In a high-rise along Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, or in one of the towers near the Silver Spring Metro, the laundry "room" is usually a closet. Behind a pair of bifold doors sits a washer with a dryer on top, fitted so tightly that you can barely get a hand beside them. It works well until it doesn't, and then the tight fit, the building's rules, and the unit below yours all become part of the problem.
This guide is for anyone with a stacked or compact laundry setup in a condo, apartment or townhouse. It covers the four common types, the problems each tends to have, and what to sort out with your building before a repair.
What's in your closet?
Knowing the type helps you understand its quirks and describe it when you call.
A stacked pair. Two separate front-load machines, a washer on the bottom and dryer on top, joined with a stacking kit. Each can be serviced on its own. Full-size (usually 27 inches wide) and compact (usually 24 inches) versions both exist.
A laundry center. One single appliance with a small top-load washer below and a dryer above, built on a shared frame. These are common in older condo buildings and garden apartments. Because the two halves share a cabinet, a repair to one sometimes means working around the other.
A compact European-style pair. Brands like Bosch, Miele and Asko make 24-inch machines that are often paired with a ventless dryer. These are quieter and gentler on clothes, with smaller drums.
An all-in-one washer-dryer. One drum that washes and then dries. These need no dryer vent at all, just a drain, but drying takes longer than with a separate dryer.
Find the model numbers before calling. On a stacked pair, the washer's label is usually around the door opening; the dryer's is often inside the door or on the back.
Dryer venting in a building
A standard vented dryer blows its warm, wet exhaust through ductwork. In a house, that duct goes straight through an exterior wall. In a high-rise, it may run a long way across a ceiling to an exterior wall, or connect into a shared vertical exhaust system that the building maintains.
Long or shared vent paths are the biggest single reason condo dryers take too long. Lint collects in the duct, the airflow drops, and the dryer runs hotter and slower. Eventually a thermal fuse or high-limit thermostat can trip, and the dryer stops heating altogether.
Signs of restricted airflow:
- •Clothes need two or three cycles to dry.
- •The outside of the dryer and the closet get very hot.
- •A "check vent" or airflow warning appears.
- •The laundry closet is humid or smells musty after drying.
What you can do:
- •Clean the lint screen every load, and wash it with warm soapy water occasionally if you use dryer sheets.
- •Look behind the dryer, if you can, for a crushed or kinked foil transition duct. It should be short and not flattened against the wall.
- •Ask management how and when the building's dryer vents are cleaned. In many buildings, the vent beyond your wall is their responsibility.
Our article on a dryer that won't heat has more on thermal fuses and heating faults.
Ventless dryers: different maintenance
Many compact dryers, and some full-size ones, are ventless. There are two kinds.
Condenser dryers chill the wet exhaust internally, and the water that collects goes either to a drain hose or into a pull-out reservoir.
Heat pump dryers do the same with a small refrigeration system, and use less energy.
Neither type needs an outside vent, which is why they're popular in buildings. But they rely on internal filters and a condenser staying clean. If a ventless dryer is taking longer and longer, check the manual: most have a second filter below the door or in the kick plate, and some have a condenser unit that needs rinsing. If the water drains to a tank, empty it; if it drains to a hose, make sure that hose isn't kinked.
Ventless dryers also release some warmth and humidity into the closet. Leave the closet doors open after a load, especially on humid summer days.
Water: the unit below is counting on you
A leak in a house damages your own floor. A leak in a condo can reach your downstairs neighbor's ceiling in minutes. So condo laundry closets deserve a few protections:
- •A drain pan under the washer, ideally connected to a drain. Many condo associations require one; check your rules.
- •Braided stainless supply hoses in place of rubber ones.
- •Know your shutoff valves. In many units, they're in a box on the wall behind or beside the washer. Some buildings also have shutoffs that only maintenance staff can reach.
- •An automatic leak detector or shutoff, if your building allows it.
It's also wise not to start a wash and leave for the day. A failed hose or drain can flood a closet quickly, and nobody will be there to turn off the water.
Other common complaints
Vibration and walking. A stacked pair on a floor with any flex can shake during spin, and the stacking kit can loosen over time. Check that the washer is level with all feet firm, and that the stacking brackets are tight. Very loud spinning that gets worse over time, especially a roar, may be worn tub bearings.
Mildew smell. Front-load washers in closed closets, with no airflow, are prone to mildew in the door gasket and detergent drawer. Leave the washer door open between loads, wipe the gasket, and use HE detergent sparingly. Our Whirlpool washer guide has more on odors.
Water left in the washer. A front-loader's pump filter sits low on the front, behind a snap-off cover, and stacking doesn't block it. Lay down towels and have a baking pan ready.
Before the repair visit: building logistics
Much of the planning for a condo repair has nothing to do with the appliance.
- •Tell management. Many buildings require vendors to be registered in advance, and some ask for documents. Ask what's needed before you book.
- •Reserve the elevator if your building requires it for contractors carrying equipment or parts.
- •Parking. Let us know about visitor spaces, loading docks, or low garage clearance.
- •Work hours. Some buildings restrict noisy work to certain hours.
- •Clear the closet. Remove shelving contents, laundry baskets and anything stored on top of or beside the machines, and take off the closet doors if they're the removable bifold type.
How a stacked unit gets repaired
The majority of fixes happen right in the closet, working from the front or with the pair eased out a little. Occasionally the dryer has to come off the washer to reach something. That's a two-person job with heavy machines in a tight space, so it's not something to attempt yourself.
The diagnosis happens at your unit, and you'll get the cause and a price before any work. If a part is needed, we match it to the model number and tell you whether it's the manufacturer's part or an equivalent. If the unit is old and the repair doesn't make sense, we'll say so. When an older laundry center has to be replaced, the new one has to fit the same closet and use the same venting and power, which is worth knowing before you shop.
We serve condo and apartment buildings in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Silver Spring and College Park and Hyattsville. For a building manager arranging service for several units, see our commercial page. Otherwise, book through the washer repair page or dryer repair page.