Drain Pans
 

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?

Re: Drain Pans
 

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.

Re: Drain Pans
 

Or, Top Loaders. I hear those are awesome. :nod:

Re: Drain Pans
 

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!

Re: Drain Pans
 

You could turn it upside down. :)


/helpful

Re: Drain Pans
 

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

Re: Drain Pans
 

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

Re: Drain Pans
 

You can ease it through with some Activia.

Re: Drain Pans
 

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?

Re: Drain Pans
 

I meant about flushing it down the toilet.

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

Re: Drain Pans
 

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

Re: Drain Pans
 

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.

Re: Drain Pans
 

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.

Re: Drain Pans
 

I've never heard of these...

Re: Drain Pans
 

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 :)

Re: Drain Pans
 

They're an American thing it seems. Every apartment we viewed had one, as did many of the US homes we viewed where the washer wasn't in the basement. Frankly, they're just a complete pain in the arse and allow US appliance manufacturers to continue to make crap appliances rather than implement sensors to prevent internal leaks (as ze Germans manufacturers have done).

Re: Drain Pans
 

Never heard of them. Never seen them.

Re: Drain Pans
 

Ditto.

Surely the biggest possibility of a leak is a hose breaking. I don't see how a drain pan could be of any use for that.

Re: Drain Pans
 

It doesn't make much sense. A hose breaking or the drain backing up is much more likely and if you turn and off the water valves, the packing can leak but that is away from the pan. I don't know who thought of that idea but didn't think about dishwashers which can leak as the seals lose flexibility.

Re: Drain Pans
 

I completely agree. They're a complete con. I want the one in our home removed ASAP. They are nothing other than a total pain, especially when you want to move the washer.

Re: Drain Pans
 

So what IS it? The one I found online was a sort of plastic thing. never even heard of them before.

Re: Drain Pans
 

Your search skills served you well.

Oatey Washing Machine Pan-34067 at The Home Depot

Re: Drain Pans
 

I bet if Dyson made one, that would be built in. ;)

Re: Drain Pans
 

Dyson did make washing machines. They did not have an overflow protection built in from a quick google search. Guess only real appliance companies do that.

UPDATE: I was wrong. Dyson built in a leak sensor: http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/reviews/...01-review.html

Re: Drain Pans
 

I thought the drain pan was necessary for a laundry room upstairs, and not needed for downstairs laundry.

Re: Drain Pans
 

:lol:

Re: Drain Pans
 

They were very common in the homes we viewed in New England unless they were in the basement.

Either way, like I said, I have absolutely no idea why these things exist. It seems to just imply that washing machines here are crap and are going to leak. That's like going back to the 80's in Europe.

Re: Drain Pans
 

Near as I can tell, you stick a sensor in the pan and if a hose blows out, the sensor gets wet and does.... something? Force field maybe. Whatever, it's crap. I'd just toss it out.

Re: Drain Pans
 

I've never known a WM to leak. The WMs in the UK are horrible little things.

Re: Drain Pans
 

Whilst they are smaller, they're of infinite better quality than the junk on sale here.

Re: Drain Pans
 

It's just a complete waste of time. I've confirmed with the installers that it's coming out.

Re: Drain Pans
 

A proper drain pan should have an outlet drain plumbed in. So if a hose breaks or the machine leaks the water runs into the pan and out the drain. You lot need to watch This Old House more often. :p

Re: Drain Pans
 

It has the outlet drain plumbed in. Even has a cool run down through the basement for the dryer vent, though I won't make use it.