hungryhorace

Now we've moved into our new home, one of the first things I noticed was that those bloody annoyed washing machine drain pans - which IMO are completely pointless - had been fitted in our washing room.

To make it more annoying, they had been fitted the wrong way for our European appliances, meaning that the washing machine needs to be on the right and the tumble dryer on the left. US standard appears to be washing machine on left, dryer on right.

Our current apartment installed them the European way ironically enough, as we had US appliances it's meant the doors clash on each other whenever I transfer laundry from the washing machine to the tumble dryer. I don't want to have the doors meeting again. It's such a PITA.

What would others do? Simply rip out the drain pan? If so, how easy is that to do? Anyone done it?

Nutek

Probably can't do this to the Washer, but is the Dryer door reversible? Still a pita, but it would stop them hitting each other.

Nutek

Or, Top Loaders. I hear those are awesome.

hungryhorace

I think only Electrolux's have that option. The door is on a cast iron hinge, so it's not coming off anytime soon

Why do Americans have these bloody pans? Are their appliances so crap that they need an overflow?

NB: Turns out my new washer has a built in drain pan with a floating sensor to stop the making filling if any leakage has occurred. Well, that's German engineering for you I guess!

Nutek

You could turn it upside down.


/helpful

hungryhorace

I'm going to get the damn drain pan taken out and flushed down the toilet.

Mr Weeze

You want to be careful with that, the ID of the pipework can be a bit smaller here, leading to more frequent blockages.

Nutek

You can ease it through with some Activia.

hungryhorace

What choice do I have? Other than to get one of those double drain pans (which again just seems ridiculous, I have never had a drain pan in any home I've lived in in England) or install the washing machine to the left, which means the door is going to clash with the dryer.

Am I right in thinking that even if the lead broke, the pan would make absolutely no difference as it's solely there to protect against leaks coming from the washing machine. I've bought a Miele washing machine, which are bullet proof, surely such a pan is not required?

Mr Weeze

I meant about flushing it down the toilet.

Our house doesn't even have drain pans, FWIW. Take them out.

Nutek

Ours doesn't either. I had to hit up Google to find out what one was.

MsElui

the first house we lived in (in the US) the dryer connecter was on the right. ever house since (now on our third) has the dryer connection on the left. The first house meant the doors opened outwards and thus perfect - but since then they have been hinged inwards and clash. I could switch the location but all safety advice ive seen says to make the dryer vent pipe as short and straight as possible to deter lint build up so I leave them as is.

TBH it annoys me but I just live with it - its not the end of the world.

hungryhorace

Was joking re flushing it down the toilet - I'll just chuck it out in the trash.

Our Miele installer just called me back re the drain pan he says they're not required for the machine we've purchased as it has built in leak protection. They're designed for US appliances that don't have in built leak protections.

Appreciate the advice.

Hotscot

I've never heard of these...

hungryhorace

That's bizarre how all those houses have had the dryer connection on the left. Maybe they were buying European models like I have done? Bit too common a trend for that though I guess?

I've purchased a condenser dryer (Miele don't offer a vented one unfortunately, and nor do they offer their new heat pump dryers which have just come onto the European market so am stuck with their condenser model) so I don't have the vent concern, though fully appreciate your predicament.

I, like you, have lived with it for the last 18 months in our apartment, but now we're going to make this our home for whoever knows how many years I really want to get it right. Laundry is one of my favourite household jobs