So Teken, I take it you're a fan of the Floodstop? I've read some pretty negative reviews which suggest that it's a pretty cheaply made item, and not something you'd want to rely on as a failsafe for an event that may not happen for 10 or 12 years--but when it does, you need the fail safe to work! These reviews were enough to convince me to go with the Elk.
2nd Floor Laundry Protection Advice
- Thread starter PhillyTim
- Start date
tmbrown97
Senior Member
What sort of problems do you expect? In my current Electrolux front loader or my previous year 2000 Kenmore top-loader, all that would happen is the valve would open expecting water and after a certain amount of time, when the water level hasn't reached the expected point, the machine closes the valve and displays an error and shuts down. I can't imagine what catastrophic failure you're expecting.
Teken
Member
I think some of you are missing my point. Let me clarify, it doesn't matter what you use to turn off the water supply. That is a user preference and only the user can make that decision. My reply was to provide others another view along with the facts that using this specific system will allow integration and seamless protection with out any intervention on the part of the user.
If you can do this with your product, you're in good shape.
When I hear, read, about people simply ignoring the facts that water is present and take absolutely no action to address the power issue. It really makes me take pause about how they process emergency prepardness.
You're assuming everyone has a current washer and the device will simply stop in all cases? :mellow:
Teken . . .
tmbrown97
Senior Member
I don't assume everyone does - but if he's putting it on a second floor, only some of the most modern front loaders are really intended for that - 2 years ago (when I bought this house with upstairs laundry), only two were certified for 2nd floor use (Electrolux and Samsung IIRC).
Now I'm truly curious - Even in a 25yr old mechanical washer, what would you expect to happen if water is cut off, and do you have anything that backs it up? Personal experience, links to articles, etc?
Now I'm truly curious - Even in a 25yr old mechanical washer, what would you expect to happen if water is cut off, and do you have anything that backs it up? Personal experience, links to articles, etc?
Teken
Member
As you clearly stated not all washers are intended to be placed on a second floor with out safeties in place. Now, my comments with respect to power still stands.
This is something anyone with common sense would have addressed. What ever the OP decides to do is entirely up to them. My only goal is to share information and provide best practices to ensure the most common scenarios do not happen.
Now, if you're curious about what will happen to a washer that doesn't have water flowing through it while its in operations. Feel free to google the outcomes. I know personally what has, did, happen in my case along with my families washers.
Mind you they were not two years old, but was more than 10 and 15+ years old. A lot of folks don't change out appliances like shirts like most folks would seem to lead the mass to believe.
Comes down to budget, needs, or simply I am going to take a gamble. At the end of the day people need to consider all of the options as to how to best protect their largest investment.
Shutting down the power given all of the HA toys out there is simply too easy to do, and a no brainer.
Teken . . .
I can't answer the other questions, but I can tell you what happens when you wash shirts that have drywall screws and drill bits in the pockets, and forget to remove them first.
LOL.
KenN
Member
Like Work2Play says, I'm also rather curious. Simple logic tells me that any washing machine, when it gets to a point in its cycle that calls for water, would open the supply valve then wait until the correct level is reached before proceeding with the cycle. It must be this way, as water supply has an element of unpredictability to it - water pressure can vary, supply can be interrupted for any number of reasons (burst pipe, water main break, etc). It seems to me that it would be very poor product design if the washer simply went ahead and contiued a cycle before sufficient water is measured in the tub, especially if this could lead to failure of the product.
Now I'm curious too! Like the rest, it never occurred to me that cutting off water without cutting off power (my current plan) could cause harm to the machine, nor can I think of why it would. As KenN said, if the washer doesn't get sufficient water, I would expect it would simply stop. Incidentally, even though our washer and dryer are perfectly good, we are buying a new one of each for our new laundry room. We'll be selling the old ones on Craig's List as they still have plenty of life left in them (they're just top loaders and our laundry room design works much better with front loaders).
Thanks Work2Play; I suddenly remembered your comment tonight, did a search and found this pan: http://www.mustee.com/product-lines/washer-and-water-heater-pans/98.html. It's wider than I want / need (which is probably good, actually), but it seems much better than the option of trying to put the washer on some sort of stands in the pan (on which it would inevitably rock as my wife pointed out).
Home Depot sells the mustee pan special order for anyone that happens upon this thread and is interested...
tmbrown97
Senior Member
Great! Glad I could help. I have the giant Electrolux units so I know I had a heck of a time finding a pan that would work in the time I had; my ultimate plan is to stack them so I can put two sets in the same room... but otherwise this would've done this as well and put a top over them - this pan seemed like the only feasible way to do it right and still be able to maintain your machines unless the top was somehow removable.
It's great that you are putting a pan under the washer, but you all seem to fixated on the washing machine alone. In all of my MANY water disasters over the last 40 years, none of them have been washing machines. They are all kinds of things. Please don't leave out all the other potential leak sources.
Sump pump failures, clogged storm drains, plumbing pipe leaks, cracked toilet tanks, clogged sewage pipes (yuck), overhead air handlers.... All of these have happened to me, and more.
Sump pump failures, clogged storm drains, plumbing pipe leaks, cracked toilet tanks, clogged sewage pipes (yuck), overhead air handlers.... All of these have happened to me, and more.
tmbrown97
Senior Member
Oh that is depressing... and I have young kids that will be turning on bathtubs and the such themselves pretty soon (and their bathtub is directly over my car in the garage).
Time to order that WSV...
The Pan is just one of the considerations - and I agree - I've never had that sort of washing machine leak; most of the problems I saw over the last 20 years were related to drain issues - either the hose falling out or the drain getting clogged, so when the washer goes to pump itself out, it floods the area. But, the pan is cheap insurance and usually required by code.
Time to order that WSV...
The Pan is just one of the considerations - and I agree - I've never had that sort of washing machine leak; most of the problems I saw over the last 20 years were related to drain issues - either the hose falling out or the drain getting clogged, so when the washer goes to pump itself out, it floods the area. But, the pan is cheap insurance and usually required by code.
Kinda makes me wish that the overflow on the tub could handle more volume as part of a code requirement to help reduce the risk, but then again, that would increase some plumbing and venting requirements to facilitate all of that.
Looks like the culprit is in that picture though ^_^
Looks like the culprit is in that picture though ^_^
