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As my kitchen is very small, I placed my compact dishwasher on top of my washing machine — with no problems whatsoever. I would now like to change it for a bigger model – the only alternative is a slimline dishwasher. Can I put it on top of my washing machine? Slimline dishwashers are a bit heavier than compacts but no heavier that dryers (which are often stacked on top of washing machines).
Thanks for your help.
AndreaRe: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
Well if you must you must Andrea and I cannot see much of a problem with that. Providing of course your washing machine is very stable indeed, never shakes about the kitchen on fast spin? That the floor it stands on it solid and the machine level and solid in every respect?
A slimline dishwasher is more than twice the height and size of a compact, so not easy to load the top basket being 130cms above the floor, so you may need a footstool to load it if you are vertically challenged?
I can imagine a full load of fine crockery sitting atop a washing machine shaking its guts out on spin….somethings got to give?
Watch out! 😉
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
Thanks martin.
The washer is a top-of-the-range MIELE so no shaking 🙂
I just wanted to make sure there would be no problems with plumbing etc. I’ll go ahead then. Thanks again for the quicj reply. Fantastic site, by the way.
AndreaRe: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
Not a good idea at all Andrea.
Imagine if you will the weight of the door in front of the dishwasher protruding in front of the washer. Now imagine the weight of even eight dinner plates, a few bowls or soup plates, cutlery and a few other bits and bobs all on that door, in front of the washer.
It is very likely to tip over on top of you. The washer may even tip over if the dishwasher is secured to that.
Not good.
K.
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
kwatt wrote:Not good.
Well, dishwashers are in fact counterbalanced to compensate for loading of course and would not tip over whether they are on the ground or high on a shelf. Many customers place dishwashers in unusual places, often on worktops or on special plinths to raise their loading height. And indeed occasionally I’ve seen one or two stuck on the top of a tumble dryer before now. (Not seen one on a washing machine yet though? 😕 )
Just take our comments on board and in addition, if there is another practical, more conventional alternative that you can find, then go for it! 😀
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
But isn’t a washer twice as heavy as a slimline dishwasher? And I wouldn’t have both on at the same time
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
rudin1969 wrote: And I wouldn’t have both on at the same time
It matters only when that washer shakes your booty 😉 :-
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
Dishwashers are counterbalanced, but still not designed to be suspended in mid air. However that counterbalance goes out the window as soon as you put any sort of weight on the door, just try it with one that’s not fixed, lean down slightly when there’s a full basket on the door or, worse, when the top basket is also out and it will tip over if there is nothing holding it in place, like a worktop.
They’re not designed to be installed that way, it’s not recommended and, IMO, it’s not safe.
Sticking a tumble dryer on top of a washer is a whole other ball game as they are very light and highly unlikely to tip, although I have heard of it happening. This is the very reason that we have stacking kits as well as, as Martin rightly points out, to stop literally them bouncing off.
The weight of the washing machine, whilst it has a bearing, doesn’t really matter as the weight of the dishes and door are what matters. Think on it like using a fulcrum to lever something free, same idea pretty much only the point at which the force is exerted is at the dishwasher door hinges. So all that force is levering at the bottom front of the dishwasher and therefore an ideal point to place pressure to allow it to tip over.
Me, I’d say it was well dodgy, far to dodgy to chance it.
K.
Re: placing a dishwasher on top of a washing machine
I agree with the other guys. Its a daft idea, and not safe, no matter how stable the machine below is. Laws of physics say that when something is top heavy and rather tall, it is on the risk of tipping over. Dishwashers seriously weren’t meant to be stacked on top of washers, and unless your 6 feet tall, it will be impossible to reach the top basket, and reaching in to replenish the salt.
Highly dangerous and unreccomended. :nono:
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