Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

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Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:40 am

S.O.S.

I will be moving to a Makati condo in dela costa anytime soon. So I'm in the process of canvassing and buying appliances right now.

I'm considering buying one that fully automatic (washes and dries 100%).

Can anyone recommend a brand and model of Front-loading Washer/Dryers? And can anyone share his experience in using this household appliance?

Thanks in advance for your help
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Gau_Ban » Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:51 pm

I found this informative website run by independent service engineers in the UK. So note that some of their issues such as LG parts being difficult to source are not always valid here.

I just needed as washing machine as we can line dry our laundry. I ended up buying an electrolux even though as the ukwhitegood guys point out, there is this sealed plastic tub that makes repairs expensive as the whole sealed tub assembly has to be replaced even if the problem is just the bearing.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buying-advice/washing-machine.html

The article on washer dryers is here.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buying-advice/washing-machine/2880-buying-a-washer-dryer.html
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Jon Agner » Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:21 pm

We've been using the electrolux front load washer/dryer for about a year now, the only problem we had with it was when our house got flooded and soaked one of the connectors. :) and didn't operate properly , and their service is quite fast :)
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby carbondated » Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:23 am

Happy with our LG washer/dryer combo machine, but in hindsight we have enough space for a stacked washer and dryer -- which allows you to do the next batch of laundry while the first is being dried.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:14 am

Gau_Ban wrote:I found this informative website run by independent service engineers in the UK. So note that some of their issues such as LG parts being difficult to source are not always valid here.

I just needed as washing machine as we can line dry our laundry. I ended up buying an electrolux even though as the ukwhitegood guys point out, there is this sealed plastic tub that makes repairs expensive as the whole sealed tub assembly has to be replaced even if the problem is just the bearing.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buying-advice/washing-machine.html

The article on washer dryers is here.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buying-advice/washing-machine/2880-buying-a-washer-dryer.html


thanks for the articles! however, ive noticed that the articles are dated year 2007... and now is 2013, technology now is better off than before...
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:17 am

Jon Agner wrote:We've been using the electrolux front load washer/dryer for about a year now, the only problem we had with it was when our house got flooded and soaked one of the connectors. :) and didn't operate properly , and their service is quite fast :)


are you satisfied with how it work? is it the model that dries 100%?

thanks for any other pieces of info like what type of water source you use, etc etc...
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:19 am

carbondated wrote:Happy with our LG washer/dryer combo machine, but in hindsight we have enough space for a stacked washer and dryer -- which allows you to do the next batch of laundry while the first is being dried.


carbondated wrote:allows you to do the next batch of laundry while the first is being dried.

with your answer, now i know why other people buy separate washer and dryer...

the one you own, is it the model that dries 100%? (what model code is it?)

thanks in advance for any other pieces of info like what type of water source you use, etc etc...
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Jon Agner » Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:07 pm

xmusic wrote:
Jon Agner wrote:We've been using the electrolux front load washer/dryer for about a year now, the only problem we had with it was when our house got flooded and soaked one of the connectors. :) and didn't operate properly , and their service is quite fast :)


are you satisfied with how it work? is it the model that dries 100%?

thanks for any other pieces of info like what type of water source you use, etc etc...


it's around 80-90% dry which is ok for ironing, but my wife prefers to hang dry our laundry as not all naman need ironing. Not much issue regarding water usage, the washer/drier runs automatically and only uses a small amount of water for every run. Our washer/drier holds about 5 kilos of laundry at a time .... In my case, less laundry can be accomodated for every spin since I'm on the UWA side :$ :$ :$

BTW, I'm using Noly/TAS formulated detergent :) works well with the washer :)
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby TheAnalogSource » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:01 pm

i would shy away from combine washer/dryer unit. first, there is a thermal shock on the parts you know from cold.hot.cold so more or less they do not last as long as dedicated washer. second, the dryer part uses electric heater which on most household loads say you run 2x a week will add about 5k to your electric bill.

frontloaders are designed to be stack with dryer on top (we call them euro washer btw) so if your concern is floorspace then you can look at them. as far as i know most dryer for that particular size has electric heater thus again same issue as above. I strongly recommended you get a gas dryer if you find one. maytag and speedqueen have stack washer and GAS dryer but its a little bigger than the usual 5k frontloads. most common frontloaders are electrolux, whirpool. lg, samsung are quite new but im very impressed with them and did get an LG topload when we transferred to a smaller place. If you can get one with extended warranty, get one because most issues come out after the 2nd year.

btw, if you are bring soiled clothes to the laundromat...ask if they are using dryers because most are using hang dry these days. Clothes places in dryer are lighters to wear as well as more sterile.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Jon Agner » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:46 pm

TheAnalogSource wrote:i would shy away from combine washer/dryer unit. first, there is a thermal shock on the parts you know from cold.hot.cold so more or less they do not last as long as dedicated washer. second, the dryer part uses electric heater which on most household loads say you run 2x a week will add about 5k to your electric bill.

frontloaders are designed to be stack with dryer on top (we call them euro washer btw) so if your concern is floorspace then you can look at them. as far as i know most dryer for that particular size has electric heater thus again same issue as above. I strongly recommended you get a gas dryer if you find one. maytag and speedqueen have stack washer and GAS dryer but its a little bigger than the usual 5k frontloads. most common frontloaders are electrolux, whirpool. lg, samsung are quite new but im very impressed with them and did get an LG topload when we transferred to a smaller place. If you can get one with extended warranty, get one because most issues come out after the 2nd year.

btw, if you are bring soiled clothes to the laundromat...ask if they are using dryers because most are using hang dry these days. Clothes places in dryer are lighters to wear as well as more sterile.



Nols,

I don't know if our electrolux has a heater as but comparing our consumption between this and our national washing machine and spin dryer before, the electrolux consumes less power.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby TheAnalogSource » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:02 pm

your electrolux is what we call a fully automatic washer..the dryer section is just a spin dryer...the clothes comes out a bit damp. what xmusic is referring is a washer/dryer combi machine with a electric heating element or a gas fed flame ...the clothes comes out bone dry.

the first one should be more efficient than your standard household washer and spin dryer because it has less load because of reduce water requirement. the second one as i mentioned uses an electric heating element if im not mistaken is about 2kw rating thus will need more juice. actually it cant be plug in regular household outlet and would require a separate line with higher rating
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby rtsyrtsy » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:30 pm

We considered the combined washer-drier for a while. We went with a separate combo since the drying capacity tends to be half that of the washing capacity in a combo unit.

This should not be a problem if you wash 2.5kgs a time (e.g. if you are single or if you wash frequently) so you can do the wash-dry cycle in one load.

With kids (and the weather in Dubai especially in the Summers), the drying capacity of the combo-units just didn't make sense to us.

I think as far was water consumption goes, modern washing machines have been designed quite well. Power consumption especially of the drier is a different story. When we lived in Manila, we bought a Whirlpool LPG-powered drier. Well worth the investment and hassle of LPG tanks). This said, I'm not sure if you are allowed to use LPG in your condo.

The real question is, will you let your washed laundry dry over your class A amp? :lol:
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby carbondated » Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:20 pm

I think TAS knows what he's talking about on this topic!! Also depends how strict your apartment building is. Our association stipulates no line drying on the balcony and no use of gas anywhere in the apartment. The LG unit we're using plugs into an ordinary mains outlet but does have a dedicated spur. If you can line dry you should because it's good for the environment, your clothes, and your electricity bill. A combi washer/dryer will take 6 hours to wash and dry one load. Even my whites fray faster these days, and the shrinkage will make your underwear feel very, hm, snug.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Gau_Ban » Fri Mar 01, 2013 7:34 am

xmusic wrote:thanks for the articles! however, ive noticed that the articles are dated year 2007... and now is 2013, technology now is better off than before...


In a front load washing machine, the drum rotates and the laundry falls against one of the "beaters." It is still using the same principle as the palo-palo that your grandmother used when she washed her clothes by the batis. :-) So I don't see how much has changed between 2007 and now.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:44 am

Gau_Ban wrote:I just needed as washing machine as we can line dry our laundry. I ended up buying an electrolux even though as the ukwhitegood guys point out, there is this sealed plastic tub that makes repairs expensive as the whole sealed tub assembly has to be replaced even if the problem is just the bearing.


How can you rate the electolux unit that you have? did it give you any headache? hehehe
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:48 am

Jon Agner wrote:We've been using the electrolux front load washer/dryer for about a year now, the only problem we had with it was when our house got flooded and soaked one of the connectors. :) and didn't operate properly , and their service is quite fast :)


after the flood incident, were you still have it restored to operate normally? were you able to avail of the service warranty?
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:50 am

carbondated wrote:Happy with our LG washer/dryer combo machine, but in hindsight we have enough space for a stacked washer and dryer -- which allows you to do the next batch of laundry while the first is being dried.


may i ask how long it will take to wash and dry a normal laundry load using your LG washer/dryer combo machine? Can you confirm what the LG merchandiser told me that it will take 1.5 to 2 hours?

I'm considering buying an LG too.
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:54 am

TheAnalogSource wrote:i would shy away from combine washer/dryer unit. first, there is a thermal shock on the parts you know from cold.hot.cold so more or less they do not last as long as dedicated washer. second, the dryer part uses electric heater which on most household loads say you run 2x a week will add about 5k to your electric bill.

frontloaders are designed to be stack with dryer on top (we call them euro washer btw) so if your concern is floorspace then you can look at them. as far as i know most dryer for that particular size has electric heater thus again same issue as above. I strongly recommended you get a gas dryer if you find one. maytag and speedqueen have stack washer and GAS dryer but its a little bigger than the usual 5k frontloads. most common frontloaders are electrolux, whirpool. lg, samsung are quite new but im very impressed with them and did get an LG topload when we transferred to a smaller place. If you can get one with extended warranty, get one because most issues come out after the 2nd year.

btw, if you are bring soiled clothes to the laundromat...ask if they are using dryers because most are using hang dry these days. Clothes places in dryer are lighters to wear as well as more sterile.


very informative... thanks!
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby xmusic » Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:01 am

carbondated wrote:I think TAS knows what he's talking about on this topic!! Also depends how strict your apartment building is. Our association stipulates no line drying on the balcony and no use of gas anywhere in the apartment. The LG unit we're using plugs into an ordinary mains outlet but does have a dedicated spur. If you can line dry you should because it's good for the environment, your clothes, and your electricity bill. A combi washer/dryer will take 6 hours to wash and dry one load. Even my whites fray faster these days, and the shrinkage will make your underwear feel very, hm, snug.


Our association does not allow line drying and prohibits gas.

Really? 6 hours??? :(
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Re: Front-loading Washer/Dryers Recommendations and Stories

Postby Jon Agner » Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:19 am

xmusic wrote:
Jon Agner wrote:We've been using the electrolux front load washer/dryer for about a year now, the only problem we had with it was when our house got flooded and soaked one of the connectors. :) and didn't operate properly , and their service is quite fast :)


after the flood incident, were you still have it restored to operate normally? were you able to avail of the service warranty?


Their service is quite fast and on time (Unless the service guy can't really find your place or they got stuck in traffic) but since this is was as a result of a natural disaster it wasn't covered by the service warranty (their service fees are quite reasonable, I may say) . but they brought it back to normal operating condition :)
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