Washing machine in en suite

[Beanso]

We have quite a large en suite which feels like a massive waste of space. The washing machine is currently in the kitchen which is fairly small and the tumble dryer is in a storage area near the downstairs loo. I think it would make the most sense to move the washing machine and tumble dryer together upstairs into the en suite. Has anybody moved a washing machine into a bathroom that could give me a rough idea of cost and who do I need to contact to get a quote? Would it be a plumber, electrician or a builder?

Any help/advice appreciated. I do know there are regs about washing machines in bathrooms but I hope with the space we have we can work around that.

My grandparents had theirs in the downstairs bathroom, they also had a water outlet set into the floor, this is in Denmark which I think is pretty common thing to do.
Personally I would put both machines in there, as it makes perfect sense to do so. Also my middle daughter has her washer/dryer in the bathroom, she too has a small kitchen.

Great idea. A family member has theirs in the bathroom. Be great not to have them in the kitchen

It’s a plumber you need, my DH is a plumber and says he has put in a few. Floor may have to be strengthened with wood, as vibration could be a problem and new pipework installed as washing machine needs to be on mains water direct.

Regarding regs, it is housed in a cupboard well away from the bath area.

@Mindymomo thanks for this. Would the plumber do the wiring in as well or would we need an electrician for that part? I am so clueless when it comes to this sort of thing! From what I can work out it has to be wired in as you can’t have a plug socket in the bathroom

We tried at previous house, plumber refused. The problem we were told is that it is not compliant with electrical regs.
Have these changed to allow switches in bathrooms?

@DoIhavegreeneyes that’s frustrating and not what I want to hear. How long ago was this?

@Beanso Two years I think.
It isn't just sockets which would have to be fitted outside the bathroom but the operating switches on the machines that could be live in the damp atmosphere.
It's why we fit string pulls for lights. Danger is very rare and unlikely IMO.

You will probably get updates from qualified electricians over next 24 hours.

If you can have an electric shower in a bathroom then surely there must be a safe way to wire in a washing machine?

Mum and Dad have this - washing machine only. Put in less than 10 years ago, but i couldn't tell you exactly when.
Theirs is a bungalow tho, so ground floor.
I've never questioned the socket. It's in a cupboard on the far wall to the shower/sink etc. Cupboard is floor to ceiling, so I assume could take a drier if they wanted one.

You can't have switches in bathrooms for safety reasons, and yes you need an electrician. The switch would need to be elsewhere

We do have a wardrobe the other side of the wall to where I would like the washing machine to go so I assume the wiring switches could go in there

@SpringOfContentment I wonder if it being a bungalow does make a difference. We lived in Germany for a while and washing machines were always in the bathroom so I can’t see why it’s such a big problem here.

We have our washer and dryer in our bathroom. It was a large space so it made sense, plus I hated washing all over the kitchen.

The switch is on the landing, an electrician did the electrical work, a plumber the pipework.

I love it and recommend it to everyone.

Different building regulations.

@Seaside3 thanks for this. Did it cost a lot to get it moved?

I believe you can have a socket in a bathroom but it has to be a minimum distance from shower and bath - 3 metres? Otherwise you would need the sockets outside.

I would have thought you can get around the not having electrical sockets in the bathroom thing by having the connection put in through the wall ie no obvious plus just an on / off switch elsewhere like for a stove.

No, ot wasn't expensive, but husband is a joiner so did some of the work./know them and it was part of a bigger renovation.
I'd still do it, even if relatively expensive. It makes even more sense in our house as we have a small back yard, which is up some steps, so washing was rarely taken outside and took up the whole yard. So it's just confined to the bathroom now.