# Q's about stacking a washer and dryer



## jniter (Jun 26, 2011)

DH and I would like to change our laundry closet to have a stacked washer and dryer. We currently have a Frigidaire Affinity, just need to get the dryer. I've been researching whether we needed any outlets/vents moved. A few q's.

1) the water supply/draining/plumbing is nicely recessed into the wall...BUT it is centered a few inches above the top of the washer. it is essentially *exactly* where the vent would be located on the dryer! Right now, all the hoses are all bunched up right in the path of where the venting needs to go. can this be tidied up to the side to accommodate the venting? this is a closet and i have very little extra inches, so just pushing the washer and dryer out to accommodate the mess behind is not an option.

2) because of said very little inches, i was thinking of using a dryer periscope for venting. can it be installed at an angle in a straight shot from the dryer to the vent? the vent is near the ground, maybe 8-12" to the left of the washer. all the pictures i've seen online have the periscope only horizontal or vertical. the description of the dryer periscope says it can go at any angle...but without seeing any installations using it at an angle, i wonder if there is a problem with doing so.

3) if the answer to #2 is yes, then i have another problem besides the hoses. the outlet for the washer is about 6 inches to the left of the water supply/plumbing. the power cord for the Affinity is not flat and the cord sticks out a lot from the wall. this too will get in the way of the venting. is it easy to replace the power cord to another one with a flat plug? 


not convenient to post a pic at the moment, but will try to if needed.


----------



## jniter (Jun 26, 2011)

Here are some pictures of what I'm talking about:


----------



## inspectorD (Jun 27, 2011)

I would remove the sheetrock on the entire back wall. Because you do not know what else is running through there. 
Then you can lay out your design, install any venting you need to do anyway, and resheetrock and paint when your done to close it in and finish.
That's how a professional would approach it.
Good luck.


----------



## jniter (Jun 27, 2011)

so...no way around all those hoses, etc?
after adding up the cost of paying someone to demo, reroute everything, etc...i could just sell my washer and dryer, buy a compact miele set, and call it a day. :-(

is there a compelling reason for me to open up the wall and do all that?

another option is to move the door forward. is it okay to move the track for the bi-fold doors to be flush with the edge of the doorway? then just put molding around the outside of the doorway...like you do for floor molding?


----------



## inspectorD (Jun 27, 2011)

The problem with just moving hoses and vents, is that there may be something behind the sheetrock to prevent you from doing it where you want. And without removing the sheetrock, you have no idea what is there.
I know from experience that there is going to be a plumbing vent line right above where the hoses are. And there may also be some extended pipe to keep the "water hammer" ( pipe banging noise)to a minimum. 

Moving the door may be an option, but what will it look like?

I would buy the stackable set anyway, just to be safe.


----------



## jniter (Jun 27, 2011)

oh, i think you misunderstood what i meant about "moving" the hoses. i just meant...is there a way to do the connecting so that the hoses lie more to the side so the vent pipe can be run downwards. like...can i just strap the hose itself to the wall so it is just out of the way? if i had to relocate the plumbing, heck yeah, open up the wall. and while we're at it, stick in sound proofing dry wall! 

for the super low-tech, could we even just duct tape the hose to the side?? haha

i don't see how moving the door forward a bit and doing different molding around the exterior of the doorway really would change the aesthetics all that much. would it look funny for a door to be flush with the opening instead of recessed a bit?

would it be easier to just get the set, install them side-by-side for now, so we can at least get a look at the back and figure out what layouts we can work with for a stacked config?


----------



## inspectorD (Jun 27, 2011)

jniter said:


> oh, i think you misunderstood what i meant about "moving" the hoses. i just meant...is there a way to do the connecting so that the hoses lie more to the side so the vent pipe can be run downwards. like...can i just strap the hose itself to the wall so it is just out of the way? if i had to relocate the plumbing, heck yeah, open up the wall. and while we're at it, stick in sound proofing dry wall!




I did, and of course you can!! Just be careful with a rubber hose and a hot dryer vent, and I would change the rubber connection hoses to braided hose.



> for the super low-tech, could we even just duct tape the hose to the side?? haha



Seen that plenty of times.:hide:



> i don't see how moving the door forward a bit and doing different molding around the exterior of the doorway really would change the aesthetics all that much. would it look funny for a door to be flush with the opening instead of recessed a bit?



Should look fine.



> would it be easier to just get the set, install them side-by-side for now, so we can at least get a look at the back and figure out what layouts we can work with for a stacked config?





Always have your appliances on site to get them to fit. I have done this too many times to realize, someone always sends you the "other" appliance installation sheets or diagrams. 

Hope this helps, and good luck.


----------



## jniter (Jun 28, 2011)

ok, convinced DH to go shopping for the dryer this weekend. have a few quotes from contractors on opening up the wall. just didn't expect it to be so darn expensive and was hoping to avoid it. not that i chagrin paying people a fair wage, it's just that it is a laundry closet. i suppose it is difficult to put a price on having things done correctly and improving your access to space.


----------



## nealtw (Jun 28, 2011)

All jobs sound eazy if you say it fast, to bad it hardly ever turns out to be simple.


----------



## jniter (Jun 28, 2011)

nealtw said:


> All jobs sound eazy if you say it fast, to bad it hardly ever turns out to be simple.



My parents bought a fixer upper when I was 4-and-a-half.
I'm now 33 and they are still working on it. LOL

I grew up living with home remodel, so I can stomach complexity and well...time overruns. 

That said, the electrician today said he'd put a flat plug on our washer and then replace the outlet with a clock outlet, which is recessed? WOOHOO!


----------



## jniter (Jul 16, 2011)

okay...I feel really dumb, searching for so long for a solution that might actually be super simple.

I found *this*  Washing Machine Hose w/Elbow.

We figured out after getting the dryer and a dryer periscope that if the hoses would lay flat against the wall, we'd be fine. What started as the plumbing guy at OSH suggesting a hose elbow, like they have in gardening, became a search that gave this handy product. Anyone ave any experience with them. I'm ready to buy and forget all the crazy open up the wall stuff...

Any yays or nays for such a product??


----------

