Can a washing machine be mounted at chest height?

bib1

Being unable to bend or kneel down (poor old :eek:), doing the laundry is getting tricky.
I'm planning a high-level oven in the kitchen but what about the washer/dryer?
There's loadsa built-in & integrated ones, but they all seem to be floor-standing.
I'm guessing a washing machine's weight and vibration will make the answer a 'No'.
Has anyone ever come across this before?

cattie

Have you considered a top loading machine? It doesn't necessarily need to be in the kitchen as long as you have space for it elsewhere.

I've never seen or heard of a front loader that wasn't floor standing & for the very reasons you mention I'm sure.

muckybutt

Perfectly feasible idea and one I have come across on my travels when servicing white goods.

Providing the surface can support the weight then there is no reason why a machine cannot be mounted at waist height, what you need to do though is secure it either by packing it into a built in unit or by placing a retaining piece of wood across the front of the machine at base level.

2013yearofthehouse

Some manufacturers sell purpose made "stacking kits" for their machines, that usually have a handy pull out shelf for placing the basket on while loading the top machine - in my experience it's always been the dryer that goes on top of the washer.

Although obviously if you only want one machine this won't work for you.

Some manufacturers also sell pedestals for their machines (and you can get generic ones also, just not as streamline looking) which only raises the machine about 30-50cm, so it's more waist height than chest height (depending on how tall you are of course!).

Norman_Castle

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WASHING-MACHINE-PEDESTAL-UNIT-WITH-BUILT-IN-DRAWER-/171073961145?pt=UK_Irons_Presses&hash=item27d4cd7cb9

Or google washing machine pedestal for more options. If the machine is too high you'll struggle to put powder in it.

retired2011

If the machine is too high you'll struggle to put powder in it.

Unless you put it in a ball.

Make-it-3

Our WM is fitted at waist height in a cupboard (not through choice that's where the previous owner had the connections).

Its a bit of a pain for fitting (cue grumbling fitters) and when the machine has a problem as pulling it out to fix isn't easy. Also, I have to lift the powder up over my head to put into the drawer which isn't ideal and I often spill it if I'm in a rush and not careful.

poppellerant

You're talking about a lot of weight and I think for this reason it would be impossible.

Say about 100kg for the washing machine, another 10kg for the wash load and maybe another 10kg of water on a full load. I wouldn't like to be around that lot vibrating on a counter at full spin. :eek:

sillygoose

I certainly wouldn't attempt it either, especially not in some sort of kitchen unit, its likely to shake it to pieces eventually. Perhaps a builder could make a raised platform using light construction blocks and a top layer of brick, perhaps tiled in heavy duty floor tiles to look decent. Raising the machine a couple of feet but solid enough for it to sit on safely and be removed for service if needed (a ramp of a couple bits of floorboard kept handy would do.)

Gloomendoom

poppellerant wrote: »

You're talking about a lot of weight and I think for this reason it would be impossible.

Say about 100kg for the washing machine, another 10kg for the wash load and maybe another 10kg of water on a full load. I wouldn't like to be around that lot vibrating on a counter at full spin. :eek:

I don't think anyone has suggested just plonking the thing on the counter and letting it shake itself off.

It certainly isn't impossible, it just needs a bit of thought.

poppellerant

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I don't think anyone has suggested just plonking the thing on the counter and letting it shake itself off.

I'm quite certain I never mentioned anything plonking it on a counter and let it shake itself off.