I see that refrigerator scenario way to often 

I just tell them that I won't risk damaging anything or getting hurt, and if they can get it moved to somewhere accessible, i'll work on it. 

Then I leave.

Not exciting or interesting, but keeps my stress level down. 8-)

Wow I got 2 out of the 3 photos lol 

I also see worse than that

Remember the old saying , don’t make your problems my problem 

a washing machine full of water with a blocked pump from rubber backed map stuck in the corner between a toilet and a wash tib , only way out is to lift it out , get it out and I’ll be back Friday 

poor design is a big challenge as per the fridge above, there is something very wrong with architects brains 
 

for example fridges built into cupboard 4 inches off the floor with power behind the fridge  

ive seen laundries in cupboards with the wash tub in the middle and a big machine needs to be lifted and dropped into place 

same kitchens with big cavities but small fridges as that’s all that will fit down the stairs 

new house , washing machine space is 40+inches wide , cust has 25 inch machine , why didn’t you buy a bigger one? Well the door is only 28 inches wide 

just been designing a house myself and kitchen person submits me first draft for kitchen and I ask

how wide is this fridge ?

oh normal fridge

ok so how wide is it ?

24 inches

wtf? I need 40 inches wide cavity

huh you need a fridge that big ?  

no I don’t but I might and it’s not going to fit into a 24 inch hole you idiot  

Anyway back to the topic , 

walk away , get it out and I’ll be back , it’s just not worth the risk of damage or Injury Imho which is quite high over your other normal day to day work 

As I get older, more achy, and less patient I find myself turning down or walking away from most installations like this.

The key is prescreening your calls and asking the right questions about the appliances your looking at.

But, occasionally some slip through.

I turn down stackable laundry set ups 95% of the time. 

I'll occasionally tackle them if there is side and top access.

Also, side by side washer and dryers built in under a non removeable top or a stone top.

How about a washer that's literally pinned behind a toilet or sink?

Kitchen islands are always unnecessarily close to fridge installations.

I don't know what these architects and kitchen designers are thinking.

Sometimes your floor protector won't even fit in front they're so close.

Then God forbid you have to slide it sideways several feet to access the back.

How about dishwashers with 1 1/2 inches of flooring in front of the frame and leveling legs.

There's absolutely no forethought in many of these cases and I really find it hard to hide my disgust when I waste my time to go out and look at appliance like this. 

I hate the 1 piece stackable washer and dryers tucked in behind the bathroom door and toilet. As stated above, I’m not getting any younger and the idea of declining the repair seems more appealing. 

In the first picture the washer is upside down. I would have a hard time keeping a straight face in front of the customer if I would’ve seen that

I saw one like that in a new home. I asked the guy sold the fridge how they got it in. He two young delivery guys said they picked it up and put it on the counter first.

36 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

In the first picture the washer is upside down. I would have a hard time keeping a straight face in front of the customer if I would’ve seen that

It’s a dryer

common for upside down for wall mounting so you can reach inside 

they are designed that way and come with a new decal included for upside down use 

A lot of these installation nightmares are ideas promoted by home magazines. If there is a commenting opportunity, I usually leave one that says "that'll be a nightmare to repair." More and more I tell people that "moving the appliance may cause floor damage and I can't take responsibility for that. I can put slides under the feet, but even slides can scratch your floor. If you want to avoid this, you should move the appliance yourself."

One thing about nightmares, is they are merely dreams only becoming reality by making it happen.

Sometimes the outside of the house is scary enough. Then down the scary spiral staircase into the horror laundry room.  I only have video of it. I have one worse than this. Where they vent the dryer inside. Looks like an filled abandoned house full of lint and cobwebs.

Here's outside of the house I mentioned in previous post. These aren't even the worst. I have a customer who lives in a dwelling made of two pull behind trailers fitted together. I tried moving their 17 cu.ft. over freezer on top fridge. Should be easy to pull out, right?. There wasn't much in it, but it wouldn't budge. I accidentally tilted it forward,  and it started to move. Well, the floor was rotted through to where you could see the ground outside. The leg/wheel of the fridge was stuck down in that hole.

Do I run calls in horrendous situations? Yes, I do. As long as I can do the work myself. If it is dirty and disgusting, I just charge more. If it is something large, like the picture of the frontloader stacked in a tight spot. I either refuse it, or just tell them I have to charge much more, because I have to bring a guy to help me get to it.

On 10/17/2020 at 9:08 AM, Schism said:

I see that refrigerator scenario way to often 

Yeah all you have to do is take all the doors off and then you can get it out easy. And then just drag to the floor sideways leaving some nice marks for memory and then you realize that compressor is shot and you can't fix it and 3 hours later you get trip fee for diagnostics. And a $10,000 bill for a new floor. Unfortunately like you said these happen a lot The new trend of the islands and massive fridges in small homes is becoming way too common.