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Gas would be much harder to add unless there are gas lines in your new place.
You can check into portable washers and dryers. Very easy hook ups and they only use 110 electric which is a normal outlet. The dryers aren't as strong as a big regular dryer but it gets the job done.
Looking at a condo unit in Chicago which lacks a washer/dryer. I asked the listing agent if it would be possible to add them. Agent said the machine must be electric and ventless, and could be added under a kitchen counter or in the second bathroom.
Would this be a major project? Is it worth considering a condo unit like this? It has many other good qualities and is much lower priced vs. the general market. I'm surprised that the current unit owner hasn't already done this, but maybe they were fine with using the existing in-building laundry room. Or maybe they found out that it's more trouble than it's worth.
I know nothing about home repairs / projects - obviously a water source is required for the washer; for the dryer, my brief research online says that electric costs more to operate than gas. Any other drawbacks?
Thank you!!
How much money are you willing to spend on the dryer?
You'll find plenty of offerings for 24" front loading washing machines that can be built in under a counter.
OTOH ventless dryer will mean either a condenser or one of the new heat pump models.
You can find used condenser dryers from European brands like Miele (best), Asko, Bosch and others all over Craigslist, eBay and other such places.
All I can say is, don't even think about using a ventless device. Unless you like 100% humidity and endless dryer dust in the air. I know from experience!
Most people on this thread are like you. They don't know there are dryers built especially for the OP's problem. It is a ventless dryer. It is completely different than a normal dryer.
There are two types, one is the condenser type, but the one that is most practical is the heat pump dryer. It even collects the water vapor and holds it in easy to empty bottle. No heating up the house with using it, and no water vapor to worry about. It is used in Europe so much, and now we are finally getting it to the USA.
It is made for situations like the OP is looking at. It allows a dryer to be used, where it is not allowed to vent outside the unit. The best choice, is a heat pump dryer, that works completely different than a normal dryer.
You missed the part about *ventless* requirements.
No I didn't. The link I posted needs an indoor venting kit which would work for the OP and I almost bought that one but as stated "I" went with a vented whirlpool dryer instead.
You better make sure you're allowed by the HOA to have any type of washer/dryer in unit as many don't allow them!! If they don't and you install it anyway and it breaks down causing damage to your unit and others, your insurance and the HOA's insurance might not pay a claim for damages resulting in all of it to be paid out of pocket by you!
DON''T take the realtor word either, ask to see the HOA CC&R's (bylaws)!
Not just Chicago. If there is no w/d hook up, the odds are good that they are prohibited.
I'd find a condo that already has a washer dryer hookup in the unit. Probably much easier than trying to get approval from the board to alter the unit if it's even possible. Save yourself from headaches.
I would base my offer on a couple of contingents....like being able to make a bathroom/laundry room combo out of one of the bathrooms....then get assessments from an electrician....and a plumber that installs washers and dryers.....you may even need a person who does remodeling so that your washer dryer fits into your room nicely.
And, I would make my offer based on what all this rehab would cost.
Personally I would never buy a place that didn't have a laundry room. The cost and inconvenience of having to take your laundry to a laundromat would be a big reason I would walk away from this condo.
There is a lot of misinformation in this thread. In other parts of the world, ventless dryers are pretty common. They have a condenser where the hot-moist air passes through cooling fins and most of the water is captured & pumped into a waste drain. The portable ones have a rubber drain pipe you place in the kitchen sink. Condenser dryers are much smaller than a typical North American vented dryer. You typically pair them with a much smaller washing machine.
A 24" Bosch ventless dryer is a specialty item in the United States but a similar metric dimension model is the market leader in Germany. Same with Electrolux and the Nordic countries.
Many condos do not allow washer/dryer in a unit but more then a few sneak in portable units.
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