Apartment Washer Dryer Buying Guide
Comparing the Difference between Stacked Washer Dryer and All-in-One Apartment Washer Dryer Combinations
The difference between the two is mainly in size - available space that you have and energy efficiency. With All-in-one washer dryer combo you can obviously save on a lot of water and electricity bills compared to stacked units. It is also much more compact in size since both the dryer and the washer use the same drum for cleaning and then tumble drying. The downside of washer dryer combinations are such that if something breaks or needs repair and maintenance, its gonna cost you more down the road to fix it in comparison to staked or separate washers and dryers units. The hassle might become more unbearable when your dryer needs repairing and it prevents you completely from being able to wash clothes during this troubleshooting period.
Make sure the apartment washer dryer combo you decide to purchase has decent enough load capacity. With growing demand for inexpensive mini apartment size washers and dryers due to restrictive space saving commonly associated with apartment living or condo dwellers, its no surprise why many people choose to buy compact washing machines.
But beware that a too small laundry appliance is not sufficient for your daily or weekly cleaning needs. A good rule of thumb is to choose a clothes washing machine that can handle at least about 12 pounds of clothes (or around 4 cubic foot capacity). This is because if the drum is not big enough, your clothes will remain damp even after long spin drying cycles. The more people you have in the apartment, especially for parent with kids or new born babies, the larger the washer dryer should be. Typical 4 cu. ft. combo unit cost around $600 to $1000, and larger ones with good quality may well come in excess of $1500.
Some Popular Brands for Apartment Size Washer and Dryer
If you are looking for good balance between price, functionality and size, LG washer dryer combo is the way to go. One of the major benefits of LG combo models is that you can simply set and forget it! The integrated timer and 'Intelligent Washing System' technology ensure less water and energy usage is well optimized for each of your load. You will find how effortless it is to simply dump your dirty clothes in the machine, push the button, go to work and when you come home everything is clean and dry just waiting to be folded and put into closet.
Maytag washer is another well recognized name in this market of apartment laundry appliances with their 23" wide front-load stacked washer dryer versions (the dryer is stacked on top). Many consumers praise Maytag's ability to do economical washes with intelligent use of detergents, run quietly and come at very reasonable costs.
If you can afford it, Bosch front load apartment washer and dryers are one of the best appliances out there. What separate this Brand of apartment washer dryers is their superb environmentally friendly features such as: EcoAction - reduces water usage by about 20%, AquaStop - prevents water leakage and many more.
How to Install Washer Dryer in Apartment?
In most case, you should be able to arrange a free installation service from the retailer store which sold you the machine. Yet buying second-hand or refurbished washer dryer combos is a great way to save money while still enjoying warranty covers from the reseller.
Here are some basic steps and guides to get you set with your laundry appliance, be it a combo or stackable washer dryer unit. Just few words of caution: if you rent an unfurnished apartment, you might want to check with the landlord to get his or her permission in the fist place to avoid any future unexpected penalty charges, as installation will involve changing or alteration of apartment parts.
- Before you buy, make sure to take with you a measure tape and check on the washing machine's dimension and see if it fits into your apartment space.
- Go to your place and find a closet area with two water hose connectors and an outlet
- Connect the two hoses to your washer/dryer unit (the one marked with red is for hot water, the other is for cold water)
- Plug the drain pump to the outlet (do not confuse this one with water hoses, which have connectors attached to them)
- If the dryer is separate it should be placed on the side with about 5 inch hole in the floor for venting purposes (you should find in your dryer parts the vent hose, else it can be obtained from local hardware store)
Related Articles:
Portable Washer Reviews - Some Best Selling Models
Stacked Front Load Washer and Dryer Buying Guide
Back from Apartment Size to Washer and Dryers
Return from Apartment Washer Dryer to Washing Machine Reviews
