Our new washer and dryer are here!
Which of course means that our old ones are not. Fortunately our plan to craigslist them worked out swimmingly (thanks for buying ’em Leslie Ann!) even if it did leave us appliance-less for a few days (as you saw in the video house tour).
By selling them for $250 thanks to good old craig and his list, we in effect brought our already-super-discounted total down from $638 to $388. Although after the wall plug, the stack kit, and taxes it was closer to $460 spent. Either way, we’re still feeling crazy good about the deal – and we’re glad that so many of you were able to take advantage of it too (whether you also scored the additional 20% off that we begged for or the amazing base price of $399 per machine that Lowe’s advertised online).
Delivery and installation by the Lowe’s team was mostly uneventful, although they did forget to bring the stack kit (the thing that secures the dryer atop the washer) – even thought we ordered it on the same receipt as the washer & dryer to keep things organized – so one guy had to go back to the store to get it, adding about 30 minutes to the process. And we’re pretty sure the guy that stayed back used part of that time to catch a catnap at our kitchen table while he waited (either that or he’s just a heavy breather).
Even though these Whirlpool Duets are higher capacity than our previous Duet Sports, they have a sightly simplified control panel up top, which is fine with us. As long as they get our clothes clean and dry, we don’t mind. And so far, so good.
Except for one thing. Our washer seems to think it’s one of the Seven Dwarfs. It’s got this whole “whistle while you work” thing going on. We noticed during our first load that it made a loud high-pitched whistle whenever cold water was being pumped in. It was literally whistling while it worked. Just listen below (or watch the video on YouTube) to see what we mean:
After adjusting the cold water supply a few times I couldn’t make it any better, so I called the Whirlpool people and they came out yesterday to take a look. They said it’s not a totally uncommon issue, and it’s just a bum supply valve in the washer itself. Boo. But they’ve ordered the part and are scheduled to come back next week to fix it – which is all free since it’s still under warranty (we didn’t purchase any extra warranty from Lowe’s but they’re sold with some sort of built-in warranty for a year, which is really nice – especially given this problem).
In the meantime, we’re just doing our best to distinguish when the laundry starts and when the tea kettle’s boiling. Same exact sound. I kid you not. We’re also already starting to mentally plan the shelves that we want to someday build next to the appliances and under the window for shoes, laundry supplies, and other mudroom-y junk. Someday being the key word (but that doesn’t stop us from thinking up a million different approaches).
Any other appliance delivery success or horror stories out there? I’m sure someone can top ours.
UPDATE: Due to a somewhat surprising amount of inquiries about my 5’2″ wife (I like to call her pocket sized) being able to reach those top buttons, and three requests for an actual photo of Sherry demonstrating that fact, here you go:
It’s really not a stretch for her at all. Notice that her arm isn’t fully extended and there aren’t even tippy toes going on. Atta girl.
Psst- Thanks to signing up for Lowe’s email list, I just got an alert that they’re doing 20% off all Samsung Appliances that are $229 or more through Monday. You can score that deal at your local store or by checking out their website (you don’t need a coupon code or anything). Just thought I’d pass that along in case anyone’s still in the market.
Pssssst- The repair guys came out to fix our new washer within a week and eradicated the annoying whistle issue. Happy happy joy joy.
I so wish I can find an awesome deal like that when I get a new set!
Wow, neat to be the first commenter :) Congrats on your new set, hope they live a long and happy, whistle-free life, well soon anyway!
You guys got a stellar deal! So we just moved too and our Samsung refrigerator made one nugget of ice…just one piece and then stopped. We had Samsung come out. Free of charge which was awesome and the most dapper adorable French man comes to my door. He was complete with Euro techno ringtone on his phone. I know this because his phone rang and he DIDN’T answer it. Impressive. He had Diesel jeans and the whole getup. So he replaces the ice maker in minutes and is about to go and decides to just push the refrigerator in a little more for us. Full service operation these Samsung guys are. He sees that the Sears installers had a kink in the hose (DOH!) and hence only the one piece of ice. He shrugged and was like…cool so you got a brand new ice maker for a brand new refrigerator that would have worked perfectly regardless. No biggie. (All in his lovely accent). So there you go. New refrigerator and new ice maker and Samsung didn’t even make a big deal out of it when turns out it wasn’t even them it was the Sears dudes. I will definitely be buying from Samsung again. :) The Hubs is a little jealous I must say.
Looking good! Can’t wait to see what you guys do to organize that space, since it’s quite small!
Sherry- Do you have any issues reaching/seeing the controls on top? I always wondered if it’d be difficult for the vertically challenged.
Hey Liz,
Nope, at only 5’2″ I don’t have any issues. Thank goodness. Because that would totally give me a complex!
xo,
s
Congrats on the sweet deal! Didn’t know you could stack the HE front loaders!
Question… is Sherry tall enough to reach the top controls? lol.
Hey Jen,
Yes! Thankfully, no issues there. Although it would be a good excuse to make John do all the laundry!
xo,
s
Woohoo for your washer and dryer! Bummer about the whistle, but glad it’s getting fixed!
If the space is right you could just slide one of the Expedits from Ikea that are only one square wide in next to them.
How do you reach the controls up top?
Hey Johanna,
Well, I reach my arm out and raise it and push the buttons. Haha. It’s well within reach, even for a shortie like me!
xo,
s
Looking good, sorry about the whistle!
How does the size of the new units compare to the old stacked washer and dryer? We have a similar laundry area and currently have an old stacked set like you did, I keep wondering whether we will gain more space or lose space by replacing.
Hey Erin,
Same exact height to the inch. Of course that probably varies by model though.
xo,
s
So, um, I randomly remember names pretty well and remembered that a Leslie Ann had commented on your first post about buying your old washer and dryer—it seemed like that wound up working out? In which case, did they even go up on Craigslist? (That would be awesome if you effectively Craigslisted while eliminating the middle man!) :)
Hey Meredith,
Yes! We put it up on craiglist to be fair and just said “first come first served” and Leslie Ann contacted us right away. We love how not complicated it was.
xo,
s
Wow! That noise would drive me nuts! Hope it gets fixed soon for your sake :)
Our new washer/dryer delivery made me a mad-woman! We finally saved enough to upgrade our ancient top-loaders to LG front loaders we snagged during the black-friday sale at Home Depot. We live in a 1927 Bungalow, that has old stone walls for the foundation, which happens to be part of the basement steps- We measured the doorways, etc., but didn’t discover the new W/D wouldn’t fit down the stairs of the basement till the guys came to deliver them. I freaked! My gorgeous new W/D lived in the garage for 2 weeks, while my husband took down part of the basement wall so they would fit. Day of new delivery, I took a day off of work – we got a snow storm – delivery canceled. Next delivery date, they showed up on the wrong day when our new oil tank was being installed… and had to come back. And finally, on the 4th delivery date… they fit! But the best part, the delivery guys came back a half-hour later with an armful of towels and sheets! We forgot to empty out our old dryer!
I’m not sure if I would be able to reach those top controls! But they look fabulous, hey if ya gotta do laundry, right? The extra added musical serenade is an added perk! Now everyone gets that, ya know.
On a different note, I was in Lowes getting paint and was curious to find your Carolina club blah, blah, blah. No luck, I had to tell the paint guy the name four times! Even in Jersey its confusing! :)
Enjoy!
The only thing we’ve ever had delivered was our washer and dryer from Sears. The guys were super nice, professional, well-versed in the art of washer/dryer assembly, plus they diffused a potential domestic disagreement. The water line for the washer wasn’t long enough to reach the slop sinks (where the waste water goes in our 60 yr. old house), so the Mr. was trying to convince me to leave the dryer on the left and the washer on the right. The delivery guy politely explained that the doors wouldn’t open correctly with that set-up and they gave us a longer water line, free of charge!
The did forget their appliance carrier strap thing though, so they had to come back for it. The Mr. was hoping they’d leave it!
How tall are those things stacked on top of each other? It seems like the controls for the top machine would be over the head of most people in your household. Does that mean that John gets to do all the laundry now?
Hey Lisa,
The buttons are only a few inches above my head so they’re easy to reach! The units are around 70″ but the buttons aren’t at the tippy top or anything (they’re about 5’7″ from the floor, which is as easy to reach as the top shelf of the fridge). It’s actually easier to do laundry than kiss my tall hubby. Boo!
xo,
s
We just got the same washer! WOOHOO! LOVE IT!
Can you reach the buttons on the top machine? It looks high
Did you guys think about putting them unstacked in front of the window, with a counter surface over the top to serve as a folding table? Then you could put some nicely-organized shelves against that back wall (and look out the window while folding). Sounds like you guys are fired up with a plan for that room, but just wondering because that’s what comes to my mind first!
Hey Jenny,
Sure! We loved that setup in our last house bit there wasn’t room to put them under the window and still be able to walk through to the back of the room. It’s a really narrow space, so stacked was the only option. We’re excited to make it work though. Big plans sometime down the line for this sad little room!
xo,
s
Not to be dissin’ on Sherry’s height here, but can she reach those top controls?! Or is John now in charge of all the upper laundry?! :-D
This is not the kind of thing I usually ask, because it’s totally none of my business and not the point… but… can you reach those controls on the top appliance? That seems really high!
I have always wondered about stacking them. Sherry…Can you reach the controls on the dryer?
Ouch! Watching it hurt my ears. Hope you can have it fixed (or replaced) real soon! *crossing my fingers for you guys*
Can Sherry reach the top controls?!
To everyone wondering,
Yes, I can reach the controls. They’re only about 5.7″ from the floor, and although I’m 5’2″ it’s no biggie. Too bad cause I’d love an excuse to make John do it all!
xo,
s
I just received a new washer and dryer (when I found out I was having twins and the laundry would uber-double). When installing, we hooked up the dryer vent out the side (using a handy-dandy side-vent kit). It means being able to push the units all the way against the back wall. It costs about 35 bucks, but we gained about 6 inches space. I noticed your vent connects to the side wall of the house, might be good for y’all too! Enjoy the whistle!
eesh, i’m glad they’re fixing that noise – it would get old really fast. but yay for having a washer/dryer again!
Ok I have to ask…does the fact that they stack annoy either of you visually speaking? From an OCD, “I like symmetry and balance” kind of perspective? Of course I know you’re practical enough to go with the flow and in this case, the limitations of the laundry room size & shape. But still, I wonder….
Congrats on the *stellar* deal!!
Hey Beth,
They definitely look off balance now, but as we mentioned in the post, we have plans to add built-ins on the other side to add balance and function. Someday. For now we’re just excited about our new front loaders!
xo,
s
We got the same set at lowes! There we were, on our way to the rug aisle and we literally were stopped in our tracks by this deal. Went in for a rug, came out with a washer and dryer set. Still no rug :( Isn’t that always the way?
Anyway, we LOVE them! Our clothes are super clean and it takes like 15 minutes to dry jeans! Amazing!
They look great! A day after you posted on a great deal you got on these, my hubs and I ended up buying the same ones, as we have been out on a look out for new washer and dryer for several days. Thanks for saving us $$!
Good to know about the noise. Ours are getting delivered tomorrow – can’t wait to see if our washer whistles while it works!
I’m secretly hoping when we move to CA (military transfer, insert sarcastic YAY here) we’ll have to buy a new washer and dryer. The ones provided in our current rental home are super old and I’d love a new set. I don’t want fancy, just larger capacity and more energy/water efficient. I hope we’re able to take the time and find a super deal like y’all did, that was rock star!
The appliances look great! Just one question – It looks really tall for the little lady (particularly with the knobs at the top of the machine). Is it difficult to load and set the dryer with this set up?
Hey Sherry
Got a question for you. Is it difficult to reach the top dryer? Seriously, I’m 5’1 and have been wanting to get the stack kit for my washer and dryer (LG) but was worried it might be difficult due to my height.
Did you see the laundry basket “dresser” on Anawhite.com? On wheels, I think it would work nicely for you guys, like a rolling laundry island. This way you could push it up against a wall,have somewhere to fold, and keep the loads separated.
Im considering it for my also, tiny laundry room. This way when I need more space, I can roll it into the den.
http://ana-white.com/2010/11/laundry-basket-dresser.html
We just got a similar set for $699 each (Samsung w/ steam!) at Fry’s, but are worried that stacking them will mean I cannot unload the dryer without a stepstool. I’m 5’4 and wondering if you have any issues with the units being stacked – Sherry can you reach everything in the dryer w/ out climbing?
Congrats on the new house!
It looks like the buttons on the top unit (dryer?) are pretty high… is it difficult to reach?
Looks great! Just curious, what is the border around your floor? Is it stained wood? It doesn’t really look like it fits in…
Those are beautiful! I can’t wait to get new one’s someday. How tall does it stack in total? I’m curious if Sherry can reach the top?
So pretty!! I feel like this would be the one time I would be excited to do laundry. Enjoy!
Wow! I didn’t even realize you could stack a normal unit on top of another like that.
I love the efficiency of the stacked full size units but I’ve often wondered…are the washing machine controls too high for uh…shorter people? =)
Thanks for the savings tips…can’t wait to replace our mismatched units from 1994.
My husband and I have also been thinking about a stackable washer-dryer. We’re both vertically challenged- ha. What’s it like getting to all the controls on the dryer up top? Is it very high? Thanks!
Don’t you hate when you get a brand new thing and it’s got some issue you then have to deal with?
We just bought a dryer, and were too cheap to pay for the delivery (it’s a lot!), so of course the delivery guys only brought it to the curb. Our laundry set-up is in the basement. We had to wrangle the thing to the top of the stairs and it wouldn’t fit past the railing. We then had to dismantle the railing and the thing still wouldn’t fit. So we took off the dryer door. Thankfully that did it. Like a couple of sumo wrestlers, we used all our might to hoist it down, managing the steps one at a time.
Mercifully, it worked the first time, because I don’t know how we would have gotten it back up there.
Can you both reach the controls on the top machine (dryer?) without using a stool? Maybe it’s just the pictures, but it looks really high!
Maybe you’ve already done this and I missed it, but it would be great to read a post about any Craigslisting tips you guys have, since it always seems to work out well for you. We’ve done it a few times, but it can be a bit intimidating to figure out a price, write an effective description, have strangers come to the house, etc. Just a thought!
from one shorty to another, sherry, do you have any difficulty reaching the dryer (i am assuming the dryer is on top) buttons? or is my sense of scale really that off and is it not as high/tall as it seems?
Congratulations! Hopefully, the noise will disappear soon. On a different line, what is that red border across the floor of the laundry room?
Hey Roshni & Alison,
That just unpainted wood quarter round (we definitely plan to paint the exposed part white (after we determine how much of it our future built-ins will cover).
xo,
s
Sherry,
How do you reach the dryer controls? They look so high! I’m only 5’3″ (well, okay, when wearing 2″ heels). I’d have a heck of time trying to reach that start button! Maybe you’re like me and have step ladders stashed throughout the house. :)
Is it hard to reach the buttons on the top? It might look taller in the picture than it actually is.
They look great! Just courious since they are installed already were you planning on the changing up the floor in there?
Hey Cory,
Yes someday we’d love to upgrade the vinyl tile, but we can’t do anything for a while (gotta save our pennies first).
xo,
s
To anyone wondering about the height/reaching thing, scroll down for that info (in a variety of places). It’s quite the popular topic!
xo,
s
Well at least they look beautiful in your clean, white laundry room:)!
oh Lordy, that would drive me nuts. They look great though!
PS: I think you might have meant ‘we want to someday build’
instead of “we want to someday built”
:D
Ikea makes some really shallow shoe storage units…I’m not sure what they’re called but the drawers rotate out and the shoes are stored vertically so they’re only a few inches deep. Something like that might work well for such a narrow room.
The new machines look great! Even if they don’t sound so great ;)