Secondhand laundry machines are easy to find, and a well-kept pair can run for years. The catch is that a washer or dryer can look clean and still have a failing bearing, a cracked tub or a heating problem you only discover after you've carried it down a steep rowhouse basement stair. The other catch is your house: a dryer that runs perfectly won't help if it uses the wrong power cord, the wrong fuel or a vent you don't have.
Use this checklist in two passes: first at the seller's place, then at home before the machines arrive.
At the seller's: test the washer
Ask for the washer to be hooked up so you can run at least a short cycle. A machine you can only see unplugged is a gamble.
- Spin the drum by hand. It should turn smoothly and quietly. Grinding, rumbling or a drum that wobbles at the rim points to worn bearings, which are often not worth repairing.
- Look at the door boot on a front-loader. Tears, heavy black mold or a sour smell mean extra work.
- Run rinse and spin. Watch it fill, drain fully and reach high speed without walking across the floor or banging.
- Check underneath afterward. Any water on the floor deserves an explanation.
- Look at the hoses and leveling legs. Missing legs or rotted hoses are cheap to replace but tell you how the machine was treated.
At the seller's: test the dryer
- Confirm the fuel. A gas dryer has a gas inlet pipe at the back; an electric dryer has a heavy 240-volt cord or terminal block. Make sure it matches what your laundry area has.
- Feel for heat. Run a timed dry for several minutes and put your hand in the drum. It should be clearly warm.
- Listen. Squealing, thumping or scraping usually means rollers, idlers or a belt.
- Pull the lint screen. It should be intact. Look into the screen slot with a flashlight for packed lint, which hints at a neglected vent.
- Check the back panel for scorch marks or melted plastic. Walk away from either.
The quick comparison table
| Area | Washer: buy if | Dryer: buy if | Walk away if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drum | Turns smoothly and quietly | Turns freely, no scraping | Grinding, heavy wobble, rust inside the drum |
| Seals and screens | Door boot intact, no strong odor | Lint screen intact, slot reasonably clean | Torn boot, burned lint smell |
| Running test | Fills, drains and spins fully | Produces steady heat | Error codes the seller can't explain, no heat |
| Floor and back | Dry floor after the cycle | No scorch marks | Leaks, melted wiring, burn marks |
| Recall | No open recall on the model | No open recall on the model | Open recall and no proof of repair |
At home: match the machines to your laundry area
Power and fuel
Many older Philadelphia homes still have a three-prong dryer outlet, while newer dryers and newer construction typically use a four-prong setup. The cord has to match the outlet, and it must be installed according to the dryer's instructions. Don't force an adapter. If the outlet needs changing, that's a job for an electrician. For gas dryers, connecting to the gas supply should be done by a qualified installer with a new flexible connector; PGW is the gas utility in the city if you have questions about service.
Venting
Basement dryers usually vent through a window insert or the rear wall. Check that your existing vent is metal duct, as short as practical, and that the hood outside opens freely. If you're replacing a vinyl or foil accordion duct, do it now. The dryer vent fire safety checklist goes through each step.
Getting it down there
Measure the basement stairwell, the headroom over the steps and any turn at the bottom. Front-loaders are heavy and awkward; secure the drum with shipping bolts if the seller still has them, or ask how they moved it in. A washer dropped on the stairs is a washer you've just bought for parts.
Drain and floor
Make sure the drain hose reaches your standpipe or laundry tub without stretching, and that the floor where the washer sits is solid. Old basement floors can be uneven, so plan to level it carefully. The laundry setup checklist covers basement, garage and upstairs closet installs in more detail.
First week of use
Run a couple of half loads before you trust the washer with a full one, and watch the floor each time. Clean the dryer lint screen after every load and check that clothes dry in one normal cycle. If drying takes longer than it should, the vent is the first suspect, not the dryer.
Source
When to call: if a used washer leaks from underneath, won't spin or drain, or a dryer runs without heat, our washer repair and dryer repair technicians can diagnose it and tell you plainly whether a fix makes sense for a machine of that age. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call PGW or 911 from outside.