Hooking up a washing machine and dryer is a fairly straightforward task. Although many vendors offer installation services, installing these appliances yourself can save time and money. Different models of washers and dryers do vary somewhat, but these instructions will guide you though the process of installation as it applies to nearly all machines, including both stacked or side-by-side units. Check and clean your dryer vent. Unless your house has never been lived in, it is important to make sure your dryer vent is free and clear of all debris, as a blocked vent may be a fire hazard. Starting from indoors, insert the brush a few inches and spin, then remove the brush and clean off the bristles. Repeat until the bristles come out clean. In addition to the safety issues that a blocked vent can cause, drying clothes with a blocked vent can damage your dryer and void your warranty. Move the dryer into place. Leave yourself a couple of feet of space behind the dryer so you can stand comfortably while hooking up the vent hose. Attach the vent hose or duct to your machine. Place one end of the vent hose over the vent hole in the back of the dryer. Joints in the metal duct should be sealed with duct tape, as screws may also catch lint. The end should fit snugly into the machine, so no clamps or tape should be needed. This is another good reason to use metal ducting rather than a plastic or flexible aluminum hose. Many hoses come with clamps that are made to fit. Attach each of the water supply hoses to the faucets. Make sure the hot water hose is connected to the hot water faucet and the cold water hose is connected to the cold. Others are not marked, so it will be up to you to remember which is which when it comes time to connect to the washer. If the filter screen is not yet in the hose, insert one into the coupling before attaching the hose to the wall. The screens should be included with your hoses. Then, with a pair of pliers, tighten the coupling by rotating it another quarter to half a turn. Do not over-tighten, as this may cause leaks. Attach the water hoses to the hot and cold water inlets on the back of the washing machine. Make certain the correct hose is attached to the correct inlet. If the couplings do not have washers in them, insert the washers first, otherwise your hose will leak. Run the drain hose to the drain receptacle. Depending on your plumbing, you'll need to feed the hose into a drain on the floor, the wall, or into a laundry sink, or there may be a rigid pipe that extends down to a floor drain. Consult the manual for your machine to learn how to use these parts correctly in conjunction with your plumbing. Adjust the feet at the bottom of each machine as needed. Lift or tip the machines slightly off the ground to adjust the feet. Some feet will self-level and will fall down to the floor as you lift. Others will need to be twisted counterclockwise to loosen and level the machines' feet. Some machines require you to install feet or pads before you begin installing the machine. If only three feet are firmly on the floor with the fourth nearly down but not bearing weight it can wobble and walk. Also verify the machine is level using a bubble level, any imbalance can cause strong forces during spinning. These are shown in steps 4-1 and 4-2 above. Otherwise they are optional. Washers are designed to prevent backflow by having an air gap inside the machine to the tub, and another air gap from the drain line to the drain. Step 3-7 above mentions the air gap on the drain line, but probably could be more visible. Before you hook up your washer and dryer, clean your air vent to guard against fire hazards. To install the dryer, attach the vent hose to the vent on the back of the machine, then push the dryer into its final position. For the washer, connect the hot water hose to the hot water faucet and the cold water hose to the cold water faucet. Finish by attaching these hoses to the corresponding inlets on the machine before turning on the water to test for leaks. Some dryers use gas heat rather than electricity and need to be hooked up to a gas line. If you are installing one of these machines, make sure gas is not flowing through the line before you begin installation. There should be a shut-off valve within six feet of the dryer that allows you turn the gas off. If there is no shut-off valve or you are uncertain how to turn the gas off, do not attempt installation yourself, as gas leaks are both toxic and a severe fire danger.
