Washers installation: four things decide the first week.
A washer is the friendliest install on this list — a grounded outlet, two taps and a drain — and still the one with the most first-week calls, because a front-load that walks, a top-load that fills slowly and a washer that leaks at the back are almost always the install, not the machine. The order below is the manufacturer's; read it beside your model's own instructions.
First use: what is normal
A new machine can do things on its first run that look like a fault and are not. Here is what the makers say is normal, what to do first, and where the line is.
Normal the first time
- A hum or gurgle while it drains, usually for 3 to 5 minutes.
- A small vibration at the start of a cycle while it weighs the load.
Do this first
- 1On a front-load, remove the shipping bolts before the first load. Left in, it will shake hard and can be damaged.
- 2Level it so all four feet sit on the floor.
Where the line is. Shaking or banging that stays with the bolts out and the washer level, or water on the floor, is not normal: stop using it and text us.
What is typically not in the box
Surplus inventory — open box, cancelled order, overstock, minor scratch & dent — is priced for exactly this: a unit can arrive without the small items that ship with a sealed machine. Have these on hand before install day.
Fill hoses — new braided stainless or rubber hoses with fresh washers, 4 to 6 feet. Every maker says never reuse old hoses, and most say replace them every five years.
The drain-hose clip or hook that holds the hose in the standpipe, on some models.
The leveling-foot lock nuts' caps and the rear-foot adjustment tool on a few front-loads.
The printed manual — download it by model number.
Power, water, gas, venting, space
What the room has to have before the appliance comes through the door. The manual gives the exact figures for your model; these are the shapes to check.
A grounded 120V, 15 or 20 amp outlet on its own circuit, within reach of the cord — never an extension cord or an adapter. A washer's cord is attached at the factory and is on the unit.
Hot and cold shutoff valves with 3/4-inch hose threads, water pressure between about 20 and 120 psi (the manual gives the exact range). Both taps fully open; a tap a quarter turn open is the slow-fill call.
A standpipe or laundry tub at the height the manual gives — most makers want the top of the standpipe between 30 and 96 inches above the floor, with the hose hooked in, not pushed down to the bottom, and an air gap so the washer cannot siphon.
A solid, level floor. A front-load on a bouncy floor or a pedestal that is not bolted is a walking washer; the leveling feet and their lock nuts are what keep it still.
About an inch at the sides, four at the back for the hoses, and the door's swing. A closet needs the manual's ventilation openings.
The install, step by step
An overview of the manufacturer's own sequence, so you know what a good install looks like whether you watch one or do one. The manual's page for your model is the authority on every figure.
- 1
Remove every shipping bolt
A front-load ships with three or four bolts through the back that lock the drum for transport. Remove all of them and the plastic spacers, and keep them for the next move — a bolt left in is the loudest, most violent first spin a washer can have.
- 2
Fit the new fill hoses
Hot to the hot inlet, cold to the cold (they are marked), the rubber washer in each end, hand-tight plus a quarter turn with pliers. Check the little mesh screens in the inlets are in and clean.
- 3
Set the drain hose
Hook the hose into the standpipe or over the tub edge with the clip, no more than about 6 to 8 inches into the pipe, and never sealed with tape — the gap is what stops the washer from siphoning the drum back out.
- 4
Push it back and level it
Slide the washer in without kinking the hoses, then set the four feet so the cabinet does not rock on any corner. Tighten the lock nuts up against the cabinet. Pedestal models: bolt the washer to the pedestal, and the pedestal's feet do the leveling.
- 5
Plug in, open the taps, run a short cycle
Open both taps all the way, plug in, and run a Rinse + Spin empty with a hand on the top during the spin. Look at every hose end and the standpipe while it drains.
- 6
Run the calibration if the manual has one
Many front-loads (Samsung's Cb, LG's and others) want a calibration run after a move so the control learns the load. It takes a few minutes and stops by itself.
The diagram
Drawn by us, schematic on purpose: the shape of the connection with every part named. Your model's wiring and hookup page in the manual rules on the details.
Mistakes that look like a broken machine
Most first-week calls are one of these. Each is an install item, not a fault — and each is the reason we ask for every function to be tested before the installer leaves.
A shipping bolt still in — the washer bangs, shakes and reports a vibration or unbalanced code on the first spin.
Old hoses reused — the first-week leak at the back is a cracked hose or a dried-out washer, not the machine.
The drain hose pushed to the bottom of the standpipe, or taped in — the washer siphons and never finishes filling, or a Sud / overfill code appears.
Hoses swapped hot and cold — the washer waits on a fill at the wrong temperature and reports no water.
Not leveled — a front-load walks on the next heavy load; a top-load reports unbalance on every cycle.
When a licensed installer is the standard
We recommend professional installation for every appliance we sell. On a washer these are the parts of the job that the code, the permit or the manufacturer's warranty place with a licensed trade.
A new outlet, a new circuit or a GFCI question in the laundry room is a licensed electrician's job.
New shutoff valves, a new standpipe or a drain that backs up is a plumber's job — a washer dumps 15 to 20 gallons a minute.
A second-floor laundry or a finished floor below: a drain pan and a water sensor are the standard, and an installer will set them.
Asked at the counter
Can I use the old hoses from my last washer?
Every manufacturer says no — a burst fill hose is the number-one laundry-room flood. New hoses with new washers cost a few dollars and are not included with any washer, new or surplus.
The washer shakes hard on the first spin. Is it defective?
Almost always a shipping bolt still in the back, or the feet not set and locked. Unplug, look at the back for the bolts, level it, and run an empty Rinse + Spin.
How high does the drain need to be?
The manual gives your model's range; most want the standpipe top between 30 and 96 inches off the floor. Too low and the washer siphons; too high and it cannot pump.
Does the washer come with a cord?
Yes — a washer's 120V cord is attached at the factory. The fill hoses are the part that is sold separately.
What your receipt says about installation
Installation & testing
Apex Sales does not perform installation, and we strongly recommend professional installation. Moving or installing an appliance without the proper steps — transported upright and secured, every connection checked, and the unit leveled — can loosen parts or cause problems, and improper installation can void the manufacturer warranty. Have a licensed plumber, electrician, or appliance installer test every function of the unit before they leave, so any issue can be reported right away. Damage caused by improper installation is not covered.
Condition & warranty
All units are surplus inventory (open box, cancelled order, customer return, overstock, or minor scratch & dent). Every unit includes the manufacturer's full factory warranty. Please inspect thoroughly in person before purchasing — cosmetic imperfections or missing accessories are possible.
These pages are a general reference for the appliances we sell. They do not replace the manufacturer's installation instructions, the local building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical codes, or the judgment of a licensed installer. Apex Sales does not perform installations and is not responsible for installation performed by the customer or by a third party. Damage caused by improper installation, transport or connection is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty or by Apex Sales.
When it's not a DIY moment
Everything on these pages is safe to look at with the machine unplugged or the gas shut off. These three are not a look — secure the appliance and call.
Gas smell
Close the appliance's shutoff valve if you can reach it safely, open a window, leave the room, and call the gas utility from outside. No switches, no flames.
Burnt smell, a melted plug, arcing
Shut the breaker off, not just the appliance. A scorched cord, plug or outlet means an electrician looks before anything is plugged back in.
Water that will not stop
Close the supply valve at the appliance first (washer, dishwasher, fridge line, water heater cold inlet), then unplug. Mop before you diagnose.
Text us the model number and what it's doing — we'll point you at the next step.
A fix, a part, or a warranty call — the plate's model and serial plus one line about the symptom is all it takes to tell which.
These pages are educational. Every appliance is a little different — follow the manufacturer's manual and local code, and leave gas, water heater and 240V work to a licensed installer.