Stacking kits… Do I need one? How do they work? What laundry appliances can I stack? And perhaps the most common question of them all, what actually is a stacking kit?
If you find yourself asking these questions, you’ve clicked onto the right post.
We answer your questions and give you a bit of background information on the whole stacking kit business, starting with the most basic of the basics:
Every home has a limited amount of space available to work with, and all too often the laundry gets the short end of the stick. Even if your home has been blessed with a sizable laundry room, it’s still nice to make the most of the available space.
One great way to make the most efficient use of your laundry room is to take your dryer and place it on top of your front loading washing machine using a stacking kit.
By making smart use of vertical space, you’ll leave more room available for organising the rest of your laundry (or if you’re like me, cluttering the place up with junk you don’t want to store in the house).
A stacking kit is a laundry accessory that fits between a front load washer and a dryer. Other than saving you valuable space, it also ensures your two appliances sit safely as one fixed unit.
Stacking kits are designed to distribute the weight of a dryer on top of a washer, and to absorb vibrations from both appliances while they’re running. This ensures your dryer remains on top of your washer and not on the ground, which of course, will be very disastrous for both the appliance and your laundry room floor.
Some stacking kits, like the Electrolux STA9GW, offer handy extra features, such as a slide-out shelf that can prove very convenient when juggling laundry baskets, detergents, and clothes. These shelves also come in handy if you’re the type of person who likes to fold your laundry as soon as they come out of the dryer.
Of course, not every stacking kit has a plastic panel or shelf. For example, the SKK-DF from Samsung consists of a set of clips designed to be fitted to the corners of the appliances, securing them together. It’s the same kind of deal for the ESK stacking kit from Euromaid.
Another alternative comes to us from Gorenje, whose vented and condenser dryers come with sets of suction cup feet, which can be used to securely set them up stacked atop a Gorenje washing machine – no special installation required!
Unfortunately, this is not the case for all stacking kits. A lot of stacking kits are designed specifically to be compatible with selected washer and dryer models from a specific brand – typically a matching washer and dryer from the same brand.
Always check which laundry appliances are compatible with the stacking kit you have in mind. For example, the Electrolux STA9 is only compatible with Electrolux brand front load washers and condenser dryers, and is not compatible with their vented dryers.
The below guide should help you determine which stacking kits from which brands are compatible with which washer and dryer models (according to the manufacturer):
Bosch
WTZ11310 – For Bosch 60cm wide laundry appliances.
WTZ11311 – WTA74200AU dryer with all front load washing machines.
WTZ11400 – Suits all Bosch dryers (except WTA74200AU) with all front load washing machine types.
WTZ20410 – Suits all Bosch dryers (except WTA74200AU) with all front load washing machine types.
