Buying a used washer and dryer

Second-hand, the important difference is the bearing. On most front-loaders the main bearing is pressed into the outer tub, and when it goes the repair means splitting the machine — labour that routinely exceeds the value of a used unit. That's why a cheap front-loader that roars during the spin cycle is not a bargain. Test the spin, every time.

Older top-load agitator machines are the opposite case: crude, thirsty, hard on clothes, and close to indestructible. If you want the machine least likely to surprise you, that's it.

This is not a preference, it's a fact about your laundry room, and getting it wrong wastes a delivery. Go look at the wall behind where the dryer goes.

• A large 240V receptacle (three or four slots, noticeably bigger than a normal outlet) means electric.
• A gas shut-off valve poking out of the wall plus a standard 120V outlet means gas.
• Gas dryers cost more to buy and less to run in most of Ontario, and they generally dry a little faster.
• A gas dryer is configured for either natural gas or propane. Converting requires a kit and should be done by a qualified technician.
• Electric dryers come in 3-prong and 4-prong cord configurations depending on the age of the home's wiring. The cord is a cheap, swappable part — but it has to match your receptacle.

Both types need venting to the outside. A ventless heat-pump or condenser dryer is the exception, and they're still uncommon on the second-hand market here.

• Full-size laundry appliances are almost always 27 inches wide. Compact units are 24 inches and usually European or apartment-spec.
• Allow roughly 6 inches behind a dryer for the vent duct and behind a washer for hoses. A rigid or semi-rigid duct crushed flat against a wall is a fire risk and destroys drying performance.
• Stacking requires a front-load washer and a matching-width dryer, plus the manufacturer's stacking kit. Do not stack without one — the kit is what keeps the dryer from walking off during a spin.
• A top-load washer needs vertical clearance above for the lid to open, typically 18–20 inches.
• Side-by-side installation wants about an inch between units so they don't drum against each other during the spin.

Drum capacity is quoted in cubic feet and the numbers are abstract until you translate them.

Pair the dryer at roughly twice the washer's capacity — wet clothes need room to tumble. A 4.0 cu ft washer is well matched by a 7.0–7.5 cu ft dryer. An undersized dryer doesn't just take longer, it beats the clothes up.

A washer has four jobs and each one can fail independently. Watch all four before you commit:

• Fill — water should arrive at a healthy rate on both hot and cold. A trickle usually means a clogged inlet screen, which is easy, or a failing valve, which is a part.
• Agitate or tumble — the drum should move confidently under load, without slipping or stalling.
• Drain — listen for the pump, and watch that the water actually leaves. A pump that whines but doesn't move water is often an obstruction, sometimes a dead pump.
• Spin — the most revealing stage. It should ramp up smoothly, hold a high speed, and not shake the room. Grinding or a rising roar means the bearing.

On a dryer, confirm real heat rather than just airflow, listen for squeals and thumps that indicate rollers or a belt, and check the drum seals front and back. Every one of those is a cheap part — but three of them at once means a tired machine.

Washers and dryers both typically run 10 to 13 years. Dryers often outlive that figure, because there is very little in one to fail and nearly all of it is inexpensive when it does.

• Replace rubber fill hoses every five years, or fit braided stainless hoses and stop thinking about it. A burst hose is the most common cause of serious water damage in a home.
• Clean the lint filter every single load, and have the vent duct cleared annually. Restricted venting is the leading cause of dryer fires and roughly doubles drying time.
• Leave a front-loader's door and detergent drawer open between loads. Sealed shut, they grow mildew in the door boot within weeks.
• Don't overload. It's the fastest way to kill a bearing or a drive hub.
• Level the machine properly. An unlevel washer walks, and a walking washer destroys its own suspension.