God forbid!!!
I would add that doing laundry in the balcony will make it less likely that you can get away with washing evenings and Sundays...
Are you sure? My friends in Spain have a washing machine, Not on the balcony but outdoors behind the tool shed. I asked them about it and they said some models are designed for that. And yes, they do sometimes get snow there, but obviously it doesn't get quite as cold as here. But if you disconnect and drain all the water before it gets cold, what can possibly go wrong?
Your clothes will slowly get dirty and smelly.
Operating any normal washing machine at low temperatures is dangerous. You have a hot drum, cold air, and then condensation, followed by short circuits.
Ours doesn't forbid the display of your knickers, but it does forbid you hauling wet laundry through your flat to get to the balcony...
Is the balconi covered?
Well living in Switzerland, you need to undertake some ''commado'' type of actions in order to guarantee some basic hygiene to yourself and your family...as a washing machine that belongs to you!!!!! is considered (as a Swiss real estate person posted once in this forum)..''luxury''.
Good luck with it and as long as you cover it well with some plastic layers it should not be a problem. I also do it.
I wasn't actually suggesting you attempt to use the washing machine during the period that it's unplugged and disconnected. But I agree, the washing would be very slow indeed as you wait for rogue raindrops to get into the intake pipe and the occasional lighting strike to provide electricty. But hey, good things come to those who wait.
The small print in the manual may actually say that functionaility may be reduced when the machine is disconnected. If not, there's a lawsuit brewing.
I want to answer a few questions raised in the thread, to see if and how responses might change.
The balcony in question is about 8 feet x 8 feet, and roofed. The half of the balcony against the apartment has side walls too, and the wash tower is in the covered area. The balcony also has proper electrical outlets and a collecting drain for (rain?) runoff water (goes who knows where...). The balcony wall against the apartment is all glass (a door on each end, and a strip of glass wall in the middle against which the washtower is located).
Many people in this complex keep refrigerators / freezers on the balconies too. The plumbing issue really intrigues me though, and if I were even vaguely acquainted with the residents I would totally go ask how they did it.
Also, I don't know what the housing contract of the genossenschaft says since I don't know enough German . But the washtower is in a first floor balcony and very visible....
Discuss away, bitte.
How they did what? Fridges and freezers just need a power outlet, no plumbing required. Or does someone else in your complex have a washer on his balcony?
Even if you can work out the plumbing issues, there's still the risk of freezing. If you were able to find a model with some kind of freeze protection (I don't know if such a thing even exists) you'd still have the issue of potentially freezing water lines.
Edited to add some links:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4606199_wint...g-machine.html
In southern Europe this is commonplace. I was a bit surprized when I saw it the first time but now I don't even think about it any longer.
In Switzerland I probably wouldn't do it though unless it was a very sheltered corner of a sheltered balcony.
Operating any normal washing machine at low temperatures is dangerous. You have a hot drum, cold air, and then condensation, followed by short circuits.
A fridge or a freezer require much less power!