Washer Repair in Fishtown

In older Philadelphia rowhouses the washer usually sits in the basement, often beside a laundry tub or near a floor drain. That setup is forgiving when a hose lets go, but it has its own habits. Drain hoses are sometimes pushed deep into a standpipe or tub with no air gap, which can siphon water out mid-fill. Hot and cold shutoff valves in homes owned for decades are frequently original and stiff, and should be checked before anyone works on the machine. Damp basement air also speeds corrosion on the machine's frame and on the bottom of the cabinet.

Heavy rain is the other basement concern. Much of the older city is served by a combined sewer, and a hard storm can push water back up through a floor drain. If your washer sat in water, unplug it and have it checked before running it again, since the motor, pump and control board may have been wet.

New-construction rowhomes in neighborhoods like Fishtown, Point Breeze and Graduate Hospital usually put the laundry in a second-floor closet, and condos often have stacked units in a closet off the hall. There, a leak goes straight through the ceiling below. A drain pan under the washer, braided stainless fill hoses, and a quick look at the connections every few months are worth the small effort. Philadelphia's water is moderately hard, so mineral film can build in the dispenser and on the heater of models that heat their own water; an occasional cleaning cycle keeps that in check.