Clearance for a standalone washing machine

[Question]

I am concerned that there won't be enough clearance for a standalone washing maching in a (nearly finished) refurbished utility room. 

Tthe builder had created a space for a standalone washing machine.  On one side is a Howden's unit and on the other is a 18mm chipboard panel.   The clearance on each side is a 2/3 mm and from the top of the washing machine to the new worktop it will be 10mm or less.    We looked at the intructions and it says the minimum clearance for stable operation: side 25mm, top 25mm, which is larger.   The builder will try to reduce the height of washing machine , or possibly make the worktop higher, but that does not address the sides.

The builder has said that this has never been an issue before and he has been in the business a long time.   That seems to be inconsistent with the instructions. 

 

My concerns are:

 

- not being able to pull out the machine,

- a lot of shaking of the worktop, howdens unit and the panel, which could mean they fall apart in the longer term.   Washing machine vibrate a lot. 

 

We are near completion with new floor currently being laid and the worktop being installed end of this week.

 

Are these legitimate concerns? 

    

[Kelvin]

Do you mean 2 or 3 mm or 2/3 of a mm?  Either is quite tight but integrated appliances don’t shake your units apart and they are snugly fitted. 
 

Modern washing machines that are levelled on a flat surface don’t vibrate much at all. Ours doesn’t. The space for ours is 9mm wider than this washing machine (which is on the larger side) There’s 30mm to the underside of the worktop. I also have this to get it in and out. The floor is tiled to the back of the wall and it’s one tile so no lip to catch the feet. Went in easily enough with the two white doofers. 

[Question]

2 or 3mm.  thanks for your reply

 

 

How do you get it out? 

Edited August 6 by Question

[Kelvin]

I can pull it straight out but I can get those two white things under the front feet and then use them to pull it out 

[Question]

Thanks, where do you get these white things from?

[Kelvin]

Amazon sell them. Called appliance skis. 

[Question]

Thanks.   

[Russell griffiths]

600mm appliance normally only requires 615mm hole. 

[Nickfromwales]

If it's in the hole, put a load in and rinse then spin. Proof/pudding  

 

[dpmiller]

yep. one big bath towel...

[Nickfromwales]

"Ladies and gentlemen....please place your bets for the 53rd national Kentucky washing machine derby"...

[Nickfromwales]

25 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

yep. one big bath towel...

This is Buildhub mate, you'll need to specify length, width, type of stitch used in manufacture (with a link to the manufacturers specs for the needle), the ambient temp and humidity of the factory, and what day it was made.

 

I just hate it when people post without sufficient information 🙄 

[marshian]

I’ve always found the biggest issue with movement is with towels - easy for the load to become clumped up 

 

the other thing is be 100% happy with the floor level - having to pull the machine out to adjust the feet because the floor where it sits under the worktop is different to the floor when it’s in front of it’s home

[Nickfromwales]

My Bosch is quite clever, as it'll spin up very slowly with the clothes changing position, and keeps doing so until the load is even, and then it speeds up bit by bit and then if happy goes for gold. If it can't get happy it doesn't go faster than 800rpm I think (1600 machine) to stop it from committing harakiri.