Washine machines for landlords, front loaders, top loaders, HE models...

[Sam Leon]

Fellow landlords, what is your experience on washers - if you have to buy one today for tenant use?

I have a 20 year old washer in a triplex that has seen better days.  Rust is basically eating it away, it is located in an outside shed shared by three tenants.

First, I pay for water, so lowering my water bill seems like a good idea, so I started to look at those top loaders and HE models.

At the same time, I would also like to replace the hot water heater in the shed, it is a RUUD 20 gallons, and has been there, based on the serial number, for 36 years.  36 year old water heater, and it's also badly corroded.  In order to save space, I am considering changing it to a tankless (I happen to have a small Titan just removed from another property I can use, and I can easily run new #6 wires to the house meter).  HOWEVER, in looking over some of the reviews of the more efficient washers, I learned that tankless HWH and low consumption washers are not compatible because they fill the washer in short pulses or "spurts" and tankless HWH requires a consistent flow rate demand to fire it up.  So I start to think about putting in a small point of use 6 gallon tanked heater because it is a dedicated heater for just the washer so there is no need for a 20 gallon.

Then I did more reading and saw some newer models where some of the washers have built in water heating features, so you don't even need to supply hot water to it.  So that's another consideration.

Finally, lower consumption washers require special detergents.  If a tenant didn't pay attention and use the wrong detergent it could be an issue, so perhaps I need to supply the detergent, which adds to my cost.

Of course, I could consider a coin op, but...

My gut instinct is to just get another standard cheap work horse washer, and keep it simple, and put in a 10 gallon heater.  Instead of HE models or front loaders.

Thoughts?