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> vertical-drum washing machines (!!!) There are a number of issues with front-loading washers. While they use less water, they are also worse at cleaning clot
by washingtub 8y ago
> vertical-drum washing machines (!!!)
There are a number of issues with front-loading washers. While they use less water, they are also worse at cleaning clothes and much worse at sanitizing them. There was a recent post here on HN where a biologist did several experiments in her own washer to show how poorly they sanitized things compared to her older one. They also tend to trap water in the bottom and it gets musty and moldy, which with my spouses allergies is a non-starter.
But I whole-heartedly agree with your other issues. Moving from the Midwest, I can't believe how poorly insulated things are in CA. Our first apartment in Santa Monica had windows that didn't even seal properly when closed. You could very easily stick a sheet of paper through the gap between the window and the frame when it was supposedly closed. Some people even have glass louvres instead of windows in their bathrooms here!
- merpnderp 8y agoYeah, I have yet to see a side loading washing without the moldy ring on the side of the door. I'm unsure how this is in any way a net improvement, as whatever action people take to fix the mold problem is likely to more than make up for the energy saved processing the water.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago20 seconds with a damp cloth every few months, which is all our washer requires to keep the door seal crud-free, doesn't seem likely to raise energy requirements much.
- jedberg 8y agoWe leave ours open when it's not in use. No mold for years.
- jrockway 8y agoSame. You have to let the thing dry out.
- ajross 8y ago> Moving from the Midwest, I can't believe how poorly insulated things are in CA. Our first apartment in Santa Monica had windows that didn't even seal properly when closed. ... yeah. Because it's in Santa Monica. Without even bothering to ask details about your personal temperature preference or the size or construction date of the homes, I can 100% guarantee you you're using less energy on climate control in SoCal than in "the midwest". Trying to fix energy consumption by improving construction and code regulation in the major city least in need of climate control, like, worldwide is just a silly waste of resources. LA is wasteful in many ways. But a city that sits at a 60-70F average basically year-round is just not in need of attention here.
- kenferry 8y agoIn my Pasadena place, we tried to turn on the heat once. Turned out the furnace had been busted for years.
- village-idiot 8y agoThey installed a furnace?
- ibrault 8y agoMy apartment in Westwood last year had a heater but no AC, used the heater a grand total of zero times. Makes you wonder why they ever installed it in the first place...
- village-idiot 8y agoTo be fair, if it hits 50 around here people start installing snow chains and dying of hypothermia.
- clairity 8y agoa heater, but not a/c, is part of the building code in LA. my apartment has a heater and no a/c, but has a flow-through design that naturally keeps it cool in the summer. my heater and my portable a/c unit each get used about 2 weeks a year. the weather is really that great here.
- danepowell 8y agoI don't see what about front-loading washers would make them especially prone to standing water or mold. I would expect that vertical washers could just as easily have standing water. Worse, it's probably out of sight behind the drum where you can't clean it.
- gowld 8y agoBecause the door is below water level, it needs to be sealed. There is a rubber gasket submerged in water that molds. Top-loaders don't need a rubber gasket.
- zdragnar 8y agoI've owned both, and the brand-new front loader I just got is definitely worse in several areas with regard to collecting water. The door gasket is pretty bad (not sloped well enough for water to completely drain away from it), but it's also got a pull-out tray for detergent which also collects quite a bit of water each time. I did have a top-loader that got a bit musty smelling, though that was largely my own fault- living alone as a bachelor at the time (infrequent use) and habitually starting a load late at night only to fall asleep before I took it out.
- xahrepap 8y agoI'm not entirely sure what it is. But it's actually a common problem with front-loaders. If we're not extremely diligent in hand drying the washer and leaving the door open, our clothes will smell REALLY musty. It's really bad. The internet is full of anecdotes. I've never had the same problem with top-loaders. My next machine will most definitely be a top-loader.
- samb1729 8y agohave you checked the drainage pipe for blockage? that can cause standing water which may get smelly
- r00fus 8y agoI can confirm having owned 2 front loads. We leave the washer door open all the time while idle - sometimes blowing a fan inside to force-dry it out. Otherwise, mold city. It doesn't matter which make/model you buy, they all exhibit the same problem.
- agumonkey 8y agoany articles about new ideas on this topic ? even if new means using old ways again
- twtw 8y agoThis sort of thing is why I sort of hate energy star everything. Take dishwashers, for example. You can regulate the energy and water usage all you want, but it long ago got to the point where dishwashers that meet regulations basically fail to clean the dishes. Which is fine, it just causes the consumer to wash the dishes by hand either instead of or in addition to using the dishwasher. So now the dishwasher uses less energy/water, but the whole process uses net more water and takes more time.
- organsnyder 8y agoThat hasn't been my experience at all. Our new Bosch dishwasher is exceedingly more effective than the water-guzzler it replaced.
- joe5150 8y agomy experience with going from a late-90s model dishwasher to a relatively fancy brand new one last year is that it cleans better, but is slower and simply doesn't dry the dishes at all, and the standing water can leave residues on the dishes if I don't take them all out and towel dry them right away
- Angostura 8y agoOur Bosch washer on ECO setting takes a long time but washes very well. Not a problem if you are setting it going at bed time.
- stephengillie 8y agoMy new AC unit cools very effectively, and is the lowest energy usage of its category.
- sandworm101 8y agoIm doing my washing today. Run it once with detergent, then again without. The first cycle doesnt use enough water to rinse out the soap. I am running off a solar-powered well. I have a literally unlimited green water supply, but must still suffer a watersaving washing machine. Im tempted to crack it open and disable the relevant sensor.
- village-idiot 8y agoAs someone else who lives in Santa Monica, the extra detail here is that it's so freaking temperate year round that you don't need as much heat/AC. We typically just ventilate our home during the day and don't run AC, we've never turned the heat on (I don't know if we have heat, actually).
- Beldin 8y agoI was told that the washing machine should run at max temp about once a month - specifically to sanitise the machine. Can be an empty load (but not required). If you didn't try that before, give it a shot. Hopefully it'll help.
- adrr 8y agoThey make high-efficiency top loader washing machines that use the same amount of power of frontloaders. I have one, it's much slower(45 to 90 minute wash times) than traditional top loader but is almost completely silent.
- Fins 8y agoStrange. I have yet to see a top-loader that washes anywhere near as well as a drum machine. Front-loaders are also much more gentle on the fabric.