I purchased a stackable washer dryer with three prongs and my apartment does not accomadate the plug...advice?

Question

Hi i recently purchased a stackable washer and dryer and the owner explained it woud be okay for my small apartment. He told me that the unit was only used for a few years but after further research...it's been around for 20...anyway it has a three prong cord, made by whirlpool, electric, 2 long hoses, a dryer vent, and a small black scrunchy thing?...(it looks like water is suppose to run out of it). As you can see I am clueless. Please offer any advice...I'm on a budget :-) I can take pics please offer an email address. Thanks in advance

The three prong is very large. I would say I have a problem. I've been bamboozled...if that's the right word...sighhh

Everyone offered great advice. Thanks so much...I guess making dinner won't get me out of this one...Maybe a couple of dates...lol

Answer 1

The back of the dryer should have the power cord, a cold water hose, a hot water hose, a 4" exhause vent, and drain hose. The 3 prong connection is confusing me. Do you have a standard 3-prong connector (that you see around in most houses - that's 110Volt) or do you have he very large 3-prong connection that needs a special outlet (this is 220 Volt)?

If you have the 110 Volt, just pickup an adapter from a hardware store that converts the 3-prongs to 2-prongs (costs about 50cents). If you have the 220Volt, you'll need an electrican to run a new line/wire from the electric box to your washer/dryer location.

Bottom line.. wherever you place the Washer/Dryer you will need a wall plug, a hot and cold water hookup, an exhaust hookup to the outside, and a sink (or 2" drain) to hook up your black scrunchy thing. :)

Good Luck.

Answer 2

The three prong is for a 220 connection. Your apartment is equipped to deal with a 110, which means you got taken. He 220 would overload the system, and that's the reason for the different styles of plugs. Best Buy and Sears sell some of the smaller units that will work for your apartment, usually for a pretty good price. They're usually made to handle smaller loads rather than large ones, and the dryers don't work as quickly because they don't produce as much heat. If you want to double check the compatability, ask your landlord. They may be able to send the maintenence man out to see if he can make any suggestions, but I don't think there's such a thing as a converter. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. You're right, the black scrunchy thing is the drain hose for your washer... it needs to run to the waste water drain in your laundry room (or wherever your washer is).

Answer 3

You can either change the wire on the cord on the Washer/dryer or change the outlet you will be using. Anyone who has basic electrical knowledge can do this for you. Ask around you might get lucky and find a friend that can do it for you. If not, ask the landlord or manager if he can have the outlet connection changed if you purchase the part (can be purchased at home Depot).

In reference to the parts of the Washer. The two hoses are for hot and cold water and the "scrunchie thing" is for the water that get thrown from the washer. If your apartment has Washer/Dryer connections you should be able to fix it on your own. Figure out which one is for Cold and which is for hot and connect accordingly. A pipe going into the floor is for the "scrunchie thing" and the dryer vent is to be connected to its vent as well.

Answer 4

First of all is it 110v or 220 v if 110v sound like you need to change the outlet to a three prong outlet,if it's 220v call an electrican--------- the two long hoses are the water lines, you may want to replace them with braided stainless steel ones as the old ones may break and flood the house,or buy new rubber ones, follow them to the back of the unit... there will be either an H for hot or a C for cold next to where they connect to the unit-----the scrunchy hose is the drain for the washer

Answer 5

Uh, some not so good advice here. Go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy the correct interchangable cord (most washer/dryer sets come with the other option). I'm a total home-improvement ditz and I did this last week when I had the same problem at my new apartment. The directions are right on the bag...super simple.

Answer 6

i think your question is about the electric cord, if so , you can buy an adaptor at any store (wal-mart or lowes) the third prong is a ground prong. if your apartment has a hook-up for the washer/dryer connections you are in business! the scrunchy thing goes in the drain, for the water to drain out. the hoses are for hot and cold water to go in.

Answer 7

Your big problem is your machines are 20 years old. Whirlpool is a good product but that's really about all there going to last.
You need to know for sure what voltages you'll need for the units.110V is no problem but if the dryer needs 220V you'll have to call an electrician and that will be costly.
Contact Whirlpool at www.whirlpool.com and tell them the model numbers of the units. They can tell you what they require.That will give you a good starting point. They have a toll-free number you can call if you can't find the numbers, they will tell you where to look. Good luck

Answer 8

I bought a stackable w/d combo for my mom a few years back. I got it at Sears. She was surprised at how quickly the dryer dried the towels and other heavy stuff. I'm pretty sure it's the Kenmore brand. The price was not bad. To get the best deal find out where the appliance dealers are in your area and do some comparison shopping. Delivery usually costs $40-$60 so arranging your own delivery could result in a good savings.

Answer 9

Go to home depot, they have plugs/cords you can buy to replace the 3 prong plug. We had to do it with our washer and dryer. It's not a big deal. Get a male friend to do it for you or flirt with the home depot guy. hehe

Surely you know a guy who can do this for you. There's got to be someone you can offer to cook dinner for in exchange for getting it going. It really is not a big deal to do. Take someone an hour to hook everything up including changing the cord.

Answer 10

some apl. are dual compatible where the 220 wires can be taken off and 110 wires installed at different location on the same machine .
your instruction book should have this info or look on the back of unit .