Author Archives: jenmertz

Advantages to Installing Stacked Washer Dryers in Multi-Family Properties

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There are several advantages to installing stacked washer and dryer appliances in your multi-family rental homes, apartments or condominiums:

  1. Retention rates are higher, because residents tend to renew leases with in-home laundry.
  2. You can charge more for monthly rentals with in-unit laundry. Rental rates are typically $40 to $100 more per month, compared to rentals without in-home laundry. Over the course of 12 months, that is an additional $480 to $1,200 per year, per rental unit.
  3. A stacked washer and dryer saves space and gives you flexibility in the location where you want to install your units. The only connection requirements are access to the proper electrical outlets, hot and cold water lines, and a discharge drain pipe.
  4. You do not have to worry about venting or the building requirements for dryer vents. Modern ventless technologies found on our dryers do not need to be vented outdoors.
  5. Condominium resale values are $4,000 to $10,000 higher, compared to homes without in-unit laundry.
  6. In-home laundry increases the marketability for older communities.
  7. Low maintenance and operational costs. Modern laundry pairs are energy efficient, which means a potential reduction in water bills and electricity. They also use a fraction of the soap, so there is less impact on older plumbing.
  8. Reduced construction costs for new buildings, rehabs and renovation projects. Because of the connection requirements, engineers and architects are free to design units without worrying about dryer venting being an issue or major cost constraint.

Choosing the Right LG Washer and Dryer

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When you are selecting a new LG washer and dryer for your home, you have to decide which models are going to provide you the most benefits. It is worthwhile to write down the sorts of features and options you desire in your new models. Here are some questions you should answer and which can be useful in narrowing down your selections:

  • Are you looking to reduce your water and energy bills?
  • Do you have an existing laundry room?
  • Do you have limited space?
  • Are you going to have to pay to have a contractor to install and/or clean dryer venting?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, LG has solutions to fit your needs. You might want to consider one of their washer and dryer combination models. These units are where both washing and drying functions have been incorporated into an energy-efficient, space-saving design. You could even choose to add on wheel and kitchen sink conversion kits to make the appliance portable. Combination appliances are able to be plugged directly into any standard 3-prong household 110 volt outlet. They only need to be connected to hot and cold water lines and a drain, which can be your kitchen sink with the sink conversion kit. They use ventless drying technologies to fully dry your clothes and do not need any dryer venting.

Another option, if you prefer two separate appliances, is a side-by-side, or stacked washer dryer. These LG models also incorporate energy-saving features to reduce your water and energy bills, as well as provide ventless drying without the use of a dryer vent. You can learn more about all of these models on our website and feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions, or if you require assistance in selecting the right models for your home.

Command Higher Rents by Installing LG Stackable Washer and Dryer Models

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Managing multi-family properties requires being able to identify key amenities to keep current residents renewing their leases and attracting new tenants to keep your occupancy rates as high as possible. One common amenity many people look for when selecting a rental property is whether it includes in-home laundry. This could be a stackable washer and dryer, conventional side-by-side machines, or a combination appliance.

Not all renters have their own washers and dryers, because it is sometimes difficult to find rentals that include washer and dryer hook-ups. Rather, they do not mind paying a higher monthly rental rate if it includes being able to do laundry without having to go to a laundromat or shared laundry area. Research studies and information obtained from landlords and tenants has shown that rental properties with an in-unit laundry have lower turnover rates than comparable communities with shared laundry facilities. These same units also command higher monthly rental rates, ranging from $40 to $100 or more.

The initial investment into an in-home laundry is often fully recovered within a year or two. After that, any additional rent money you receive is pure profit, other than money spent for repairs or maintenance of your stackable washer and dryers or other laundry appliances. There are advantages to considering either combination or stackable LG models over conventional ones, like ventless drying technologies. With this advantage you do not have to worry about investing additional money to install, clean and maintain dryer vents or to satisfy building codes. Further, this means no duct work, no fire-rated chase vent, no finish work inside the apartment, no new holes in the building envelope, no make-up air requirements, no fans, and a greatly simplified building design for installing in-unit laundries in your existing rental properties.

What Is the Difference between a LG Washer Dryer Combo and a Regular Model?

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What Is the Difference between a LG Washer Dryer Combo and a Regular Model?

One question people have when shopping for new laundry appliances for their home is the difference between an LG washer dryer combo and an LG conventional side-by-side or stackable model. The primary difference is a combination model includes both the washing and drying features in a single appliance. It also combines optimal capacity and energy-saving efficiency to provide you with clean clothes with an appliance that takes up less space.

LG washer dryer combo appliances are fairly new to the United States market, but have been readily available for years in international markets. This is due to the fact they use half the water, energy and space of conventional appliances. There are other advantages besides these. Not only are you able to have in-home laundry without taking up much space, but also to have a machine that is easier to maintain because there are fewer parts. Further, the LoDecibel™ Quiet Operation found in LG combination models keeps your laundry area from sounding like you are at a laundromat. Additionally, you have the flexibility to customize your wash cycles based on the size and weight of each load, with the LG SenseClean technology for optimal energy-efficient performance.

One of the best features of a combination model is it does not require any dryer venting in your home. Thanks to advances in drying technologies, dryer vents are no longer required. As a result, you are able to place your new LG combination appliance in any area of your home, as long as you have access to hot and cold water lines, a discharge drain, and a 110 V three-prong outlet, like in your kitchen.  

A Cost-Effective Solution for Your Apartments Is a Washer and Dryer Combo

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If you are looking for a cost-effective way to add in-home laundry to your apartments, you should consider a LG washer and dryer combo. What is a combo? It is a single compact appliance that has incorporated both the washing and drying cycles into one machine. Further, this type of laundry unit uses ventless drying, which means you do not need access to a dryer vent.

The advantages of a washer and dryer combo for your apartment homes are pretty clear. First, you do not have to worry about whether the units have been vented for dryers. Even if the building was vented, it still can be costly to keep the vents cleaned and in proper working order. By not needing the vents, you also reduce fire hazards associated with lint problems in dryer vents. Additionally, your insurance rates might be reduced if you install these combination appliances into all of your homes. However, you have to check with your insurance agent.

Another advantage is that the apartment homes do not need dedicated areas within each one for a laundry room. Your new LG combination appliances only require connection to hot and cold water and a discharge drain. The electrical requirements do not require any special outlets and work from any standard 3-prong 110V outlet in the home. You can have a portable kit put on the machines, which allows your tenants the flexibility to connect the washer and dryer to the kitchen sink to do laundry, and then wheel it out of the way once finished.

What Is a Portable Washing Machine?

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What Is a Portable Washing Machine?

A portable washing machine is where a compact ventless washer dryer combo, like the LG WM3455HW, is converted from a stand-alone model into one which has wheels on it. Besides wheels, the appliance requires a kitchen conversion with specific hoses and adapters. Once it has been properly attached and installed, you are able to roll your washer right up to your kitchen sink and use the kitchen faucet for the hot and cold water. The washer pumps all discharge water right down the kitchen sink.

Since the portable washing machine includes a ventless dryer, no drying vents are required. However, you do have to switch to cold water for the dry cycle, because the dryer uses water condensation drying. This types of drying heats the air so the water in the clothes is turned into water vapor and moved out of the drum to another area of the machine. In this area, cold water cools the water vapor and turns it back into water. This process repeats numerous times during the drying cycle, with all water that is removed from the clothing being pumped out of the appliance and down the kitchen sink.

There is no assembly of the conversion kit required when you order it at the same time as your LG WM3455HW. All hoses and adapters are preinstalled before the model is shipped to your home or business. You will have to replace the standard legs on the bottom of the appliance with the wheels after you unpack it. The legs are left on for shipping purposes because it keeps the unit more stable and secure.

Differences in a Washer Dryer Combo

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A washer dryer combo is slightly different from traditional laundry pairs. One benefit is the amount of space you end up saving in your home. Instead of having to have two separate appliances, both functions are combined into a single unit. With the extra space in your laundry room, you could set up a laundry table to fold and iron your clothes.

You can also install the unit in other areas of the home if you do not have a laundry room. For example, many people install the washer dryer combo under their counter in their kitchen, much like their dishwasher, so it is out of the way. It is possible to do this because the appliance plugs into a standard outlet and only requires connections to the hot and cold water line and a discharge drain. No dryer vent is necessary, since the combo unit uses ventless drying technology.

Operating the all-in-one combo is also different from traditional laundry pairs, as both washing and drying functions are completed in a single appliance. This has an impact on the amount of time needed to complete a load of laundry. The normal combined wash and dry cycle time ranges from 2 ½ to 3 hours per load, which is not much different from the amount of time it takes to do a load using conventional laundry. Because both cycles complete in the same appliance, you have to adjust your laundry habits, rather than attempting to do all of your laundry in the same day.