DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

i have a utility area at home & currently the washing machine sits in this small space but so does other stuff: eg some storage & crucially the boiler.

access to the boiler is somewhat difficult with the wash machine in its way so i was thinking of putting the wash machine off the ground: either on top of a shelf or on top of a new cupboard / square box type construction. Pipe wise this would be possible (ie i wouldn't have to re run any plumbing) but just wondering if it's a really bad idea to have a washing machine off the ground.
It vibrates but not excessively.

Provided a shelf / cupboard is strong enough, would this support the washing machine ok?

Any tips gratefully appreciated

[quote]Provided a shelf / cupboard is strong enough, would this support the washing machine ok? [/quote]

Although I would probably advise against it I suppose the answer is yes. however the question is what is strong enough.

Anyone who has tried to lift a washing machine will know that they are heavy. The weight is there to stop a large amount for vibration as the machine spins it's drum. If the machine is on a solid surface such as a concrete floor then the vibration will often not be very noticable while if it is on a suspended floor it becomes far greater. If it was on a shelf and the shelf was even slightly flexible then the vibration could literally rip the fixings out of the wall over time, or worse still damage the wall.

The other thing to remember is that washing machines are desinged to be on the floor and hence all the controls/soap drawer etc are designed to be used from above.