front loading washer upstaris

9 years ago

we have had a Bosch washer for 12 years and overtime we run it the it wobble like crazy we have it leveled etc but it still shakes So it finally broke and I want another front loader that is more stable and doesn't vibrate so much any recommendations on brand???

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future_retiree

9 years ago

A few pointers to heed.

1. You want a drain pan. Often local building codes require it. In the best case it is connected to an indirect drain. See this for a picture.

2. Underneath the drain pan, and on top of any carpet or wood flooring you'll want to have a rubber mat, about 1/2 inch or greater in thickness. The friction between the rubber and any floor surface or carpet and the drain pan will inhibit movement caused by vibration.

3. Make sure everything is level, I'd go so far as to say perfectly level. You cannot control the level of the floor, but everything else you can control. By everything I mean start with carpeting if present, then the rubber mat , then the drain pan, and then the FL washer (look at the manufacturers instructions for leveling and how to measure level, some manufacturers specify to do this on the machine sides, some on the top, etc.). Cannot stress this enough, put in extra effort to make everything perfectly level.

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Comments (9)

georgect
9 years ago
Electrolux.
sparky823
9 years ago
I believe Electrolux has a second floor guarantee. I am sure there are others also. I think a lot of the manufacturers have really improved their machines to where vibration is not nearly as bad as in the past.
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enduring
9 years ago
What kind of floor do you have, and where is the machine located? I ask because my installation instructions for my Miele stated to locate the washer in a corner against a load bearing wall.
asko_buyer
9 years ago
Ensuring that all of the washer's "feet" are planted securely is as important, if not more so, as levelling the machine. When my LG washer and dryer were installed they were levelled by the delivery technicians. I put in a rather large load and the washer shook very violently during the spin, so much that I had to stop the washer and remove several items before resuming the spin. When watching a lighter load in final spin I noticed the washer slightly rocking back and forth, between one corner to the next. I turned the foot of the front foot that was moving by about 1/4 turn in one direction and the rocking stopped.

I have heard that one can "tune" the washer by levelling the washer and locking the back feet and one of the front feet. When a moderate load of towels is being spun the unlocked front foot can be rotated one way and/or the other. The foot should be left in the position in which the least amount of vibration can be felt and then locked. This procedure is a variation of what I ultimately did with my washer.

I am sure that there are many satisfied Electrolux users out there, but IMO the "Second Floor Guarantee" is a marketing gimmick. LG (my brand) washers have "Tru Balance" (wooooo), which supposedly reduces vibration so that the washer can be used on a second floor. I read somewhere that Whirlpool washers "learn" the characteristics of the floor, and adjust the spin to match the floor, thereby reducing vibration. All washer companies seem to have their own feature for reducing the vibrations coming from their machines. That said, if a washer's feet aren't all securely planted, the vibration-reduction features will be all but useless.

Good luck with choosing a new washer.
sparky823
9 years ago
I was thinking Electrolux was the one that read the floor, wood, concrete. George??
georgect
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sparky823 I'm not quite sure what your question was but the guarantee can be found here...

http://www.electroluxappliances.com/Washers-Dryers/Second-Floor-Guarantee/
sparky823
9 years ago
Sorry. I didn't ask that correctly. I was meaning the Lux machines have the system where the machine" knows" the type floor it is sitting on. They read and figure this out during the first cycle. I know I read that somewhere and figured you might know since you have those. Wpool might do that also as posted above.
georgect
9 years ago
I have the last generation but yes there was a set up step before using for the first time (it would sense for vibration on ramp up) . I don't know if Electrolux incorporated that into the newer machines.