Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

We can finally do laundry in our apartment and not have to use the laundry room and pay idiotically high amounts for laundry.

They are not the highest end of machines and they are small, but you can't exactly hook up a full size washer to your kitchen sink or plug in a dryer to your normal outlet...lol

The washer is itty bity, but can handle 1 day of clothing for 2 people, so if we do 1 load per day, we shall be good. Hold about 7 gallons of water on a full load.

Dryer can handle 1 wash load, takes about 70 mins to dry a load, because it runs off normal plug, it doesn't get as warm as a full size washer would so takes longer.

I am just so happy I can now do laundry in the apartment.

(not my photos, but same ones we have)

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Congrats, laundromats suck.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Am I missing something about Canada? Why can't you hook up a full size washing machine to your kitchen sink, or plug a dryer into a normal outlet?

Edit - and your little one holds 7 gallons at a time? Don't most full size machines use about 14 - 20 in total for the whole wash

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

I think its more to do with having to put in a separate connection for the water intake and outlets, and in a rental apartment, you'd probably not want to be making that kind of change.

As for the normal plug outlet, full size dryers typically don't have the normal outlet on them, they have a larger one (30 amp, 250v, I think) , so unless you have such and outlet, you'd need to get one put in, and again, not something you would want to retrofit to a rental unit

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Welcome to 1955.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Apartment rents in Canada generally include water and electricity costs, hence the landlord will not permit such usage without additional recompense. The OP either has a generous/exceptional landlord or is breaking the rental rules.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

One thing that amuses me about washers here.

Why do people LIKE top loaders?

They are starting to become more available in the UK again, marketed as 'American Style Washing Machines' to go with the 'American Style Fridge Freezers'.

I always found them stinky and the clothes came out stinky.

I can understand the modern European preference for a front loader due to them being usually in small kitchens under worktops (that's countertops for the locals) and also the counter-argument that a horizontally-spinning drum is less efficient than a vertical one. Top loaders are likely to last longer too.

But I still don't like top loaders!

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Full size washers generally do not have the connections needed to connect to a sink, nor is there sufficient room in a tiny kitchen to place a full size washer, so need something on wheels.

Dryers generally have a different type of outlet and unless equipped with laundry room, won't have the correct outlet for a dryer.


Yes it's small but the only option when there isn't laundry room/facility inside the apartment, needs to be on wheels and small enough to fit into a closet when not in use.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

I don't know where you live but unless it's been a room inside a house, I have never rented any apartment that included electricity, we have to pay for our electric use. Never rented an apartment in BC that included electricity.

Water in this region is not metered, it's flat rate charged in the property tax, which for rental buildings is 200 per unit per year regardless of use.

Thirdly nothing in the lease that prohibits it, and the management has no issue and was asked.

Electric included in the rent is not the norm in BC for rental apartments.

We have to pay for hot water as well, have the hot water tank inside the apartment in each unit.

Don't make assumptions like electric and utilities being included in rent as the norm across the country, it certainly isn't.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Must be very liberating after years of attending at laundry mats . :@)

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

As you say it depends where you live. In my community, all utilities are invariably included in rent. Only TV/ Internet are generally excluded.

Looks like you've a handy and convenient solution to your laundry requirements.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Our utilities are included in the condo fees. All condos in this building are privately owned. If the condo is rented out by the owner utilities are included in the rent as there are no individual meters. When my daughter was a student she rented a condo down the road...all the units were owned and rented out by the company who owned the building. Utilities were not included in the rent.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Seemed to be more common back east then it is out west. I've lived in both dedicated rentals, as well as condo's rented out by the owner, and they were all metered and not included in the rent or strata fees.

The only time I see rentals including electric in this area is when it' a room in a house, or a basement suite that doesn't have a dedicated meter but even most basement suites don't and charge a % of the hydro for the basement suite, 30-40% of the bill, I wont rent those places as I don't want to be on the hook for a huge bill because the upstairs people use a boat load of energy.

Using the energy info tag, the 2 units used 1 per day, will add approx 86 cents to our electric bill each week on average.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Yes it does vary by region, I should of said the regions of BC, I have lived in.

I notice Whistler includes a lot of utilities included as well in ads, but most ads also have ensuite laundry since very few if any of the buildings were purpose built for rentals.

I tend to stick with purpose built rentals, no strata rules to deal with like when renting a condo, and it's easier to deal with a management company when something breaks, and some individual landlords over extend themselves with buying an investment condo and then can't afford to fix things, or the place gets foreclosed on while your living there.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Top loaders tend to be cheaper still, you can get a top loader/dryer pair at times for the price of just a front loading washer.

I'd prefer front loading, but they don't make those in this size so top loading was the only option.

Using the brick website, top loader can be bought for $394, lowest front loader currently listed online is $713.

You still have to pay a nice premium for front loaders in North America.

Trick to top loading ones is to keep the lid open when not in use, and run some vinegar or bleach through it a couple times a months.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

I don't like them either. I think clothes don't last as long with them due to clothing getting frayed by the agitator over time. Front loaders are becoming more available in North America though.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

We lived in a rental for 2 years when we first moved to the US. Brand new unit...brand new appliances...but the top loader was absolutely dreadful compared to UK washers. As soon as we moved into our own home I bought a top loader...still not as good as my UK machine but soooooo much better than the top loader in the rental.

This condo has the standard washer (top loader) and stacked dryer. It has put holes in so many clothes I've lost count. My next job is to buy a new front loader and stacking dryer. :thumbsup:

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

That's great. It will make life so much easier for you guys. :thumbsup:

I remember when my daughter had to go down to the laundry room in the basement of her apartment. I can't imagine having to do that...it must make the doing laundry 10 times harder.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

A lot of top loaders now have no agitator, even some of the full size ones, this little one doesn't have one.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

It does and it really sucks when you get down to the laundry room and all the machines are taken and you haul the load back up, or sit there with dibs on the next available one.

Plus the dryer never dries on one cycle since it's only 30 mins, so you have to pay twice. All said and done it takes about $6 to wash and dry in the laundry room gets pricey.

Long term, the electricity used is way cheaper then going down to the public washers.

The only reason purpose built rentals don't have laundry and dishwashers in the unit is money, landlords don't want to buy and maintain extra appliances.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

This is one of those washers that just uses the sink? I was just looking on line and surprised to see some available.

Where does the dryer vent to, a window?

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Dryer vets out a window, the venting tube is the same size as the portable a/c so I put the a/c cover in the window so the tube isn't visible outside.

The washer hooks up to the sink, and drains into the sink.

A few companies make these washers still Haier which is a Chinese company, Magic Chef, Danby, and some smaller unknown Chinese companies.

Probably not a huge market but there is a small market as it becomes harder for apartment dwellers to do laundry.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

First two apartments, albeit in the same building, that I rented in Toronto had hydro and water included. I was looking at rental info for other places the other day and this does seem to be relatively normal for mid to high rise tower like apartment buildings.

I can only assume that the condo fees are put towards this, and could explain why they are quite high.

The current apartment I'm in includes water, but not hydro.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Ah, okay. Thanks for that.

I guess the higher current draw is due to the voltages used.

A long time ago, but one of my first machines was a twin tub that was wheeled out when needed. The hoses pushed over the taps to fill it, and the waste hooked over the edge of the sink. You used to have to plan the order of the loads to avoid having to drain down and refill to often :lol:

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

It seems to be more common back east then out west. Water is entirely dependent to what city your in when it comes to BC, some city's meter and charge for actual water used, some include it in the tax amount for property taxes, some just charge a flat yearly fee regardless of usage.

Where I am, other then some industrial place, there is no water metering, and they charge a flat annual fee that depends what type of property it is.

Apartment buildings pay 384 per unit per year.

Single family homes pay the same.

Homes with a secondary suite pay an additional 307 for it.

Not for profit senior housing pay 307 per unit.

Restaurants, cafe, coffee shops etc pay 397 + 13 per seat.

Laundromat's pay 1,300 per year.

If you have a swimming pool its an extra 625

Doesn't matter in an apartment if you use 1 liter or 100,000 liters, the price is the same and no meters.


So water is technically included in our rent, but using more doesn't cost more.

We pay electric so we also pay for heat and hot water since both are electric and on our meter.


I've lived in a couple mid-rise condo's in BC, and water was included but those places had ensuite laundry, so the cost of the water had to be built into the rent, but never did a landlord include electric, unless it was just renting a room in a house.

The only direct fee I paid as a renter to a condo strata was the move in cleaning fee, which is a rip off since there was nothing to clean.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Those were the days....

when we were first married back in the 60's, my outlaws bought us the latest & greatest 'Hoovermatic 3301L twin tub'. Lasted 10 years, when we sold it to someone that continued to use it.

this model

http://chestermikeuk.blogspot.ca/201...301l-1964.html

Wash day took all week long, items forever got mangled and it took forever to do a wash, drying the clothes over the shower rail or a rope strung across the length of the bath wall - we had fewer clothes, towels & bedding to launder than we have today.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

My Mom had one of those twin tubs up until the late 80s.

so many little quirks that I carry over from having being brought up on a twin tub. It drives me crazy if Ben puts the laundry loads in the wrong order , even now!

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

At the apartment I lived in when I first came to Canada we were barred from having those washers - an upstairs neighbour decided to ignore that. Every time they used their washing machine my kitchen sink would fill with dirty water and stinky suds, overflowing onto the floor. I was not a happy bunny.

Hopefully yours doesn't have that consequence!

:)

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

We have that issue when people are in the building laundry room which is directly below us. Anytime someone uses too much detergent down there, it backs up into the kitchen sink.

We are on the lower floor and right above the laundry room which is so much fun when people do laundry.....:rofl:

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

I would love to have a twin tub again as I did in the 70s as my current washer and dryer are in my bathroom which is in an extension on the ground floor of my house. However the pipes leading to the washing machine go under a very shallow inaccesible crawl space and in winter the water flow is poor which causes the modern front loader to flash up a F and R code after a couple of minutes into the wash and machine stops. I therefore have to do a lot of hand washing till the temperature warms up!
Another thing is why don't they have condensing dryers here in Canada to save having to vent outside and also tney could be placed anywhere suitable in the house instead of next to an outside wall?

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Sorted

Qualtex Effective Indoor Internal Condenser Vent Hose Kit Compatible White Knight Tumble Dryers:Amazon:Home Improvement

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Interesting, Magnumpi. I have bookmarked that item for the future, thanks.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

After washing, drying and ironing how would you finish off the airing of laundry without an airing cupboard?

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

What is an airing cupboard?

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

A cupboard with shelving where the hot water tank is kept. Used to be popular in the UK in the 90's and before, but now with tankless central heating and instant hot water, no so very much popular any much more more.

Re: Can finally do laundry in the apartment.
 

Oh. Never heard that term before and confused me...lol

Most apartments in North America (one's I have lived in anyhow) don't include water heaters, but this place actually does have individual water heaters in the units, but no shelves in the closet it's in, and it's electric.

Its so well insulated there is no detectable heat being given off by it, so pretty useless to hang anything in there, I'd assume....lol