LG's all-in-one washer and dryer
Yesterday, I mentioned a space-saving stackable washer and dryer unit. But what if even that takes up too much room in your living quarters? Are you doomed to drying your clothes in the bathroom or out the window? Are you going to be deprived of fluffy towels and soft shirts? Not if LG has anything to say about it.
LG's new Washer/Dryer combo is an all-in-one machine that takes your laundry from dirty to dry in a single unit. That's right, you can put in a load of laundry and come home to clean, dry clothes.
To install the washer, you'll need a water hookup and a standard electrical outlet. No outside venting is necessary, because the dryer cycles use a ventless condensing system. Clothes are dried from within the drum; the water that's extracted from the clothes drains through the drum and out the water pump. The process takes a little longer than conventional drying, but the trade-off may be worth it for many apartment dwellers who don't have vent access.
The unit runs on standard electricity; no gas line is needed.
The front load unit has a 2.44 cubic foot capacity and automatically adjusts the water level and wash time to get your clothes clean. During the drying cycle, the sensor dry system takes over and measures the moisture in the drum to adjust the drying time and temperature.
Set the machine to wash only, dry only, or wash to dry to suit your needs, and delay the start up to 19 hours to make your laundry fit your schedule. Choose from nine wash programs and five rinse temperatures, including a sanitary cycle.
The Energy Star unit comes in titanium or white finishes and retails for about $1,600.
Maybe this one is different but a small stackable with an inside water filled vent will be much faster and more efficient.
Screw this thing. I wish I had a dishwasher.
good idea in a way for space reasons, and the fact it does not need a vent, but it needs some work IMO.
Firstly, maintenance is key - it needs to be cleaned regularly to remove lint and so on, if you don't your clothes will never dry completely. I've used machines that had this problem, but after the maintenance man came out and did a servicing they worked perfectly.
Second, if you want to just leave it running and come home to nice dry laundry, with some machines you can only put on a half load when washing heavy clothes like jeans and pants. Only put on a full load for light items like dress shirts.
Third, like everything else, you need to make sure you get a good unit in the first place - products from certain manufacturers are better than others. From experience I can recommend Siemens as an excellent performer.
Lastly, be aware that the drying time takes twice as long as using a conventional dryer, so set your expectations realistically.
This type of machine is very popular in Asia where apartments tend to be small and there isn't enough space for a separate washer and dryer, and no yard where you can hang stuff out to dry.