101: front-loading clothes washers
Apr 05 '01 (Updated Feb 04 '02)
The Bottom Line Whereas front-loading clothes washers are superior launders, they are not perfect.
ALTHOUGH THEY’VE BEEN A STAPLE IN EUROPE for nearly a century, front-loading clothes washers are a relatively new phenomenon in the US, where most consumers use top-loading machines. But as the US Department of Energy continues to push for conservation, more and more front-loaders are finding their way into the New World...
For many Americans, front-loading clothes washers are a mind-bending leap in technology. They use up to two-thirds less water than top-loading machines and a paltry amount of detergent, which is often measured by the tablespoon rather than the cup. They are better launders, have larger capacities, and are gentler on fabrics—all while consuming up to 50 percent less electricity.
There’s just one catch. Front-loaders are expensive. The cheapest models are nearly twice as much as the average top-loader, between $500 and $700. While luxury brands from Europe and Asia are often priced in the stratosphere—over $2,000.
Coming Clean
Front-loading clothes washers clean by tumbling and compression. Like a clothes dryer, its drum rotates about the horizontal axis, prodding laundry through a tiny pool of water. Embedded vanes cause a lifting and dropping action that takes advantage of gravity while saving electricity.
In contrast, top-loading washers clean by immersion and agitation. Its tub spins about the vertical axis while a centrally located agitator stirs the water, sifting clothes through tumultuous waves and under toes. Because each load must be wholly submerged, washing requires considerably more water, detergent and electricity.
Tests have shown that tumbling and compression are more effective cleaning agents than immersion and agitation, being better able to retain “brighter colors” while producing “whiter whites.” The process is also gentler on fabrics, which keeps clothes looking newer longer. And because it does not require an agitator, there’s often enough room for big-ticket items like throw rugs and bedding.
Front-loaders are often called horizontal axis or tumble action washers because of the orientation of their tub. While these descriptions are often used interchangeably, their association is not exclusive. Some top-loaders are bona fide H-axis machines.
Clothes Call
Front-loaders or, more specifically, tumble action washers are the best launders, have the largest capacities and utilize the least resources. But they aren’t perfect. Vibration can be a caustic problem.
Vibration occurs when the drum begins to oscillate excessively. Though the tub will rotate continuously (and sometimes bi-directionally) throughout wash and rinse cycles, it is most likely to shiver during the spin cycles sandwiched between them. Whining like a jet turbine, high-speed spins can range from 500- to well over 1,000-rpm and produce enough centrifugal force to practically wring clothes dry.
Like most washers, when an H-axis machine isn’t level, its tub will not spin true. Unlike most washers, however, they can be surprisingly easy to throw out of whack.
Unsorted wash loads—something that V-axis washers handle exceptionally well—are harder for H-axis machines to “balance” and spin smoothly. This is because motley loads may contain items with vastly different weights (like a beach towel among socks for instance) that, while spinning, alter the tub’s center of mass, which changes the axis of rotation and causes it to quiver.
Ironically, using too much detergent will produce the same effect.
Oversudsing simulates an unsorted wash load by displacing laundry within the tub. Moreover, too many soap bubbles can dampen tumbling and compression, which erodes laundering ability.
(Unlike agitator washers, tumble action units generally do not wash small loads well. This is because the effectiveness of tumbling and compression is proportional to the size of the wash load.)
Smart Controls
Whether caused by an unbalanced unit, an unsorted wash load or an excessive amount of detergent, an out-of-balance tub can make a lot of racket. Fortunately, before vibrations can set in, most H-axis machines have already begun to tackle the problem.
A patent response is to halt the current spin cycle and start over, with hopes that the load will be more equally distributed the next time around. But if the drum is hopelessly out of balance, analog units (washers that do not have computer processors on board) will often toil in vain. Unable to preempt the timer, the cycle can literally end before it really begins.
With analog washers, the time needed to restore order is time taken away from laundering. This is not the case with digital units, where onboard processors monitor operation and troubleshoot problems.
When confronted by a perplexing situation, digital washers are liable to restore order in ingenious ways. Some counter vibrations with nearly equal but opposite ones. Others reduce rotational speeds. Still others concede the current spin cycle (and add an additional rinse cycle) in an effort to combat oversudsing. But if their efforts prove futile, digital units are far more likely to halt operation altogether—and notify the user of the problem—rather than trudge onward with a few skipped cycles in tow.
(With processors onboard, digital washers can accommodate a plethora of personalized features—such a ‘Silk Cycle’—while automating mundane tasks like dispensing bleach and monitoring water temperature. However, their most glaring difference is price: digital units are more expensive than analog ones.)
Sorting it out
Tumble action washers are better launders, have larger capacities and are gentler on fabrics—all while consuming just a fraction of the resources required by agitator washers. But they are also renown for their surprisingly quiet operation and significantly better water extraction ability. Consequently, laundry looks better, lasts longer, and spends less time in the dryer, a conspicuous device that can consume up to three times as much electricity as the typical washer.
Yet, despite its advantages, perspective buyers should weigh their purchasing decision on their willingness to accommodate its faults, which may include: poor accessibility, higher prices, longer laundering times and vibration.
(1) Accessibility. Despite all of the hype, tumble action washers are not very accessible. Most are front-loading with cute windowed doors that open less than two feet from the ground. Barring a custom installation, loading and unloading is likely to be a hands-and-knees affair.
(Before installing a front-loading washer, consider its placement. Side-by-side, washer and dryer doors can open in opposite directions, which will impede loading/unloading from one unit to the other.)
(2) Price. Tumble action washers are more expensive than their agitator counterparts. But under normal operating conditions, they’ll pay dividends through more efficient operation. However, the size of the return will often vary with location.
In metropolitan areas, where resources are abundant and relatively inexpensive, monetary gains are marginal. But in rural areas where electricity is more expensive, water is often drawn from wells (making it relatively scarce), and sewage is stored in septic tanks (incurring an additional wastewater charge), savings are more profound.
(Although seldom advertised, local utility companies will sometimes offer a credit/rebate to customers who purchase tumble action washers. The subsidy encourages patrons to buy pricier Energy Star appliances that are more cost effective, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.)
(3) Time. Unlike agitator washers, tumble action units need considerably more time to launder clothes. Most will conclude a lengthy wash cycle with multiple rinse cycles.
(4) Vibration. Tumble action washers are surprisingly easy to throw out of whack. To keep things in order, operators may need to develop a habit of sorting laundry thoroughly while using detergent sparingly.
(Because of the debilitating effects of oversudsing, manufacturers recommend low foaming ‘High Efficiency’ detergents. But in the US, where more than 90% of the population still uses agitator washers, HE brands are pricier and harder to find than regular detergents.)
The Bottom Line
Whereas front-loading clothes washers are superior launders, they’re not perfect.
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