DIYbanter - View Single Post - Front loading washers

aemeijers

wrote:
Bob wrote:
Ashton Crusher wrote:
how do they get it to use so little water?

A conventional top loader fills the basket with enough water to
completely submerge the load. A front loader needs only enough water
to saturate the load. During the slow speed wash cycle, only a
portion of the load is submerged at a given time.

My daughter has an LG front-loader - about 3 yrs. old? It is so quiet,
you can hardly hear it even in the same room. It holds an amazing
amount of clothing per load. She loves it. When you turn it on, the
panel looks like a space ship - you can play Star Wars whilst you do
laundry )

IMHO, unless you have several kids and do a dozen loads a week, they
fail the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) test. They cost a lot more, most
of them require special soap, and judging from the threads on here they
are a lot fussier and more expensive to repair. The only saving is in
water usage, which in this part of the country is not a major concern.
And how long do they last? Around here, top loaders often last 20 years
or more, even under heavy use. And speaking personally, I hate bending
over that far to pull heavy wet laundry out of the tub.

But if the Warm Fuzzy Green feeling is important to you, and your budget
can stand the extra up front cost, go for it. My sister down in NC has
one, and likes it. Not sure what brand, but it looks expensive. (my
entry level top loader cost ~$350, as a point of comparison)

--
aem sends...