Washer and Dryer in bedroom... questions....

[Jennk]

My dungeon of a basement is currently home to my washer and dryer, which cannot continue.

I noticed that in the bedroom upstairs in a small alcove, next to the wall that has the air-handler and ducts, that there are two supply lines and a drain pipe. These were plugged and obviously intended to service a bathroom in that alcove. My plan is to move the washer and dryer to that spot, which would work out nicely. Does anybody have any experience with this or have any tips that would assist in me not killing my house? The basement afforded me some comfort in the event that there was some kind of leak, as an example.

Thanks in advance....

[Speedy Jim]

Off the cuff, some things to consider: Will the floor joists support the combo weight and vibration? Where/how can you duct the dryer exhaust to the outside? Is the drain adequate? If it was for a lav basin, it's likely only 1 1/2" size, which may be too small for direct drainage of a washing machine. Consider a pan under the washer to catch overflows. Provide a drain pipe down to the basement for it. Provide a one-handle shutoff for the water supplies to the washer or, better, a solenoid valve triggered by the washer. There are also controls which will shut off water in case of flooding.

Jim

[Sterling]

Whoa! I had a client I had not seen for a while come in one morning bitterly cursing her washer - which had been next to the master bedroom.

She told me she left for work one morning about 6:30am after throwing a small load of clothes in the washer, intending to dry them when she got home. When she did get home at 9:00pm she discovered "the upstairs was downstairs." The washer had "never finished filling". The damage was beyond belief. She had to move out for three months.

Lots of people have the washer/dryer upstairs. You should never leave machines unattended. But...

Jennk wrote: