Right / wrong type of washer for an APARTMENT

Recently I was called to find out the reason of why a washer wasn’t draining properly and its door wasn’t unlocking as it supposed to.

The washer was a Whirlpool Duet with a dryer on top. While a Whirpool appliances are quite reliable, not every type of it suitable for an apartment.

That wasn’t difficult to find the reason (drain pump needed to be replaced) and that wouldn’t be a big issue and not too expensive to fix that, but the main obstacle was that the DUET (Washer+Dryer) was installed in a very narrow ‘closet’ and that type of washer didn’t have a front access to the pump.

Lack of access to the pump, and especially to its filter, exacerbates problems that could be avoided. Pumps mainly fail because all sorts of objects get into them during washing, which block the pump impeller, it gets stuck and its motor breaks. In machines that have an easy-to-clean filter, these problems (and associated costs) are easier to avoid. 

In the case where machines without frontal access to the filter and pump are installed in a narrow cabinet, the cost of paying for additional work is added to the repair costs. The fact is that in order to get to the pump, you need to either remove the dryer from the machine or pull the machine and dryer out of the cabinet together. And after the repair, put it all back into the closet. In any case, this requires the help of a second person. Sometimes the owner himself can help and save money. Otherwise, having the wrong type of washer will increase the cost of almost every repair. Conclusion – if you have the opportunity to choose, buy a washer with the possibility of cleaning of the filter. And of course, don’t forget to clean it regularly.