All-in-One Washer-Dryer Combos installation: no vent, one plug, read the plate.
The new all-in-one combos — LG's WashCombo, Samsung's Bespoke AI Laundry Combo, GE Profile's UltraFast — wash and dry in one drum with a heat pump, so there is no vent run at all. The install is a washer's: two taps, a drain and a plug. The one thing to read before anything is the plate on the back: combos come in 120V and 240V versions, and a 240V model follows the dryer's cord and outlet rules.
First use: what is normal
A new machine can do things on its first run that look like a fault and are not. Here is what the makers say is normal, what to do first, and where the line is.
Normal the first time
- Longer dry times than a vented dryer: about 2 hours to wash and dry a 10-pound load, longer for sheets or a comforter.
- On a water-cooled model, the sound of water running while it dries. That is the condensation system working.
- A few minutes of load sensing at the start.
Do this first
- 1Remove the transport screws from the back before the first use. The machine shows an error if they stay in.
- 2Fill the drum half full or less for the best dry time.
Where the line is. Water on the floor, a burning smell, or banging that stays with the transport screws out is not normal: stop using it and text us.
What is typically not in the box
Surplus inventory — open box, cancelled order, overstock, minor scratch & dent — is priced for exactly this: a unit can arrive without the small items that ship with a sealed machine. Have these on hand before install day.
Fill hoses — new braided hoses with washers, as on any washer.
On a 240V model, the 30-amp cord kit (3-wire or 4-wire to match the outlet) — never included, exactly as on a dryer.
The drain-hose clip, on some models.
The printed manual — download it by model number; the combo manuals are long and worth having open.
Power, water, gas, venting, space
What the room has to have before the appliance comes through the door. The manual gives the exact figures for your model; these are the shapes to check.
A 120V combo plugs into a dedicated grounded 15 or 20 amp outlet and arrives with its cord. A 240V combo needs the dryer's dedicated 30-amp circuit and a cord kit wired to its terminal block (the dryer page's 3-wire / 4-wire rules apply word for word).
Hot and cold taps with 3/4-inch hose threads; the manual's pressure range. The drying side makes its own condensate, which drains through the washer's drain hose.
A standpipe or tub at the manual's height — the combo drains the wash water and, during drying, the condensed moisture, so a slow or siphoning drain shows up as a long dry, not just a slow wash.
A heat-pump combo needs no duct and no outside wall. It does need the manual's clearances for its own air intake and exhaust grilles; a closet with the door shut all cycle runs long.
These are heavy, tall machines: a solid, level floor and all four feet locked. A pedestal is bolted, never set.
The install, step by step
An overview of the manufacturer's own sequence, so you know what a good install looks like whether you watch one or do one. The manual's page for your model is the authority on every figure.
- 1
Confirm the voltage before the outlet
Read the plate: 120V or 240V. A 240V model on an outlet that is not a dedicated 30-amp dryer circuit is a stop until an electrician adds one.
- 2
Remove every shipping bolt
A combo is a front-load: the drum ships locked with bolts through the back. Every one comes out, and the spacers with them.
- 3
Hoses, drain, cord
New hoses hot-to-hot and cold-to-cold, the drain hose hooked in the standpipe with an air gap, and on a 240V model the cord kit wired to the terminal block with the ground strap set the way the cord needs.
- 4
Level and lock
Four feet set so nothing rocks, lock nuts tight against the cabinet. A combo at full spin with a wet load is a lot of mass; the level is what keeps it quiet.
- 5
Run the first cycle with the installer there
A short wash + dry cycle with a towel or two: the fill, the drain, the spin, then the dry. The dry side on a heat pump is quieter and cooler to the touch than a vented dryer and takes longer — that is the design, not a fault.
- 6
Clean the filters the manual names
A heat-pump combo has a lint filter in the door and often a second condenser or pump filter behind a lower panel. Find both on day one; the manual says how often each is cleaned.
The diagram
Drawn by us, schematic on purpose: the shape of the connection with every part named. Your model's wiring and hookup page in the manual rules on the details.
Mistakes that look like a broken machine
Most first-week calls are one of these. Each is an install item, not a fault — and each is the reason we ask for every function to be tested before the installer leaves.
A 240V combo plugged in on a 120V circuit through an adapter, or a 120V combo on a shared circuit with the freezer — the control resets mid-cycle or the breaker trips.
A shipping bolt left in — the first spin is violent and the vibration code shows.
The drain siphoning — a hose pushed to the bottom of the standpipe makes the dry side run for hours against water that keeps coming back.
Expecting the dryer side to run as hot and fast as a vented dryer — a heat pump dries at a lower temperature over a longer time by design.
The lower filter never found — a heat-pump combo with a clogged condenser filter dries slowly within weeks.
When a licensed installer is the standard
We recommend professional installation for every appliance we sell. On a all-in-one washer-dryer combo these are the parts of the job that the code, the permit or the manufacturer's warranty place with a licensed trade.
A new 240V circuit for a 240V combo, or a dedicated 20A circuit for a 120V one, is a licensed electrician's job.
A second-floor install with a drain pan and a water sensor is the standard — an installer sets them.
Stacking is not a combo's design; a combo on a pedestal uses the maker's pedestal only.
Asked at the counter
Do I need a dryer vent for a combo?
No. The heat-pump combos are ventless by design — the moisture condenses and leaves through the drain hose. The wall behind it needs only the water, the drain and the plug.
Is the combo 120V or 240V?
It depends on the model, and the plate on the back says which. A 240V combo follows the dryer's cord and outlet rules (a 30-amp dedicated circuit, a cord kit sold separately); a 120V combo arrives with its cord and needs a dedicated outlet.
Why does the drying take so long?
A heat pump dries gently at a lower temperature; a full load takes longer than a vented dryer, and the manual gives the typical times. A dry that runs far past them is usually the lower filter or a drain that is siphoning.
Can I stack it with a dryer?
A combo is both machines in one drum; the makers do not design them to be stacked. A pedestal from the same maker is the only thing that goes under one.
What your receipt says about installation
Installation & testing
Apex Sales does not perform installation, and we strongly recommend professional installation. Moving or installing an appliance without the proper steps — transported upright and secured, every connection checked, and the unit leveled — can loosen parts or cause problems, and improper installation can void the manufacturer warranty. Have a licensed plumber, electrician, or appliance installer test every function of the unit before they leave, so any issue can be reported right away. Damage caused by improper installation is not covered.
Condition & warranty
All units are surplus inventory (open box, cancelled order, customer return, overstock, or minor scratch & dent). Every unit includes the manufacturer's full factory warranty. Please inspect thoroughly in person before purchasing — cosmetic imperfections or missing accessories are possible.
These pages are a general reference for the appliances we sell. They do not replace the manufacturer's installation instructions, the local building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical codes, or the judgment of a licensed installer. Apex Sales does not perform installations and is not responsible for installation performed by the customer or by a third party. Damage caused by improper installation, transport or connection is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty or by Apex Sales.
When it's not a DIY moment
Everything on these pages is safe to look at with the machine unplugged or the gas shut off. These three are not a look — secure the appliance and call.
Gas smell
Close the appliance's shutoff valve if you can reach it safely, open a window, leave the room, and call the gas utility from outside. No switches, no flames.
Burnt smell, a melted plug, arcing
Shut the breaker off, not just the appliance. A scorched cord, plug or outlet means an electrician looks before anything is plugged back in.
Water that will not stop
Close the supply valve at the appliance first (washer, dishwasher, fridge line, water heater cold inlet), then unplug. Mop before you diagnose.
Text us the model number and what it's doing — we'll point you at the next step.
A fix, a part, or a warranty call — the plate's model and serial plus one line about the symptom is all it takes to tell which.
These pages are educational. Every appliance is a little different — follow the manufacturer's manual and local code, and leave gas, water heater and 240V work to a licensed installer.