We have finally reached the point where we no longer have enough space to dry our clothes indoors, and will need to invest in a dryer.
We have a washing machine in our bathroom (also small) so the dryer would ideally go under/over that.
Does anyone have experience building or buying an appropriate stand? The dryer and washing machine will likely weigh about 50-60kgs each.
Stay away from the combo units. They are shit. And the reduced throughput is a major issue.
A tower design has to have the washer below the dryer, as the washer is creating more vibrations and simply weighs more.
Not all manufacturers allow a dryer to be placed upon their washers and not all washers have a big enough top.
Some (Bosch-Siemens-Appliances does i.e.) do offer specialised “tops” that you can use and that are working quite well. (Example
Personally I would put another lashing strap around the combination, though,just to be extra safe, especially if you have children or pets.
Other than that the combination works without a problem,we have been using that for around 15 years by now, only interrupted by our experiments with combo machines.
If money is not an issue there are all in one combo washer drysers. I sorta doubt it would work but throwing it out there as you never know.
The combo units are shit. Believe me,I tried.
Efficiency sucks, you can often dry less than you can wash. And especially if you have larger amounts to wash/dry you can only have half the throughput.
And according to a few customer protection/test organisations they seem to be less reliable as well.
Far be it for me to tell you the setup of your home, but it’s quite possible that if you do the laundry more frequently then you could hang it up indoors. If you wanted to drive faster, you can aim a fan at it. Of course this depends on your specific setup and on the humidity in your location, but it might be an option that you could use in the meantime, because it’s a fairly cheap way of drying clothes.
You mean more frequently meaning smaller loads, right? At the moment it’s about one 8kg load every 1.5 days, so in winter it’s not long enough to dry. Might try a fan setup in the immediate term though and see how it goes.
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I came here to suggest one of these! We’re quite happy with the setup.
Do you have the connections to run a dryer in your bathroom? In the US, you’d need 240v electric or a gas supply which aren’t commonly found in a bathroom. Also an exterior vent.
I suggest a combo washer/dryer which runs on 120v and uses a heat pump for drying. They are quite expensive in comparison to just a dryer, but can be used anywhere you have water and a drain and the total cost would likely be less than having 240v run to the bathroom.
Or maybe you live somewhere where this isn’t so, in which case disregard this.
EU based, but thanks for the message either way!
You can also get all in one’s that both wash and dry in a single unit if space is a concern. They tend to be a bit pricier because it’s literally two functions in one item but not terrible.
I looked at those and figured the additional cost, plus only one load being washed at a time may be a bit annoying… But realistically, I’ll have to see if one load per day is enough. Thanks!
You already do only one load at a time. Just because you’re doing 1/2 in the wash and 1/2 in the dryer simultaneously doesn’t change the math.
In any case, I happen to sell appliances. If you can get your hands on one of the 2-in-1s with an inverter heat pump, they seem to be pretty popular and have good reviews. And the cost can be offset by the energy savings as they’re very energy efficient compared to a standard washer/dryer pair.
I recommend the LG or GE model. Avoid Samsung.
Much appreciated. There’s a few brands relatively new to the EU e.g Haier. Any thoughts on their quality? Or is this something you really can’t go cheaper on?
Haier is a Chinese company that makes their own appliances but also owns Hotpoint and the GE Appliances brand. I don’t know much about their own brand, but both Hotpoint and GE have increased in quality and reliability since they got bought up in 2016. GE appliances in the lower-end are rebadged Hotpoints and are “ok” in quality and reliability. GEs from the mid-range up are pretty good. I hear few complaints.
LG makes excellent washing machines and dryers and have a set on the lower-end that are suitable. Just make sure to get a washer with direct drive and auto load balancing. A direct drive has no belt (a common point of failure) and auto load balancing keeps the washer stable and helps prevent the drum from warping over time. Plus LG toppers (under the lid) are plastic so they don’t rust.
Of course, if you’re getting front-loaders those last two bits won’t apply, but the direct drive things still will.
Awesome, thanks for the info. Really appreciate it!
Glad to help! Let me know if you have any more questions!
The combination washer below and dryer on top is so common that you can buy a frame which fixes the dryer on top of the washing machine. The weight is not an issue.
