The
DRSNews
February
2005
(Happy
Valentine's Day!)
In this issue:
1) Washer Installation Tips
2) 2 X 6 Wood
Blocks and Dryer Vents
1) I've
had some questions on this subject lately, so I thought it might
be a good idea to mention a
few washer installation tips
Leveling
Important,
but not nearly as important as 'solidity' to the floor
. A
concrete floor is best wherever possible, but if your
wooden floor's on the 'soft' side, a 3/4'' piece of plywood will
help. Fasten it down 'hard' with sheetrock screws that are long
enough to reach all the way through to the joists below where
possible
. If your washer has locknuts on its feet,
be sure to tighten them to keep the feet from vibrating loose and
the machine from 'wandering'.
Water
Pressure
20-120
psi is required. Water pressure actually opens and closes the
fill valves, and too little can cause constant fill and
overflow; too much can burst internal valve diaphragms and also
cause overflow.
Drain
Requirements
Most
machines require a 36" min height from floor
,
with a 5-6' maximum
height recommended
. Drain should have some sort of air gap
(a normal standpipe provides this) to prevent siphoning (if drain
is lower than top of console on top loaders, water will probably
drain out during wash or rinse)
. Ideally,
the standpipe should be at least 24” long above the trap to prevent
backup and 'splashback' out the top, onto
the floor
Fill
hoses
Always use screens, either those already in
the fill valve, or added at the faucets if the back of your
washer's hard to reach. Resist the urge to remove the cold screen
if it clogs frequently - removing it will 'get' you, and the
flooding isn't pretty when it happens! Fittings
are same size as garden hose
Always
turn off supply faucet(s) when the washer's not in use. Very
few people actually DO this - only those of us who have seen what
happens when a fill hose bursts with no one at home (that's when
they always seem to burst - how do they know?!)
'Snug'
fill hoses with
pliers, not just by hand, and always use new hose washers whenever
hoses are disconnected - Trust me on this! It's
cheap insurance against leaks.
Always
use a dab of silicone-based grease on metal faucet threads before
connecting fill hoses - this will keep them from rusting and save
you a lot of hassle later, when you need to remove the hoses. (Skip
this step, and you may have to hacksaw them off later!)
Transporting
a Previously Installed Washer
Restrain
tub movement; jam blanket between cab & tub if possible, or
reinstall original shipping hardware (rarely available)
Especially
important with front loaders: be sure to save that
original shipping hardware, just in case.
These machines are easily damaged if transported without
the shipping hardware installed (I'm tempted to say 'don't worry
about this - most FL's don't last long enough today to
have a second owner - but I'll leave that for another
DRSNews <grin>).
Transport
upright only, to avoid risk of oil leakage, suspension
and cabinet damage, etc.
2) Here's a little
trick I've been using for many years, whenever I see a
dryer that tends to 'migrate' back toward the wall and
sneakily smash its vent. After replacing the damaged duct, I grab
a piece of 2 X 6 lumber and drop it behind the dryer.
I
cut and carry several different lengths in the van, most
commonly 5, 6, and 7 inch pieces, and this has been a quick 'fix'
for this problem.
Sometimes the washer (out of
sympathy?) has moved back too, so you may want to inch it forward
to match the dryer, just to make everything look nifty.
I
see this quite often, especially on more slippery floors, of
course. And it's sneaky - the dryer may move back a slight amount
at a time, and you won't realize it's even happening - until the
clothes start coming out wet, or the heat shuts down entirely
when the thermal fuse blows.
Just
another little detail you'll want to watch out for.
***
Your
Friend,
Dave Harnish
Dave’s Repair Service
New Albany, PA
drs@sosbbs.com
www.DavesRepair.com
(570) 363-2404