2 in 1 washer/dryer combos
 

Both my washer and dryer crapped out this week. Both are 10+ year old so we were thinking of a 2 in 1 washer/dryer combo as a replacement.

We live in a 680 sq ft condo, so the 2 in 1 allows us to put up shelves to store our laundry supplies.

Has anyone have any experience with them. Any other pros or cons to a 2 in 1?

In my brief research about them it seems like it’s not worth it.

Anything in particular?

They Take way longer, have way more parts to break, typically it’s only euro manufacturers which make them and in turn it’s much harder to get parts etc.

We have a separate washer and dryer unit however our dryer is a “condensing” unit as in it has no vent, it basically collects all the water through condensation and then dumps it out the same pipe as the washer. A full cycle of towels takes approx 3.5 hours to wash and dry. I believe most of the 2 in 1 combos work like this.

I like it because it doesn’t “fry” your clothes, but it’s sometimes inconvenient. Also these units will likely cost as much if not more than a combo 2 peice standard units. So you have to weigh that cost factor in.

Like for my “apartment sized” LG washer and condensing dryer, we paid almost $2600. If you can get regular sized stackers a good combo is only like $1300 for both.

I don't have one but I used my sister-in-laws combo machine in HK and noticed that it took forever to dry.

Agree with Hondaracer here. When my washer crapped out last years, my brief research suggested that these 2-in-1 units are not worth it -- pretty much for the exact reasons Hondaracer mentioned.

We went with an apartment-size stacking set of washer & dryer instead.

I'm dreading the day my washer/dryer crap out. They're old and basic but they do their job well and so far, I haven't had any trouble getting parts, locally. Most new units have too many/fragile parts and complex boards.

Sigh....

The washer still works but sometimes it just stops mid way. No way to get it to restart from that point, we have to start the wash cycle from the beginning.
As for the dryer, I think the bearings are starting to go as the sounds it makes is different and now I noticed a burning smell so we've stopped using the drying and have to use the pay per use one that the condo has.

I was in the same situation as you, our old washer/dryer were from the 70's that came with the house. Drum stopped spinning in the washer and was in a really inconvenient location to move/fix.

Everyone talking about how fragile new washer/dryers are, I'm thinking its all the new features are the first to things break. Finally bit the bullet and I wound up finally replacing them with the most basic set Trail appliances had for about $1k delivered/setup and old set removed.

i had one in Hong Kong. takes forever to dry.

Why don't you aim for a good washer and then if you really need to dry it then head over to a self laundry shop to do it?

I think it's because people beat the snot out of them (not leveled, overloaded, dirty vents, etc) and don't run cleaning cycles to protect the spider in the washer.

It's a little late for you now, but fwiw, old dryers are actually a very simple design. If the drum stopped spinning, it's likely the belt broke. It is a very easy (and cheap) DIY fix.

Like anything now a days. Combo appliances devices are crappy. They don't do any one thing well compared to dedicated ones. Plus with more control system and temp variations, easier for electronic to break.

I bought a apartment type laundry centre for my rental unit. Because space was an issue.

Less electronic, less chances of things breaking.