How to move your washing machine when moving flat

When moving home it can be a real mission to move your washing machine too. If you’re not entirely sure of what to do then look no further. Here we have a breakdown of how to disconnect your washing machine. As well as the best ways to safely move it from one home to the next. Any new task might seem daunting at first, but with the proper procedure you can do it yourself without having to worry about hiring a handyman. Why add to the costs of moving to a new house when you can learn to do it without outside help?

How to disconnect and move your washing machine

Disconnecting and trying to move your washing machine takes a few steps so here we’ve broken them down for you.

Step 1

Turn off the water running to your washing machine, be careful to turn off both the hot and cold water as forgetting to turn off the cold tap can lead to a messier situation than you necessarily want.

Step 2

Set the machine to warm wash and turn it on. Leave it to run for about half a minute to let the remaining water run through from the pipes into the drum. Change the setting to spin and leave for about a minute to let the water drain from the machine.

Step 3

Turn off the washing machine. You don’t want electrical currents to run for the next stages.

Step 4

If there is no electricity now, you will need a bucket to drain the water and machine hoses.

Step 5

Unplug the cord from the wall and secure it to the rear of the machine using duct tape. This prevents any water getting onto the plug.

Step 6

Unlatch the drain hose from the drain pipe. Keep the bucket ready to catch what’s left of the water in the hose. In most cases you can disconnect the hose from the machine and store it in the barrel. If this option is not available you can repeat step 5 using duct tape to attach the hose to the back of the washer.

Step 7

Empty the bucket and now prepare to use it again. Remove the hoses from the water mains connections. These will also need to be removed from the rear of the machine and stored inside the barrel.

Step 8

Use a strip of duct tape to secure the door or lid to keep things from breaking or opening when you move your washing machine.

Step 9

Slide your washing machine onto a dolly and centre it to prevent it from falling off when transporting it. Using bungee rope to secure the washer to the dolly is advisable if taking up or down stairs.

Step 10

Move your washing machine.

Transporting your machine

When moving your washing machine there are a few important things to remember. The first thing is that in transit your machine should always be kept upright. This is to prevent any damage to the inside parts of the machine and to prevent denting on the case of the washer.

Transporting a washing machine without proper transit packing isn’t the best option but not always available. Many people move their machines every year and problems appear to be few and far between. The safety of transporting the machine in this manner is down to a few things. The first thing is the suspension of the machine, this will determine how much bumping it can handle. The next two are connected so they’ll be put together: Potholes and driver care. Depending on the state of the roads between your old home and your new one, and how careful the driver is when transporting your white goods can be the difference between a damaged machine and a safely transported fully functional washing machine.

However, these are not the only things to take into consideration. Other things such as the age of the washing machine and previous damage come into consideration when thinking about moving your beloved washer. It is more worth your while getting a new machine altogether if your current one is old and likely to get damaged.

Do not lay your machine on its back when transporting it as this may result in water running through to the electrics and causing serious damage when you turn it back on. Not to mention the danger incurred in wet electrics too.

Ask the experts

To be perfectly honest with you, you’re better asking an expert to move your machine that doing it yourself. Even asking your moving company whether it would be better to transport it using transit packing or just getting a new machine. Transit packing isn’t available for all machines however most moving companies will advise the use of one.

If you experience any problems once your washing machine has been moved, please contact us and speak with one of our Repair Aid technicians.