Young House Love

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The Washer & Dryer We Picked: Stackable Whirlpool Duets

Our new washer and dryer are here!

Which of course means that our old ones are not. Fortunately our plan to craigslist them worked out swimmingly (thanks for buying ’em Leslie Ann!) even if it did leave us appliance-less for a few days (as you saw in the video house tour).

Washer Empty

By selling them for $250 thanks to good old craig and his list, we in effect brought our already-super-discounted total down from $638 to $388. Although after the wall plug, the stack kit, and taxes it was closer to $460 spent. Either way, we’re still feeling crazy good about the deal – and we’re glad that so many of you were able to take advantage of it too (whether you also scored the additional 20% off that we begged for or the amazing base price of $399 per machine that Lowe’s advertised online).

Washers Installed

Delivery and installation by the Lowe’s team was mostly uneventful, although they did forget to bring the stack kit (the thing that secures the dryer atop the washer) – even thought we ordered it on the same receipt as the washer & dryer to keep things organized – so one guy had to go back to the store to get it, adding about 30 minutes to the process. And we’re pretty sure the guy that stayed back used part of that time to catch a catnap at our kitchen table while he waited (either that or he’s just a heavy breather).

Washer Buttons Close Up

Even though these Whirlpool Duets are higher capacity than our previous Duet Sports, they have a sightly simplified control panel up top, which is fine with us. As long as they get our clothes clean and dry, we don’t mind. And so far, so good.

Except for one thing. Our washer seems to think it’s one of the Seven Dwarfs. It’s got this whole “whistle while you work” thing going on. We noticed during our first load that it made a loud high-pitched whistle whenever cold water was being pumped in. It was literally whistling while it worked.

After adjusting the cold water supply a few times I couldn’t make it any better, so I called the Whirlpool people and they came out yesterday to take a look. They said it’s not a totally uncommon issue, and it’s just a bum supply valve in the washer itself. Boo. But they’ve ordered the part and are scheduled to come back next week to fix it – which is all free since it’s still under warranty (we didn’t purchase any extra warranty from Lowe’s but they’re sold with some sort of built-in warranty for a year, which is really nice – especially given this problem).

In the meantime, we’re just doing our best to distinguish when the laundry starts and when the tea kettle’s boiling. Same exact sound. I kid you not.  We’re also already starting to mentally plan the shelves that we want to someday build next to the appliances and under the window for shoes, laundry supplies, and other mudroom-y junk. Someday being the key word (but that doesn’t stop us from thinking up a million different approaches).

Washers Space For Shelves

Any other appliance delivery success or horror stories out there? I’m sure someone can top ours.

UPDATE: Due to a somewhat surprising amount of inquiries about my 5’2″ wife (I like to call her pocket sized) being able to reach those top buttons, and three requests for an actual photo of Sherry demonstrating that fact, here you go:

Look I Can Reach

It’s really not a stretch for her at all. Notice that her arm isn’t fully extended and there aren’t even tippy toes going on. Atta girl.

Psst- Thanks to signing up for Lowe’s email list, I just got an alert that they’re doing 20% off all Samsung Appliances that are $229 or more through Monday. You can score that deal at your local store or by checking out their website (you don’t need a coupon code or anything). Just thought I’d pass that along in case anyone’s still in the market.

Pssssst- The repair guys came out to fix our new washer within a week and eradicated the annoying whistle issue. Happy happy joy joy.

Comments

  3. Rosemary M. says

    I know this won’t be a problem for John but Sherry.. do you have trouble reaching the top of the dryer to turn it on?

    p.s. I loved the house tour! Doesn’t look like you just moved in last month.. great job!

    Reply

  5. Ivana Marjanovic says

    I DO have a washer story :). When my boyfriend and I moved in our apartment, there was no washer, but there was fully functional (and opened) valve&sink fixture for one. Well, we figured it was opened, cause you know, when we tackled the sink – there was water. Anyway, our washer arrived, we plugged it in, put goofy smiles on our face and pressed the button. But – error! Insufficient water supply. Huge question mark above our heads. We have decant water pressure in our apartment. We called the supplier, they sent someone over. He pressed (not so) random buttons, and washer went into test drive! And that kinda stuff you can’t find in manuals :). Test drive lasts for a min or two, and you can see when/where the problem occurs. Yes, we made a mental note of what he pressed – and good thing that we did. There was no problem with the washer. Supplier guy said that they usually charge for those kinda things – when there is no problem, but since it was in that 10 days window from purchase, our wallets stayed in our jeans/purse. So what was the problem? Remember that “opened” valve? Well, previous owners left it only half-opened!!! Yup, we were those customers who called the tech support because “cables weren’t plugged in” :). But, the good side of the story (and much less humiliating one :) it that we managed to see the code for the test drive. Now we can check ourselves any future problems with the washer :). Yay! BTW, it works like a charm. Even though it’s located in a very strange place. But, more on that some other time :).

    Reply

  6. Travis says

    When we had our front loaders delivered and installed, one of the delivery guys got behind the dryer to hook up the dryer hose to the wall. Being as the hose was fairly short, he closed himself in behind the dryer and had to climb on top of the dryer to get out. Needless to say, he slightly dented in the top of the dryer way at the back (and tried to pop it back out so I wouldn’t notice). When I DID notice, they went out to their truck and called the main HQ. Suddenly, I received a call on my cell phone from someone at Customer Service. They said we could have a new one delivered, or they could refund me some $$$. I decided to shoot high and told them that if they gave me $200 back, I would keep it. They did it! And the dent isn’t even that noticeable in the laundry closet. SCORE!

    Reply

  7. elle C. says

    Ugh, you don’t need to tell me about noisy washers! We have a fairly new Whirlpool washer that never gave us any problems until we moved a few months ago. Now, for some reason, during the spin cycle, it literally sounds like a plane taking off. It is SOOO loud I’m pretty sure I have permanent hearing loss from trying to endure the noise while I was pulling clothes out of the dryer. It’s even louder than those new Sun Chips bags. I felt like any moment, it was going to launch itself through the roof. We’re not sure what the problem is, but it’s definitely gotta get fixed.

    Reply

  9. Kathy says

    Nice W/D set!
    Mine is not exactly a horror story, but when we got our front loaders from Sears 2 yrs ago, the saleslady said that the water hose connections on the washer were not very long so we should switch the placement of the washer and dryer, and have the door on the dryer reversed. But when the installers came, the connection was fine….so now we have a W and D with doors that a both open on the right. It seems like a little thing, but it’s so inconvenient and awkward to quickly move clothes from W to D because the D’s door is in the way. I guess I’ll call to see if they will change it back.

    Reply

  10. Mike T. says

    I will never buy an appliance from Lowe’s again. The warranty work is done by A&E Factory Service…look it up online. Terrible customer service. It took the better part of a month to convince them the dishwasher I bought was defective (Bosch brand). Only through me hiring a local appliance company to investigate and contact the manufacturer directly was I O.K.ed for a replacement…which I will be getting soon. Hopefully. Good luck with the warranty repair, and make certain you contact Lowe’s and ask for someone to do warranty work besides A&E.

    Reply

  11. Megan M says

    Your new setup looks great, I enjoy reading your blog so much! My husband and I have a couple of horror stories to go along with our new washer and dryer. First off, we were not finished completing our laundry room before they could deliver so they had to sit in our garage for a week or two. After tiling the room, we were ready to bring them in from the garage only to realize that somehow a critter crawled in our dryer vent and died. I won’t go into all the gross details, but we had to completely disinfect EVERYTHING before bringing them in. We had to install them ourselves instead of paying extra to have the guys come back out. During our first load, the washer went crazy during the spin cycle. Through all the chaos, we forgot to take the bolts off the back of the washer. It made for one heck of a day but 8 months later we look back and laugh at the situation!

    Reply

  13. Blair R says

    When we ordered our LG washer and dryer, they delivered our cherry red (I was feeling a bit daring when we picked them out) machines with white pedestals. We had to wait almost 2 weeks for them to bring the right ones. Then the people they hired to deliver them thought they scratched the machines when moving them (the scratch was actually already there), they tried to cover it up without me knowing, by using a red marker; but the guy dropped the marker on the floor and then stepped on it causing it to bust and get red ink all over our laundry room floor. Very unprofessional.

    Reply

  14. Laurie says

    Thanks for posting about the Samsung Lowe’s sale!! We ordered a new Samsung fridge last week that was due to be delivered this Saturday. I just called Lowe’s about the sale and they credited us over $500. Thank you!!!!

    Reply

  15. Crystal says

    Well…no delivery horror stories from my end….BUT…my husband is a appliance delivery man…so I hear lots of horror stories from the delivery man’s point of view!!

    He once delivered to a house where the woman actually came to the door with a snow shovel and shoveled a path through her living room to the kitchen so he could bring in her appliances…so see, your box graveyard room is super mild as far as clutter goes!! =)

    Reply

  17. Jenn W-M says

    Our story is not a new washer/dryer, but new house. We bought a 1918 home this past spring and have an electric dryer. Our house is still on Buss fuses. We are in the process of estimating the wire change. The frustrating thing is that our dryer all of a sudden went out! We took the dryer apart and thought we would DIY the repair…long story short and numerous phone calls to my handy Dad, he said have you checked the fuse? Duh…It was the fuse. Our new problem is the fuse box is on the outside of the house, the driving snow and wind has the box frozen shut and we can’t open it. Go figure….older homes have their own personalities.

    Reply

  18. Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says

    My husband and I scored a great deal on a fabulous starter washer and dryer but when we moved into our rental they already had an old rusted fire-hazard set waiting in the laundry room. We moved them out, put ours in… and… ooops! ours doesn’t fit whatsoever!

    I’ve been using their cruddy one for 3 months and haaaate it! Is it time to move yet? come one spring!!!! <3

    Reply

  19. Leslie C. says

    Our new washer and dryer should be delivered next week sometime! I think the hubby and I are going to attempt to make some sort of base for the washer and dyer to sit on so that they will be off the floor and a little bit higher this weekend. Ive seen lots of great plans around the blog world!
    We have sad Garage laundry, so I am going to try and spruce up that area to feel more laundry roomish and less cave like!

    Reply

  20. Melissa @ A Place to Nest says

    Those are awesome… maybe tax return money will grant us some new friends. :)

    In the spirit of delivery stories. I have had many a run in with issues on deliveries, wrong parts, etc. My head always goes back to when we moved into our place. Keep in mind our apartment we moved out of was on floor 3- super narrow tight hallway/stairs. Movers got our Ikea bookshelf out- no problems. When we moved into this house- please imagine completely open stairway. They could not get it upstairs. They told me they would have to distroy my new stairs to get my cheap Ikea furniture upstairs. And actually in the process really ruined the set (my stairs made it out ok).

    My husband and I took out post moving anger in the garage on the already ruined bookshelf and used the money we got from the movers to buy what we wanted. You all probably know that demolition really can get some anger out :)

    Reply

  21. Ann-Marie says

    They are beautiful, and the price you got them for really can’t be beat! But, is it me, or does it seem that it could be potentially problematic for height-challenged folks to have the buttons on the top of the top unit? I myself (at 5’7″) probably wouldn’t have a problem, but what about my shorter friends?

    Reply

  22. Samantha says

    We got a new Samsung washer/dryer last January. After my first load, I took a cloth to wipe the gasket dry and felt something in there and screamed my head off because it was small and gray and had a tail – eek! My hubby came running and I told him there was a mouse in the washer. Well, he pulled out a mouse alright, except it was plastic! I think the delivery people were trying to screw with the me!!

    On another note, the best thing about my washer/dryer is the child proof lock on it, my toddler can’t turn on either machine – those buttons are irresistible to a kid!

    Reply

  24. bamatam says

    I’m just curious about their height. I don’t have a front-loader, but the ones I’ve seen seem very tall, and I imagine that when stacked, they’re VERY tall. Any problems reaching the controls on the top one?

    Reply

  25. Nicky at Not My Mother says

    Your washer and dryer only came with a 60 or 90 day warranty? Wow. Here in Australia we *can* buy extra warranties, but the appliances come with at least 12 months warranty as standard (our Whirlpool washer, fridge and microwave all came with 2 years).

    Just another of those bizarre differences between countries, I guess! I like hearing about how things are done differently in the States.

    Reply

  27. Julia M says

    Sherry, you said you can reach those buttons easily at 5’2″…..how about those cabinets about the washer and dryer? This room looks quite tall in these pictures!

    Reply

  28. Melanie says

    I too had a stackable W/D installed a few years ago. The service guy accidentally hooked the hot and cold up backwards. I, of course, didn’t realize it until I did my first load of laundry….but because I’m such a geek (and this was my first major purchase after buying the house) I did my first load *as soon* as he left. I had it on cold but the water was so hot it was steaming up the washer’s front-loader window!

    I immediately called the technician, who at that point was only about 10 minutes gone. His reponse – “Can’t you just set it on hot when you want cold and cold when you want hot?” Um, that’s a big negative there Mr. Servivce Man. Anywho, he came right back after I told him how ridiculous his solution was.

    Here’s hoping your whistling stops soon!

    Reply

  32. Sammie says

    I must ask from one short girl to another…how high do the controls for the top machine end up? I have though the stack was the way to go but was concerned about the climbing to reach the controls constantly and/or loading higher.

    They look great! New appliances are very exciting :)

    Reply

  33. Emily says

    We have the same washer and dryer! My washer (thankfully, knock on wood) does not whistle, but my dryer makes this sort of … clacking? Right when you turn it on, it sort of sounds like you’re shaking pennies in a coffee can. Thankfully, it stops after 10 seconds or so.

    If you guys figure out how to get the laundry out of the washer and into the dryer without throwing anything on the floor – please, let me know. I’ve been using these guys for awhile, and something ALWAYS ends up on the floor…

    Reply

  34. Laura C says

    Congrats on the new W/D! Look great!

    I surprised (or attempted to) my hubby with a 60″ plasma TV for Father’s Day a couple years back. The delivery guys (contracted from the online store) came out, unpacked it, and the screen was completely busted. Company sent out another one about a week later. Screen was completely busted on that one too! Thankfully the third time was the charm.

    Reply

  35. Brooke says

    I just want to thank you for finding the sale and posting about it and the Duet. I had been living with an old hand-me-down set. They worked okay, but the dryer screeched so loud I didn’t understand how none of the neighbors had called the cops (sounded like we were torturing cats in the garage). It was BAD, and would put me in a bad mood. And if the washer was on cold, the water just dribbled out and took forever. I’d lived with it for years… But I have a hard time making large purchases. Even if I have the money, I hate to spend, and I worry that I won’t make the right decision.
    Then came your post. I trust your taste and your research so I bought the set! I just got the regular sale price of $798. Which is fine, I couldn’t be happier. Well, I was happier actually when the store I ordered from online called the next day to tell me delivery was FREE (the website said $70). I had ordered them late Saturday night, and they were delivered without a hitch first thing Monday morning.

    Reply

  37. Nathan Strange says

    Looks great, and what a deal!

    I see a lot of people are asking if Sherry can reach the dryer and she has replied that she can. Sherry, would you mind posting a pic of you next to it, or using it or something?

    We have HD front loaders and I’ve been afraid to stack them for fear of reaching. It would be great to visualize…

    Thanks!
    Nathan

    Reply

  38. Kitty says

    Could you post a pic of Sherry standing by the washer and reaching the dials? I have visions of her on her tippy toes.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Kitty and Nathan,

      Ok, we’ll have to stage a photoshoot when we have a second. I can’t believe you guys don’t believe me on this one though. The buttons are only 5’7″ off the ground. That’s like reaching the top shelf of the fridge (not the top of the fridge, just the cabinet with the milk on it). I’m not that short!

      xo,
      s

  39. anna says

    Hahaha…love all the height questions. Hope this doens’t give you a complex Sherry ;-)

    They look great and I´m so glad they´re going to fix that annoying whistle; would drive me nuts if that was the usual sound!

    Reply

  41. Jen says

    I once had to hire a moving company to move a piano from my mom’s house to mine. The best price for a reputable company was $150 per hour, I figured it would only take an hour – she only lives 15 minutes at the longest from my home. At the time I barely had that to spend being a new mom and staying at home with the baby, so when they showed up 2 hours later, I was frantic! Luckily they had pity on me as did my mom and it worked out, but talk about stress!

    Reply

  42. Erin says

    I would definitely like a pic of you pushing the buttons :) It’s not that I doubt you can reach them, but can you read them, the font is written above the buttons, so you know what you are turning the dial to?

    Reply

  43. Jessica says

    Oh the horrors with our appliances! First, it started off with our appliances being backordered without telling us until the day before our first scheduled delivery. Same thing happened on the second scheduled delivery. When it happened, yes, a third time(!!!) we cancelled the order and switched companies. Easy peasy… or so we thought.

    We measured, measured, and remeasured. Were assured that our appliances would fit. They did not. Turns out a piece of our cabinetry was missing, and the dishwasher wouldn’t fit until we sanded away. And then, the range was just a little too big front to back to fit properly in the opening. And (yes, another and) the guys didn’t come equipped with the tools to drill through our backsplash, so we sat with half-in, half-out appliances for about a week. It was a crazy time in our house, but the new appliances, once installed, work wonderfully and they were worth the trouble.

    I don’t wish our luck on anyone!

    Reply

  44. Jen says

    Have you considered a folding table on a piano hindge under the window so it could be put out of the way? My husband made one for a client recently.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Jen,

      That’s definitely one of the many ideas bobbling around in our head! Who knows where we’ll end up- but we promise to post all about it when we tackle that space!

      xo,
      s

  45. Amy L. says

    Nice $core on the set, Youngsters! They look great!

    Do you think you’ll miss having a flat surface for folding?

    Oh, and one more thing…Sherry, can you reach the controls?! JUST KIDDING! :P

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Amy,

      Har har. People are giving me a complex today! It’s like they don’t believe me or something! As for the folding surface- yes we do miss that and wish we could have one here. But we just toss everything into the laundry basket and fold it on the bed. So far, no biggie.

      xo,
      s

  47. Amanda says

    Nice set! I do have a question, though. Is there any specific reason why you upgraded, considering your other set was pretty new? Not judging or anything at all, just wondering if I should be considering an upgrade sometime in the distant future (new tech and all that jazz!)?

    I think I’ve posted my washer story before, but it makes me laugh, so I’m posting it again!

    We decided to buy a new washer in 2002 (first apartment that had connections in the apartment) and decided to buy a floor/scratch and dent model from Best Buy. We set up delivery and they called that morning to make sure someone would be here. However, they never showed up and were strangely cryptic when we called, but said it would be delivered the next day.

    Well, what was delivered was NOT the washer we purchased. It was the exact washer, but this one was brand new. We weren’t sure what to do (thinking there was an error), so we kind of hinted around to the delivery guys that there might be a mistake. They were very vague and would only say that this was the correct ‘model’ we ordered.

    To this day, I am completed convinced that the washer we purchased had a mishap in the warehouse.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Amanda,

      Feel free to click back to the original post (which we linked to in this one) for all that info. We love energy efficient front loaders (which we had in our last house). Not only do they save water and electricity, we figured if we could sell our existing washer/dryer to someone else who could give it a second life (as opposed to sending it off to a landfill) it was a win/win situation. Especially when we saw our new washer & dryer’s discounted price!

      xo,
      s

  48. magnoliachica says

    We have a little apartment washer (pint-sized, hooks up to the sink faucet), and when it finishes a load, it plays “Jingle Bells.” The first time I heard it I thought I was going nuts. And it doesn’t play the entire song; it starts on a second round and just before it reaches the end, it stops!

    Reply

  50. Shannon says

    Hey Sherry, can you reach…just kidding! I see you added a picture demonstrating, haha! I too am 5’2″ and my fiance is about 6’2″…he teases me a lot, pocket sized is funny though, I don’t think he’s called me that one! I’m glad you got your washer and dryer! I want a new one sooo bad but ours are perfectly fine. I have a little closet niche type area for mine but they are under a sloped ceiling…I really want to get front loaders and add a counter above them, and then there would be room for at least one shelf above it for detergent, etc.

    Reply

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