Stacking washer dryer combo question

In My Humble Opinion
1

We have an ordinary top load washing machine and a gas dryer. Both are old (the washer at least was here when we bought the house 15 years ago), so neither owes us anything. Both are kinds…temperamental, though they still do the job. But now we are thinking of replacing them.

My wife has floated the possibility of a stackable combination. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them in use, but it’s an interesting thought. We do not have a lot of laundry space. But I’m trying to figure out if this is even feasible. Here’s the setup:

The laundry machines are in the back of the pantry. The width of the pantry at that point is about 7 feet, and the two are facing each other, the washer along the south wall, the dryer along the north wall. (You can’t stand between them with the dryer door open, which is one of the reasons something stackable might be nice.) There’s plenty of vertical space along the north wall, not so much along the south wall (there’s a shelf which would be difficult but not impossible to remove).

But the thing is that the water source is on the south wall, while the dryer vent and the gas intake are along the north wall. They’re the aforementioned ~7 feet apart.

So does this invalidate the possibility of stacking them? Or are there “extension cords/pipes/vents/etc” that can be used? And if so are they effective and safe?

Anyway, that’s the deal, and that’s the question. Before we start shopping in earnest it would be great if someone more knowledgeable than me would help me fight my ignorance about these things! And if more information is needed I will do my best to provide it. Thanks a bunch.

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Interesting username/thread topic combo.

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So there’s pros and cons to the stacking.

Pros : in some laundry rooms, this saves space. Not in mine, I have cabinets above both and the niche was sized for 2 units. Sounds like yours is as well.

Cons : Stacking is only practical with front loader machines, which are more expensive (though generally front loader washers do a better job in testing by consumer reports, sweethome, and other professional reviewers). The big ‘gotcha’ is that different manufacturers size their machines slightly different, so you are only guaranteed to be able to stack a pair of the same models from the same manufacturer. This is a sales trick so they can sell them in pairs, even though I suspect that in your case, one of your machines probably just needs some minor repairs and can run for years to come.

In your case, what you want to do can sort of be done, but every method I can think of requires somewhat expensive and troublesome plumbing modifications. You could, for instance, run a new section of PEX through the ceiling (can you access the attic?) to supply water to the washer from a new water spigot on the other wall. And then you could convert your drain to a floor drain, and run the drain line from the washer along the floor to it.

You can’t move the dryer to the other side because you do not want to run dryer ducts through interior walls. It is possible but a bad idea, as they will get clogged with lint and are difficult to repair. Also, moving gas lines is expensive, and you do not want to run an extension gas line along the floor, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.

If I were you, I’d :

a. Look into fixing at least one of your existing machines.
b. Look into overhead storage. If you think about it, stacking doesn’t save you any volume. It just gives you a clear area of floor to stash stuff. You can get the same benefit with large cabinets or something above each washer and dryer.

I don’t think moving plumbing lines or risking future problems like water leaks or sewage leaks or electrical fires or gas leaks is worth the hassle of a little more floorspace.

If you’re really desperate for space, they do make combo washer/dryers that do not need a vent and only need water and drain lines. They are expensive and are infamous for doing a poor job at drying, but they do have them.

4

We have stacked machines, as our space is very limited. They work great. In your case, you will need to hire a plumber, as you don’t want to be messing with gas lines yourself.

5

Er…electric dryer, maybe? if the vent can be placed on the outside wall.

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Mostly agree with SamuelA. Some quibbles or different or additional thoughts …

It’s not 100% true that you consume the same amount of total space stacked versus not. If nothing else the stacked machines now share the space their doors open into. Also the utility of different space at different heights is different. My full-size stackable installation in a prior home took wasted room at 6+ feet above the floor and put it inside the w/d unit. I gained back space at 2 to 5 feet above the floor I could actually use. For sure all this depends on the details of the units, the space, etc., but it isn’t necessarily a zero-sum game.

Agree you can’t run dryer vent lines a long distance or with many bends. So you’re looking at ventless driers or moving the washer plumbing to be where the drier is now.

Stackables come in a variety of sizes from sets for families of 8 to mini sets for single occupant studio apartments. Certainly they come in a larger range of sizes than ordinary side by side separates do. If your family is small and staying that way and you’re not addicted to washing 7 sets of towels and sheets per week as some people are, you may be able to gain space by going to smaller units.

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I have stacked, WITH a top loading washer and it works wonderfully. I have no complaints, and it says a lot of space! Go for it, your plumber can sort any extension hose issues I’m sure. If you’re not, call a couple for a consult!

8

Stacked works great. Dryer vents can be run at least 7 feet, as can extension cords. We have one in our bathroom now, my wife loves it because the side by sides were in the basement and there wasn’t enough room for them upstairs. Even in our new addition where we could have made space for side by side units in the new bathroom for the new master bedroom we are planning to put the stacked units there (although there’s enough space to go side by side if we wanted to).

9

A question: does the dryer door swing against the further wall or into the entryway?

10

Thanks for the responses thus far (OP here). I would have expected more unanimity, but this is great; appreciate all the suggestions thus far. Might need to see what my plumber says. I am definitely not messing with gas lines myself, and don’t really want to deal with dryer vents either any more than I have to.

To address a couple of things–

The dryer door is hinged at the bottom so swings downward when opened. That means it opens into the space between the washer and the dryer. I am pretty tall and have long arms, so reaching in a tad sideways is only marginally cumbersome. My wife, however, is quite short and has mobility issues, so reaching in and out is much more complicated.

I think there’s no question that we would save space with a stacked system. Even if we didn’t “do” anything with it, if it just gave us more room to stand and move around while moving laundry along it’d be a plus. Not only is there the issue of reaching to pull things out of the dryer, but there’s also the problem of having to pull things out of the washer with the dryer door open…basically there’s nowhere to stand. As mentioned, for me that’s not such a big deal, but it’s at the very least inconvenient.

I suppose we could switch to an electric dryer but we’ve always been pretty happy with gas.

There are 4 of us, including a toddler. I am by no means a wash-the-towels-every-day kind of a guy, but we do run a fair number of loads, so something small and slow t going to work well.

I don’t think we will try to fix either of them. I know the last time we had a significant problem with the washer (stopped agitating) the repair guy told us that it probably wouldn’t be worth fixing the next time. That was at least five years ago.

We had a frontloader at our previous house (left it when we sold the property). I know some people think they are truly great, while others have a different perspective; I think it did save water, but I didn’t notice any particular difference positive or negative in how clean the clothes became. I kind of assumed we would have to get a frontloader with a stacked set; elbows, I’m intrigued but am having difficulty visualizing a stacking system with a toploading machine!

I do appreciate the irony of the username/post combo. What can I say? Sometimes you can’t escape this modern behind-the-ears nonsense.

Again, thanks; other opinions (or the same ones all over again) welcome.

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Again, what it comes down to is, moving sewage lines can be a real pain. You have to put the stacked washer on the wall where the dryer is because you cannot realistically run a dryer duct through the interior and re-routing gas lines is even more expensive. So the tough part is you have to come up with some route, through the walls, to get from a washer plumbing set to where one of your existing sewer lines runs. You’d have to remove a bunch of sheetrock to run it, probably.

A much cheaper solution is - why not turn the machines sideways, towards the door? You can easily still reach plumbing and hookups that are to the side of a machine, that isn’t too far, and it still means the lines are protected, being behind and to the side of each machine. You can get 7 foot gas lines, 10 foot washer drain hoses, etc.

Then you can just, again, wait for a good price (like this Black Friday) on replacement equipment and install it.

12

Here’s an example of a stacked set with a toploading washer: https://www.amazon.com/GE-GUD27ESSJWW-Unitized-Spacemaker-Electric/dp/B00W4KJO4M/. The bottommost picture of the 4 shows it best. This top-loading design is pretty much exclusive to the smallish units. Probably not appropriate for your family.

If your wife is short & mobility challenged, the high-mounted dryer may not work so good. My wife is able-bodied but barely 5’4". With our full-sized stackables I was forever finding a leftover sock or two in the dryer that she could neither see nor reach when she’d last emptied it.

That can be fixed with a stepstool and the ability and willingness to use it. My wife had the ability, but not the willingness. Yours?

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Mine is just as pictured but def not a small unit. It’s full size, both components. For six straight years, as a caregivers, we did a solid 20 loads a week! EVERY WEEK! It’s a Maytag and wasn’t new when we bought the house 15 yrs ago. Still running perfectly, too! I love having laundry on the first floor, no going up and down to the basement for me thanks!

14

People who are telling you that you can’t move the dryer are nutty. By far the easiest option is to run the dryer pipe and the gas line along the wall to behind and above where the current washer is. Yes, it looks a little bad visually, but it will work fine. Just use solid, smooth wall pipe for the whole dryer vent and not that expanding spring like stuff and it will work just fine unless the existing run from the dryer to the outside is already quite long.

15

My advice to you is if you have space for a separate washer and dryer get them. The stackable washer and dryer clean clothes alright but they end up smelling bad unless you add that Bounce scent additive.

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The pipe can clog, and you can’t move a gas line without paying a plumber hundreds of dollars, or the entire cost of a washing machine or dryer. In fact, the price premium for the OP to get 2 combination units is probably less than paying a plumber.

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What does stackable-ness have to do with odor?

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I believe he’s thinking of front loading washers, which most new stackables incorporate. And which SO many people have this issue with, that there are new products being produced to address ithe smell in the clothes. Which, remarkably, boasts adding a stench covering scent that lasts 3 whole months, and you can add more if you need to! Wow! How is that not an enormous red flag? Adding scent to my clothes? No! Adding scent that lasts for months and months? Hell no! But people seem to really like ‘the look’ of the front loader. (Isn’t ‘the look’ compromised by always having the door open?) I’m less interested in ‘the look’ than the performance myself. Turns out, some people really can sell ice to Eskimoes!

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Who is going to be doing the laundry? Because if it’s your wife, is she going to be able to reach the clothes from the upper machine (presumably the dryer)? This is something that might get really annoying after a few months, having to stand on tiptoe to reach the back of the dryer, or to have to stand on a footstool every time it needs to be emptied.

20

ETA: @elbows

I agree that’s probably what he meant. But this very thread contains refs to top-loading stackables.

Further, there are legions of people, including myself, who’ve owned multiple sets of front loaders for years with zero smell issues. They wouldn’t sell millions of them years after they came out if they all always stank (stunk?).

My point to furryman was to say what he means. If he means he doesn’t like front loaders, then say that. Stackable <> front loader and front loader <> stackable. They’re orthogonal, not identical.