Where the washer and dryer live in a Philadelphia home mostly depends on when the house was built. In older rowhouses and twins the laundry is almost always in the basement, often beside a laundry tub or floor drain, with the dryer venting out a basement window or the rear wall. Post-war rowhouses in the Northeast sometimes put it in the rear garage off the driveway. New-construction homes in neighborhoods like Fishtown, Northern Liberties and Point Breeze tend to put a stacked or side-by-side pair in a second-floor closet near the bedrooms.
Each location fails in its own way. A basement setup has to cope with dampness and old plumbing. A garage setup deals with cold. A second-floor closet puts any leak directly over somebody's ceiling. Start with the checks every setup shares, then work through the section that matches your house.
Checks for every laundry setup
| Item | What to look at | Pass | Fix or call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill hoses | Bulges, cracks, rust at the fittings, hose age | Braided hoses in good shape, snug but not overtightened | Replace rubber hoses that are old, stiff or bulging |
| Shutoff valves | Turn each valve off and back on | Valves turn by hand and don't drip at the stem | Have seized or weeping valves replaced by a plumber |
| Drain hose | How it enters the standpipe or tub | Hooked in loosely with an air gap, secured so it can't pop out | Don't seal it tight into the pipe; that can siphon water out mid-fill |
| Washer level | Bubble level on top, then rock it corner to corner | No rocking; locking nuts on the legs tight | Adjust the legs, or call if it still walks during spin |
| Washer outlet | Outlet type and condition | Grounded three-slot outlet, cord plugged in directly | No adapters or extension cords on a washer |
| Dryer power | Electric dryer cord and outlet; gas dryer connector | Cord matches the outlet; gas connector is a newer flexible type in good shape | Gas hookup and outlet changes belong to a qualified pro |
| Dryer vent | Duct material, length, outside hood | Rigid or semi-rigid metal, short run, hood flap opens freely | Replace vinyl or foil accordion duct |
Basement laundry
The rowhouse basement is the classic Philadelphia laundry room, and it comes with a few predictable issues.
- Keep the floor drain clear. Boxes, rugs and laundry baskets tend to end up over it. If the washer leaks or the drain backs up, you want water going down that drain, not spreading across the floor.
- Watch for damp and rust. Summer humidity and condensation in a basement can rust the washer cabinet base and dryer rear panel. A dehumidifier helps the appliances as much as the stored boxes.
- Check the laundry tub drain. If the washer drains into a tub, a slow tub drain can overflow during the pump-out. Clear lint from the tub strainer and watch one full drain cycle.
- Think about the stairs. Basement steps in older homes are often steep and narrow. If you're replacing a machine, measure the stairwell, the turn at the bottom and the door at the top first. That decides what size machine can even get down there.
- Look at the vent path. Many basement dryers vent out a window insert or through the rear wall. The run often snakes along the joists; long runs with several bends trap lint and slow drying.
Garage laundry
A washer in an unheated rear garage, common behind many Northeast rowhouses, has one big enemy: freezing. Water sitting in the fill hoses, the valves and the pump can freeze on a cold night and crack something.
- Protect the supply lines. If the pipes run along an exterior wall, ask a plumber about insulating or rerouting them.
- Plan for cold snaps. If the garage regularly drops below freezing, consider shutting the valves and draining the hoses during a deep freeze, following the manual's winterizing steps.
- Mind the floor. Garage slabs often slope toward the door. Shim and level the washer properly, and keep it off any spot where melting snow from the car collects.
- Keep the dryer away from fuel and clutter. Gas cans, paint and piles of rags don't belong near any dryer.
Second-floor closet laundry
Upstairs laundry is a convenience until something leaks, and then the first sign is often a stain on the kitchen or living room ceiling below.
- Look for a drain pan. A pan under the washer, piped to a drain, is the best protection. If yours has a pan without a drain, it only buys you a little time.
- Add a water alarm. An inexpensive leak sensor on the floor beside the washer can catch a slow drip before it reaches the drywall.
- Check the box behind the machine. The recessed supply-and-drain box in the wall should be dry, with no mineral crust on the valves.
- Check closet airflow. Dryers in tight closets need the clearance and door ventilation the manual specifies, and the vent run to the roof or exterior wall is often long. A dryer that suddenly takes two cycles may be telling you the vent is restricted.
- Stacked units need a secure stack kit. Make sure the dryer is properly fastened to the washer and the pair doesn't shift during spin.
When to stop and call
Stop using the machines and get help if you smell gas near a gas dryer (leave the house and call PGW or 911 from outside), if a breaker trips whenever the dryer heats, if the washer leaks from underneath rather than at a hose, or if a stacked pair shakes hard enough to move. Our washer repair and dryer repair technicians work in basements, garages and upstairs closets across the city, from Fishtown new construction to older twins. Before your next load, it's worth running through the dryer vent safety checklist too.
Bottom line: a quick look at the hoses, drain and vent once or twice a year catches most laundry problems early. If something leaks, heats poorly or sounds wrong and the checklist doesn't explain it, a diagnosis with a written estimate is the sensible next step.