Washer and dryer installation in Ottawa

A washing machine moves more water through your house in a week than any other appliance, and a dryer moves more hot air. Both are usually installed in a hurry by whoever delivered them, and both fail in ways that cost far more than the appliance. A fill hose reused from the old washer splits and dumps hundreds of litres into a finished basement in Barrhaven while the family is at work. A dryer vent crushed behind the machine fills with lint, the dryer takes two cycles to dry a load, and eventually the lint can ignite. We repair the aftermath of both, so we take the installation seriously.

A proper laundry installation takes a technician about an hour for a side-by-side pair and a little longer for a stacked unit. It keeps the manufacturer warranty valid, answers the questions an insurer asks after a water or fire claim, and gives you a washer that does not walk across the floor during the spin cycle.

• New fill hoses. We connect the hot and cold supply with new braided stainless hoses, never the rubber hoses that came with the old machine. If the shut-off valves are seized or dripping, we tell you before we start and can replace them.
• Drain at the correct height. The drain hose goes into a standpipe or laundry sink at the height the manufacturer specifies. Too low and the washer siphons out while it fills; too high and the pump strains. If your existing washer has drain trouble, our washer not draining in Ottawa page explains the symptom.
• Shipping bolts removed. Front-load washers ship with transit bolts locking the drum. Leaving them in destroys the suspension in a handful of loads. We remove them and keep them for you in case you move.
• Levelling. All four feet are set and the lock nuts tightened so the machine does not rock. This one step prevents many of the “washer shaking” and “washer walking” calls we get from Kanata and Nepean townhouses; see washer shaking and walking.
• Test cycle. We run a fill, agitate, drain and spin, and check every connection while the machine is under pressure.

• Venting done right. The single most important part of the job. We use rigid or semi-rigid metal duct, keep the run as short and straight as possible, and never leave the flexible foil vent crushed behind the machine. A restricted vent is the most frequent reason a load takes forever to dry, and a well-known cause of dryer fires.
• Vent inspection. If the existing vent to the outside is packed with lint from the old dryer, we flag it before the new dryer is connected and tell you whether it needs cleaning or replacing. Plenty of older houses in Alta Vista, Carlington and the Glebe have vent runs that were never cleaned.
• Electric dryers. We match the 240 V cord, 3-prong or 4-prong, to your outlet and check that the outlet and breaker are correctly rated. A missing or mismatched cord is a common reason a new dryer sits idle for a week.
• Gas dryers. In Ontario, our TSSA-certified technicians fit the connector with a shut-off valve, leak-test the joint with a proper solution or detector, and check the burner for a correct flame. Never hook up a gas dryer on your own. In Gatineau, gas dryer work is confirmed at booking. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call Enbridge Gas in Ontario or Gazifère in Gatineau (or 911) from outside.
• Test run. We run the dryer and confirm the drum turns freely, the heat comes on, and air is exiting the exterior vent hood.

Stackable pairs and all-in-one laundry towers are standard in Centretown, Sandy Hill and ByWard Market condos and in the second-floor laundry closets of newer Riverside South and Findlay Creek homes. Stacking a dryer on a washer without the manufacturer’s stacking kit is unsafe: the dryer can vibrate off during a spin cycle.

We install the correct kit for the model, align the two machines, secure the dryer, and route the vent and drain in the tight space behind a stacked pair, which is where most do-it-yourself stacks go wrong. If the closet has a bi-fold door, we also confirm there is enough clearance for the dryer to breathe. For an existing stacked unit that has stopped working, see stackable washer and dryer repair.

Before you buy, it is worth knowing what the repair would cost. Our washer repair cost and dryer repair cost pages set out typical prices, and the fee for a diagnostic visit is applied to the repair cost if you decide to fix it. A dryer that has stopped heating often needs only a thermal fuse; see dryer not heating in Ottawa.

If the technician finds the machine is genuinely at the end of its life, you can book the installation of the replacement with the same team, and we will try to line it up with your delivery date. The washer and dryer repair-or-replace guides help with the decision.

Laundry installs get a written price, approved by you before we start. It moves with whether it is one machine or a pair, side-by-side or stacked, electric or gas, and whether any valve, drain, vent or outlet needs correcting.

Service runs from 7 AM to 9 PM, and the $100 flat after-hours fee applies only to visits between 9 PM and 7 AM. Homes beyond about 30 km from downtown Ottawa may see a travel charge, flagged at booking. The warranty terms for a laundry installation are confirmed with your quote.

We connect laundry pairs in Vanier, Hintonburg, Westboro, Centretown, South Keys, Gloucester, Orléans, Nepean, Bells Corners, Barrhaven, Kanata and Stittsville. In Gatineau, the same bilingual technicians handle Hull, Aylmer, Buckingham and Masson-Angers; more on appliance installation in Gatineau. B&M Canada has handled washers and dryers in the region since 1995.

Have the new machines in the laundry room, or as close to it as the delivery crew will bring them, still in their packaging. Keep the old machines connected until we arrive, so we can see how they were hooked up. Know whether your dryer outlet is 3-prong or 4-prong, or send a photo with your request and we will bring the right cord. If a gas dryer is involved, say so when you book.

Buying a dishwasher or a range at the same time? Ask about having both done on the same trip; see dishwasher installation in Ottawa and stove and range installation in Ottawa. When the schedule has an opening, the laundry pair can go in the same day; the booking stands once we have phoned or texted you a window.