Washer/Dryer - getting the Board to allow?

Usually allowing washer dryers is a building-wide policy and the buildings tend not to make exceptions. The biggest issue is not just suds but also the amount of water a washer suddenly pumps through the plumbing leading to over flow on lower floor apartments. There are ways around it such as having the washer drain into a sink which is then connected to the plumbing. Some times the buildings have a policy that you can remove a shower and put into a washer dryer so that the total plumbing load remains the same. The building/you will need to hire a Mechanical Engineer to opine on the adequacy of building plumbing system. Convincing the board is tough as unless they allow it building wide, they have no upside to allow it for individual apartment.

^^ what 300 said. The bigger risk is indeed that there's a point in the cycle where the washer -- even though it's HE and doesn't use a lot of water in general -- expels a bunch of water all at once, and the pipes can't handle it. For a metaphor, think of turning on a firehose and then directing the water through a paper straw.

However, since the board has instead expressed the concern about suds, maybe try 300's workaround of a using a sink as an intermediate draining step.

Intermediate sink technically addresses sudden forced discharge from the washer into plumbing too but you have to get the board to agree.

Thanks. My architect says that the forced discharge should be a non-issue because the new machine will go where the dishwasher is - so the plumbing load is same or lower, and there's no difference with suds from a dishwasher vs the current HE washers that are offered. But as 300 said, I think the building wants to hear from a mechanical engineer instead of an architect.

The board might want to hire their own engineer and bill you for it- as an independent opinion. The suds are often the issue with washing machines- so depending on how your plumbing system is set up, they might not be able to add an additional appliance (though in your case you mentioned it's going where the dishwasher is). The risk seems to be lower- but speaking as a board member, I would rather have an engineer advise rather than risk creating all sorts of problems for other owners.

Architect ? washing machine/dryer ? = NO

Nycguy, The board has no way to control which washer you may install in the future once they allow you to have a washer hook up. Hence, I would think that they insist on having an intermediate sink if the building plumbing is inadequate for every one to have a washer dryer.

I think you aren't really seeing where the board is coming from. The board can't allow everyone to install washers so they have a no washer policy. They don't want to be in the business of measuring everyone's water and power usage and discharge. You are asking for an exception to a policy and they know that if they grant the exception, half the building which have been told no washers will now want one. Sure, you are combining apartments so you have extra capacity and you are going to get the high efficiency model. This doesn't solve the issue of asking people who are volunteering their time to become the washer police.

You could offer to have check valves installed in everybody's unit below you at your expense.

I have full sympathy for NYCGuy. After all, he is willing to removing a fixture. But the board would want a Mechanical Engineer's report with proposed safeguards built into plumbing such as sink. I know a building where some people have grand-fathered washers but they wouldn't allow even a discussion of new ones.

It's not just the suds and the water and the power and the drainage....it's the :::vibrations::: If you're in an older co-op, I don't want to be living on the floor below when that spin cycle hits.

This part is very easy to solve with vibration isolation pads under the washer.

And there are other buildings that don't allow W/D in regularunits but will allow in combinations, so that's not weird.

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