Secrets of choosing a washing machine with dryer
A washer-dryer is an attempt to radically solve the problem of wet laundry. If you live in an apartment, then you can dry your clothes naturally either in the room or on the balcony, which has serious disadvantages. Drying clothes at home means getting problems with excess humidity, and if you dry them outside, you need to keep an eye on them (what if it rains or a strong wind raises dust), in general it’s inconvenient. Therefore, the question of how to choose a washing machine and dryer comes to the fore; we will try to answer it.
What are the differences between a washing machine and dryer?
The main difference is obvious - a washing machine with dryer, in fact, combines two devices - an automatic washing machine and an automatic drying machine. The automatic washing machine performs 3 laundry care cycles:
- wash;
- rinsing;
- spin
The dryer-washing machine automates as many as 4 laundry care cycles out of 5, adding drying to the above list. There are 5 cycles in total: washing, rinsing, spinning, drying and ironing. Unfortunately, we have not yet come up with a household appliance that can effectively implement all 5 cycles. If such a washing machine appeared, the joy of housewives would know no bounds.
Someone will say, why spend money on such a household appliance if the laundry can be dried perfectly on the street? After all, clean outdoor air gives your laundry a freshness that no fabric softener can replace. This statement is partly true if you live in a village or suburb and you have free time.Just imagine, if you live in an apartment in a stuffy metropolis and you are short on time, for such people automatic drying will be a real salvation.
Note! Experts estimate that even the most modest (in terms of the number of programs) washing machine and dryer saves the owner an average of 15 hours a month.
How does such a machine work, how does it work?
A washer-dryer is a little more complex than a regular automatic washing machine. What additional structural elements are built into it?
- Ten. It has an additional electric heating element built into it for heating the air.
- Fan with air duct. Hot air is forced through a duct into the laundry drum using a fan.
- Small blades in a drum. The drum with blades rotates during drying so that the laundry does not cake and wrinkles do not form on it.
- Humidity sensors. The drum has sensors that determine the degree of drying of the laundry.
- Storage tankinto which moisture condenses. Excess moisture condenses on the walls of the tank and settles in it in the form of liquid.
Note! In tankless washing and drying machines, condensed moisture does not go into the container, but into the sewer, which is very convenient; there is no need to periodically empty the container.
The drying function is activated manually or automatically after the wash, rinse and spin program has completed. The wet laundry continues to rotate in the drum at a low speed, at which time hot air begins to flow into it in a programmed volume and dry things. There are different drying programs; you can see examples of their main types in the diagram.
The names of the basic and additional drying programs may vary between different manufacturers of washing machines, but their essence does not change. The most common and popular program is “intensive drying” or “quick drying”. It is implemented on all washing and drying machines, ensuring complete drying of clothes in the drum in 40-60 minutes. An indispensable program if you need to dry some things in a short time.
“Gentle Dry” and “Cupboard Dry” are much longer programs, but they help protect items from wrinkles, wrinkles and drying out. Additional drying programs can also be very popular. “Ironing” is a drying program that additionally shakes the laundry and treats it with steam to make the subsequent ironing process easier. “Dry wash” is generally a set of programs that allow you to clean laundry without water, which includes “Sterilization” and “Odor removal”.
Important! The Sterilization program is very useful if you have an infant. It allows you to quickly disinfect children's things that, for example, have been lying in the closet for a long time - and no washing required.
Energy efficiency and reliability
Consumers still have the opinion that washing machines and dryers, due to their overly complex design, quickly break down and do not last long. This is actually not true. Any certified and tested equipment, in the absence of manufacturing defects, serves at least within the warranty period. As for washing machines and dryers from well-known manufacturers, they can serve in some cases for decades.
The service life of such a machine directly depends on its correct operation.If you follow all the recommendations of the manufacturer and specialists, the machine will last a long time; if you break all the rules, then it will not last even a few months. There are the following recommendations for operating an automatic washing machine and dryer.
- IT IS FORBIDDEN overload the drum with laundry.
- IT IS FORBIDDEN Do not allow small children near the control unit of the washing machine.
- IT IS FORBIDDEN connect the machine to an outlet with other energy-intensive devices.
- IT IS FORBIDDEN wash things without taking out the contents of their pockets.
- IT IS FORBIDDEN dry in the machine: wool, nylon, silk, bulky items, items with foam rubber, down jackets.
Drying clothes requires intense heating elements, which leads to increased energy consumption. If modern automatic washing machines without a drying function have energy consumption class A or even often A+ or A++, then “washers” with dryers cannot be found in this energy consumption class.
At a minimum, we will be talking about class C, and most often even D and E. Therefore, if you plan to frequently dry your clothes directly in the machine in the future, get ready for a slight increase in energy bills. You can read more about energy consumption classes of washing machines in the article about washing machine power.
Review and characteristics of the best models
Choosing a high-quality washer and dryer that meets your needs is very difficult, especially considering the number of models offered on the market today. The price range is also huge, so let’s turn to the data on the best models of similar machines that experts collected for us. In presenting this data, we will also take into account consumer reviews, since we claim a high degree of reliability. So, the best models of washing machines with drying function.
Siemens WD15H541O.E. A relatively compact 84.5x60x59 washing machine with a dryer with a drum load of up to 7 kg (if you use the drying program, then up to 4 kg) and a drum speed of 1500. Its unit has built-in modes that are clearly visible in the photo.
This is what you need in stock and more. There is a display that shows the progress of the program. The machine is equipped with safety systems: protection against leaks, protection against excessive foam formation, additional loading of laundry. The machine has built-in humidity control, quick and uniform wetting of laundry, water dosing, self-cleaning of heating elements, and a brushless motor. Drying energy consumption class C. Average price 1800 USD.
Bosch WVH28442O.E. Avantixx. One of the best washing machines and dryers in its segment. Its dimensions are 84x60x59. The maximum drum load is 7 kg (with drying 4 kg), the maximum drum revolutions per minute are 1400. Its control unit contains the following modes, shown in the photo:
There is a large convenient display. The machine has a safety system: protection against water leaks, protection against excessive foam formation, prevention of imbalance during spinning, and additional loading of laundry. In addition, the machine’s arsenal includes ecosilencedrive – a quiet motor, a special water control system and more. Energy consumption class during drying is C. Average cost is 1600 USD.
AEG L87695W.D. An excellent washing machine with a clothes drying function, dimensions 85x60x60. It features a fairly capacious drum with a load of up to 9 kg (during drying 7 kg) and a rotation speed of 1600 rpm. Its control unit contains the following programmed modes:
- cotton washing;
- washing synthetics;
- steam treatment;
- quick wash and dry;
- eco-friendly washing;
- drying wool;
- eco-friendly cotton washing;
- drying synthetics;
- cotton drying;
- rinsing;
- spin+drain;
- easy ironing;
- delicate wash;
- wool +.
Convenient LCD display. The machine has a built-in safety system: protection against leakage, against excessive foam formation, prevention of imbalance during spinning, and additional loading of laundry. Energy consumption class during drying is C. Average cost is 1650 USD.
Electrolux EWW1697MDW. Quiet washing machine with drying function from a reputable manufacturer. Dimensions 85x60x61. Capacious drum with a load of up to 9 kg (during drying 7 kg) and a drum rotation speed of up to 1600 rpm. Available modes:
- steam treatment;
- washing duvets;
- washing delicate fabrics;
- drying wool;
- drying synthetics;
- cotton drying;
- quick wash;
- washing synthetics, cotton and wool;
- washing delicate items;
- eco cotton
There is a convenient display. Leakage protection, solenoid valve, double hose. There is control for foam formation, imbalance, a function for saving previously configured programs, and a delay start button. Energy consumption class during drying is C. Average cost is 1000 USD.
To summarize, we note that a review of washing machines with dryers showed that the best modern models are in a high price class. Ratings given on other information portals confirm our conclusions. However, such machines are worth the money, because they make the life of any housewife much easier.
Interesting:
2 reader comments
Thank you, a lot of useful information. However, it’s not relevant to me now. Indesitovskaya has been standing for many years, and they do not intend to change it. Although maybe we’ll look at Indesit for a more modern one later. This brand has proven its reliability to us.
We specifically bought ourselves a washing machine and dryer (we ended up choosing a Whirlpool, it’s good!) to put an end to this laundry hanging out everywhere! These washing machines are the future!