The Hunt for a Second-Floor-Friendly Washer
Look, I’ll be honest—I had Electrolux earmarked as our next washer practically since we bought our LG back in 2010. Why? Because our LG, while generally reliable, shook our entire house like we were experiencing a minor earthquake whenever it hit the spin cycle. When you’ve got laundry on the second floor, this becomes less of an inconvenience and more of a “honey, is the house about to collapse?” situation.
So when our 13-year-old LG started making sounds like a 747 preparing for takeoff, I figured it was time. The washer had served us well—surviving a tub replacement under warranty, a drain pump burnout courtesy of my genius decision to wash old shoes (pro tip: don’t), and multiple boot seal replacements (one self-inflicted when I stabbed it while cleaning). But all good things must come to an end, especially when they’re threatening to shimmy through your floor.
The Purchase: Sight Unseen (What Could Go Wrong?)
Did we go to a store to check out our options in person like reasonable people? Nope! I went straight for the Electrolux with its “second floor guarantee,” ordering online based on website photos like a true modern consumer with perhaps too much confidence.
I did call our local family-owned appliance store rather than using their website—partly because I had questions, but mostly because it’s nice to support local businesses when they’re not vastly overpriced. My main concern? Whether this beast would actually fit in our existing washer pan. The listed dimensions suggested it wouldn’t, which would have been a deal-breaker.
After confirming that just the base would fit (the back and door account for the extra depth), I purchased a stainless steel 32 x 30 washer tray on Amazon to replace my tiny plastic one. Also grabbed a rubber underlayment to cushion it and prevent the “walking appliance” phenomenon that seems to plague washing machines.
Installation Day: A Comedy of Errors
Installation day arrived, and like all home improvement projects, it couldn’t possibly go smoothly. I couldn’t remove our old stacked washer and dryer until delivery day, so my wife and I hauled them into the hallway that morning to prep the space.
Then came my first encounter with my builder’s love affair with cement. They had cemented the threads on the PVC instead of using thread tape like normal humans. When I tried to remove the fittings, I snapped both the threads AND the PVC pipe. Fantastic.
This triggered the inevitable hardware store relay race—you know, where you visit every hardware store in a 10-mile radius because somehow NONE of them have everything you need for one simple project. I finally cobbled together the right parts with literal minutes to spare before the delivery truck arrived.
The Electrolux Washer: It’s… Fine?
The new washer (Electrolux Front Load Perfect Steam™ Washer with LuxCare® Wash – 4.5 Cu. Ft. Model ELFW7437AW) is… fine. Not life-changing, but fine.
The controls aren’t as intuitive or nice as our old LG. The touch-only buttons require the patience of a zen master—too light a touch does nothing, too firm a touch and you’ll start-then-immediately-pause the cycle. The blue/white display numbers look like they were borrowed from my 1980s calculator. You know, the kind where 7734 upside down spells something naughty.
On the plus side, it has an 18-minute quick cycle that’s perfect for my pre-teen boys’ uniforms. We typically use the normal cycle with eco cold temp and medium spin—exactly what we did with the LG.
Does it shake the house less? Yes, but it still shakes. The only true solution would probably involve reinforcing the laundry room floor, which is way more work than I’m willing to do. Strangely, our old LG stopped shaking as much once it started making those airplane takeoff noises. No idea what mechanical wizardry was happening there.
One unexpected issue: we use detergent sheets, and this washer pushes the load forward in a way that traps the sheet between the clothes and the glass door, preventing it from dissolving. My workaround? Tossing the sheet in the powder detergent tray instead. Problem solved.
The sound alerts are nice but relentless—they just keep going until you acknowledge them like a needy pet. I turned this feature off on the dryer and haven’t looked back.
In Summary: Was It Worth It?
Pros:
- Less shake on spin cycle (though still noticeable)
- Relatively quiet operation
- Handy speed cycle for quick loads
- Doesn’t sound like it’s preparing for flight
Cons:
- Detergent sheets get trapped and don’t dissolve properly
- Still does shake the house somewhat
- Swapping the door hinge direction requires an engineering degree
- No filter clean-out access (a feature I really appreciated on the LG)
- Those touch buttons make me question my own sense of touch
Would I buy it again? Probably, if only because the alternative was continuing to live with a washer that threatened to vibrate through our floor. But I do miss that satisfying tactile feel of the LG’s knob and buttons—sometimes the old ways really are better.
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll dive into the complementary Electrolux dryer experience—spoiler alert: it’s a tale of conversion kits, square-headed screws, and questionably long dry times!
New Model of the LG
https://www.lg.com/us/washers-dryers/lg-wm4000hwa-front-load-washer
https://www.lg.com/us/washers-dryers/lg-dlgx4001w-front-load-gas-dryer
@Electrolux, @ElectroluxUSA, @ElectroluxGroup, @LGUSAppliances, @LG_Electronics,@LGUS
Even that's Odd 
Leave a comment