordable!)

 

In your position, I guess I'd also consider other options. Is there a cheap, decent FL washer that might fit?

 

Sorry if all these are things you've thought about...

 

But I have to admit: I honestly wonder how happy you'll be with a SQ TL (hence the suggestions at making FL cheaper by using a cheaper dryer, or using your existing washer with a new hookup, or even getting a cheap new FL washer). You are clearly a FL fan, and I can remember at 2 TL machines that I can remember you having as secondary washers. As I recall, you liked playing with them...but that was about it.

 
 
Dishwashers

I'll echo what was said about portable and counter top dishwashers earlier.When I moved into this place, a huge minus (for me) was no dishwasher...and I planned to rectify that ASAP. Unfortunately, it never happened--I couldn't find a cheap portable in my area, among some other issues. But the kitchen space was limited--about what an apartment has, or less--and my plan was just to dump the dishwasher permanently by the sink. I'd have probably blocked part of the cabinetry (which could have been used for dead storage), and had a decent path left to the sink (for getting water, or washing that handful of stuff that is never DW safe, like good knives).

Today, I might consider exploring the option of a countertop DW. I actually think (as I write this...not necessarily what I'll think in a year, a month, or even tomorrow LOL) that a countertop DW might be a good choice for me. Small, but big enough for a single person. It wouldn't take as long to fill with dirty dishes. It might mean having to have fewer dishes.

 

For the moment, I get by with hand washing. I hate washing dishes, and it's probably one factor of why I lack enthusiasm for cooking these days. A DW will be on my list of things I want for my next place...but, at the same time, I guess I have to admit that to a degree it's negotiable. That is, other factors might easily cancel out the drudgery of hand washing dishes.
 
Off topic ramble...

Is it possible, if you don't care too much about appearances, to just bring your Maytag set with you and stack them rotated? That is, the set is supposedly narrower (27 or 29 inches?) in width, and if you rotate it 90 degrees


 

Rotation can be helpful, and it was the trick my parents did in part with the house where we lived in the 70s/80s. The laundry area was not wide enough for both the washer and dryer. (I still remember moving day. I was about 5 or 6 at the time. My mother took one look at the washer and dryer sitting there, obviously too big to squeeze in, and used a word beginning with "d" that she would not have appreciated coming off my lips. LOL)


 

But the problem was solved by rotating the washer 90 degrees. The washer was probably a bit less convenient to use--one had to stretch a bit to close the lid, and the dryer had to be moved on the rare occasions full access was needed for repairs on the washer. But we got by fine for the 15+ years we lived there.
 
could that be an option.....a portable set in your APT?....

I would go with the Avanti/Midea/MagicChef....and at least 1.7 or larger....this would fit in the kitchen or bath for use....

hoping there is a camera setup in that complex....just in case something happens, damage to machines, clothing/detergent theft....

just the thought of this hallway setup seems odd to me, and maybe others...running up and down switching out load after load.....

I don't know, I would think a regular coin op laundry setup would be somewhat better, at least you could do several loads at one time....

but if your content with this arrangement, who are we to argue....

if you get time, could you post a few pics of this setup...this is not something you see everyday...
 

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