For the past several years, vouchers and rebates ranging from about $100 to $200 have been available to buyers of energy-efficiency appliances. You can save some cash by getting a more stripped-down model that doesn't offer as many special wash cycles.Īnother way to save money when purchasing a new high-efficiency washer is through rebates.

The up-front cost of the washing machine tends to vary based on the quality and style, but it also depends how many customizable settings it has. Although some parts of the machine - like the motor and the tub - are often covered by long-term warranty, electrical components sometimes are not, and repairs are usually expensive. Newer high-efficiency washing machines also tend to have many customized settings, but with the addition more high-tech features, there are more parts that can malfunction. There's no sure fix to the noise problem, but purchasing a thick mat to put under the machine can help absorb some vibrations. The spin cycles on high-efficiency machines are much faster and longer than traditional washers, and, depending on the make and model, the vibrations can be loud. Next on the list of customer complaints is noise. Above all: Read the owner's manual, and be sure to use the proper detergent for your machine, says MSNBC's Herb Weisbaum. Another is to make sure to remove clothes promptly after the wash cycle is finished. One way to help prevent mold from developing is to keep the door of front-loading washers open so that excess water can evaporate. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kenmore is currently developing diagnostic technology for the company's high-efficiency washers that will enable customers to hold a cell phone up to the machine so it can connect with a technician's phone, telling the repairman what's wrong. Many newer models of high-efficiency washers also utilize cutting-edge 'smart' technology, enabling the machines to detect the size of a load and the type of fabric, so they can run at optimal temperature and water levels. Most top-loading high-efficiency washers use a combination of spin cycles and either a wash plate at the bottom of the tub or a small agitator to create friction and clean the load. Today, most major manufacturers offer both front- and top-loading high-efficiency washers. When high-efficiency washers began hitting the market in the mid-1990s, they were all front-loading, meaning that they operate on a horizontal axis, much like a standard drying machine.

Instead, reports The Washington Post, they rinse fabric using high-pressure sprays, saving even more water. Most high-efficiency washers don't have to fill up with water for the rinse cycle, either. Read on to learn about how washing machines are constructed and some of the costs and benefits of purchasing a high-efficiency washer. Most major laundry detergent manufacturers offer high-efficiency products, and they're clearly marked with an 'HE' label. If you use normal detergent in a high-efficiency washer, it could produce too much suds, and possibly even flood the machine. Because they use less water, high-efficiency washers require special laundry detergent that is specially formulated to produce fewer suds than normal detergent - leaving no residue on clothes.īecause of lower water levels, clothes tumbling in and out of the water naturally create more suds than traditional washing machines. The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists reports that, on average, 80 percent of the energy used by a washing machine goes toward heating the water, so it makes sense that high-efficiency models use less water. Washing machines score points by using less water and by getting the clothes dryer in the spin cycle, so that they don't need to spend as much time in the dryer. Efficiency, under the new guidelines, refers not only to the amount of electricity it takes to power the washing machine itself it's also a measure of the amount of energy used to heat the water and the energy needed to dry the clothes.

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