Washer Dryer Question
 

We have just settled on a new Begonia in Lake Deaton. We went to Lowes and purchased a Samsung washer and dryer. They are top loading high efficiency models. When they were delivered and installed yesterday, we were shocked to see that they protruded four inches beyond the counter out into the room. We asked the installers if they could be moved back and they said it can't be done because of the hoses. They said all the new models do this and the Villages really should start allowing more depth in the laundry room.
Has anyone else had this experience? Is there any solution or fix for the problem?

If you look in the back of the unit you will most likely find that the 4" dryer vent is curled around and does not go out the back of the unit and straight up the solid metal vent. This makes the units stick out an additional few inches. most of the time this is just laziness on the part of the installers. If they took a bit more time and accordioned the pipe to have only one elbow pointing up towards the solid vent and secured, you would not have this problem.

I call this issue "dryer curl" and write it up during inspections almost daily. I am sure they will not return to make this right, but it does compromise the efficiency of the dryer. With every extra "elbow" or turn of the vent you lose airflow, or CFM's and this can cause more lint to get trapped down the road and longer drying times, thus costing you money in electrical costs. This is exacerbated by the fact that this vent also needs to go up a good distance and vent through the roof.

I suggest that the next time you have your dryer vent cleaned out you have that person take the time to install the vent pipe as I described. This will allow you to move the units back at least 3" or so, and make your dryer a bit more efficient.

Mind you, I inspect these issues everyday. I sometimes see these dryers installed correctly resulting in you having much more room and a more efficient dryer. I also see these installed they way yours is currently, resulting in the unit being at least 4-5 inches away from the wall and giving you much less room in your laundry area. In extreme cases, I have seen the garage entry door almost hit the dryer.

I for one would not stand for leaving this as is, but I'm kind of picky about such things...I have been told by others that Lowes and Home Depot installs these like this everyday, and will not take the time to do this correctly....in SOME cases this cannot be helped, like when you have pedestals, etc... ..hope this helps!

Frank D.

We too are in a Begonia and had the same problem when we bought Whirlpool washer and dryer at Sears. It was unacceptable and Sears refused to do anything about it so I had the washer and dryer sent back to Sears.

We then went to Home Depot and bought an LG set. They fit fine.

No one at the stores seemed to understand the problem and I measured each and every set. It was not a fun shopping experience but I'm glad it was finally solved.

Good luck to you.

As long as the machines don't interfere with doors opening and closing no need to worry. Most countertops are only 25" to 25 1/2" deep. Most washers and dryers are 27" to 30" deep, not including the space needed for hoses and dryer vents. As long as the wall next to the machine is longer than the machine is deep, it is acceptable. I've never had a machine flush even with the front edge of the countertop. If it did, you would have an awfully small machine.

Does anyone know a good dryer vent cleaner so I can check and see if they could possibly rectify this issue?

All good advice, thanks.

I am assuming your new machine has the water saver feature. I can almost guarantee you, you will hate the performance of this washer. I have one and have had to learn to trick the machine into providing enough water. I don't believe there is a solution for your problem. We had five service call trying to get the washer to provide ample water but finally accepted the reasoning that this is the way the water saver machines work. When we do not use the "trick" most times the clothing will go thru the entire cycle without the clothing getting 100% wet. We probably would not have become aware of the problem if it were not for the glass top (lid) of the washer.
Good l
uck !!

In addition to all the good advice above I also installed these 45 degree faucet hose adapters at the washer wall faucets. Click on THIS Amazon link to see a picture.

We reduced front-to-back space requirements almost two inches and did not put excess bending pressure on the hoses using the using these. :thumbup:

Our two year old Gardenia has 30" from back wall to door frame. Our LG front loaders are almost 28" deep, with front knobs. So the 2 inches were important to us. Our dryer vent fit right into the recessed wall dryer vent opening as originally built and did not "push" the dryer into the room.



Don

the trick
 

Would you mind sharing the "trick" to use more water with a high efficiency washer? There are times when my laundry could look better at the end of a wash cycle.

thanks

Great Hint Don...I have seen these and I'm glad you mentioned it. The dryer vent is supposed to be as you have it. While it will work with the additional bends, I call it vent snaking or curling, these additional bends lower CFM's and increase the likelihood of lint build up that when left unchecked can cause a dryer fire.

According to the Consumer product safety commission, about 15,000 house fires are caused each year by lint build up in the dryer venting. The longer the vent run and the more bends in the venting, the more your vent is prone to build up.

This is why it is wise to have the dryer vents cleaned every so often. If you notice a lot of lint on the roof around the vent, or if it seems to take longer for clothes to dry, it may be time to clean the vent.

Frank

Thanks, Don. Walter, would you share the trick?

Tricking a Samsung washer to get more water.
 

Here is our solution. But we really shouldn't have to do this to make a new Samsung front loader wash properly. Load the clothing and start the washer. Normal or heavy setting and soil level heavy. Allow the water to run for 45 seconds to a minute. Now STOP the machine using the power button. The clothing is now wet and the machine senses there is a heavy load and the automatic water dispenser will add water in preparation to wash a heavy load when you turn the power back on and let the actual wash begin. Important, turn off machine using the power button NOT THE PAUSE BUTTON. Good Luck, this always works for us.

Thanks, Walter.

thanks for sharing

We too recently bought a top loading, HE set and found it too deep for our Jasmine's small laundry room. However, we have not had the problem of not enough water. I think we have preconceived ideas about how much is enough. I load it (you shouldn't overload it), turn it on and let it do it's thing. I have never had dry clothes come out of the washer. But I can enjoy TV in the living room without hearing a washer change cycles and generally bang around. My clothes are clean and don't seem to be as wrinkled as when they came out of the GE set we had. We can not hang clothes in the laundry room now and I will be getting rid of the big laundry sorting bin.