Anyone here have one of those clothes washer/dryer combos?

[kenny]

Are you (or anyone you know with one) happy with it?

I just learned you no longer need two machines, a washer and a dryer, for clothes.
Who knew?
I'm considering one.

Some (or maybe all) don't need to vent the dryer to the outside.
Wouldn't that drive up the humidity in the house, making it more likely you'll get mold, or harming things like pianos and guitars?
That water has to go somewhere.

Penny for your thoughts, pro or con.

The Best All-in-One Washer-Dryers for Doing Laundry in Less Space

Our favorite washer-dryer combos can be a great solution when space is at a premium—but, expect to experience long cycle times, among other quirks.

www.thespruce.com

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

We live in a very small apartment and have only access to a dryer (in the basement, outside entrance) so we've considered these. They take a LONG time, especially the non-vented. From what I've read, on the non-vented the clothes are not really DRY, just not sopping wet. We would go for one if we could vent it since we're not laundry monsters. As it is we have a portable 1 cubic foot washer that hooks up to our bathroom sink and drains into the tub (like a RV would use). We then take the wet clothes outside and into the basement where the upstairs tenet lets us use his dryer.

 

[MeowMeow]

We do! Thanks to being two people who have crap memories we decided it was smarter to just have the one unit even though it does mean we generally only get 1 load done a day. Occasionally 2 but usually 1. And it has been mostly really good to us. Ours is 4 years old this summer.

Pros. We don't have issues with accidentally leaving stuff in the washer too long because we both forgot clothes were in there.
Our bad backs are helped too because no need to switch the load around in the middle. Just pack the load in, select the type of load with any extra settings, and let it go for 4 to 8 hours.
I THINK Ours uses steam to dry and I love the sanitary function. Our clothes typically are very dry unless we forget to clean the trap. Then they will require a couple dry cycles until we fix it.
I also think it doesn't need vents to vent stuff out like the regular units. We moved Ours from the basement up to our bathroom because I was getting hurt dragging laundry down and up again 3 sets of steps. So all we have is what I think are water tubes?

Cons? Well I guess when the load is heavy enough we only get one load in a day but we are ok with that.

Ours is front loaded so you have to make sure to clean the seal fairly often. And make sure the lint trap is cleaned up every so often, which annoys my husband but we deal with it.

I would also reccomend getting a pedestal thingy for it to raise the unit up a bit the day it is being installed so you don'thave to figure out how to get it on top of the pedestal later like we are having to. I'm short so it being a not super large unit is fine for me but someday I would like to bend over less!

Other than that I'm not sure yet. It's just been so good for us I never want separate units again

 

[Lookinagain]

I'm following this as I didn't know that even existed!

 

[kenny]

Thanks all.

FWIW, here's a very informative video on new application for heat pump technology, which is getting a lot of press for its energy efficiency for cooling and heating homes.
While expensive to buy, over time heat pumps pencil out to be cheaper as they use less electricity to do the job.

The video also explains the issue I brought tp in my OP when it comes to unvented dryers, namely, where does the water from the wet clothes go if the moist hot air is not sent out of the building.
This guy explains the heat pump extracts the moisture from the clothes.
Then the heat pump's condenser coils (like those in your refrigerator) extracts the water and sends it down the same drain that carries the wash cycle's waste water away.

Also ... since hot air is not leaving the building, the heat remains in the appliance - conserving rather than wasting that energy.

Clever! I really like that.

Also this video explains why & how the overall energy consumed by this model is much much less than that consumed by the usual separate washer and dryers.

It's still early in my info-safari, but so far this GE unit is the front runner.
Tonight I noticed it at Homo Depot for $2,200.

The thing is where I'd like to put put it needs plumbing for hot and cold H2O, and a drain connected to our sewer line.
I'm considering installing all that myself too.

 

[Karl_K]

Kenny
Look into the maintenance they need.
See if you can find the user manual online to see what you would need to do.

 

[kenny]

@Karl_K, thanks! excellent point !!!

The video above mentions that several times.
He predicts there will be MANY complaints ...... which of course will be the result of the unwashed masses (opps, pardon the pun ) who never read manuals.
Most will just assume all washers are the same, and being asked to ACTUALLY read an owner's manual on such a simple, run of the mill thing like a clothes washer is beneath them.
But this guy points out that being a unit that's a combination of TWO units, AND having a heat pump makes this a very very new, revolutionary, and unfamiliar device.
People are accustomed to MUCH lower intervals of filter cleaning, and now there are two filters to clean PLUS condenser coils to keep free from dust build up.

If we buy this my laundry wench (aka dear hubby) will have to agree to diligently following the manufacturer's directions ... or else we won't buy it.

I'll search for a PDF of the manual and read it, and make hubbie read it.
This will factor strongly in our buying decision.

 

[dk168]

I don't like having to hang my clothes out to dry for a number of reasons, so I have only had washer dryer since 1989 when I had my first own property.

Besides, I have not had a property big enough to have an utility room for a separate washing machine and tumble dryer.

I never dry the clothes completely, and prefer to hang them indoor to finish the drying process.

The drum of a washer dryer is smaller than the one in a tumble dryer alone, and the clothes will come out more crumbled if I were to dry them completely in a washer dryer, unless I reduce the load to allow more room for the clothes to move around during the drying process.

Being on my own, I average one full load a week, and my machines lasted longer than those in a busy household where it would have been used everyday for example.

DK

 

[missy]

My thoughts are the more complicated things are the more likely it will be to break down.
But that is my random thought on this keeping in mind I have zero experience with the two in one machine.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I had one years ago and had no issues with it. We have a closet in the kitchen only big enough for a combo washer/dryer or a stackable so that’s what made us first look into one. Ours was vented to the outside and we just made sure to keep all the filters clean. Only got rid of it because I was in eco warrior mode and decided I was going to hang all out laundry to dry….with a newborn no less

 

[MissGotRocks]

I had read some reviews about them online. The biggest complaint seemed to be how long it took the clothes to dry, but that complaint was made by many. That would be frustrating. Unless I needed the space, I don't think I would consider it.

 

[Tartansparkles]

We had a washer-dryer maybe 10 years ago, at that time they were more expensive to run and took a smaller load than a conventional single washing machine.

The technology has moved on since then and the washing loads for washer-dryers are now comparable with single washing machines, they are more energy efficient and the heat pumps make them more so.

Line drying is our norm or using a clothes horse indoors during the winter. When our current washing machine packs in I have more or less decided to replace it with a washer-dryer. Although we mostly line dry, there are odd occasions (think walking trousers/jackets that are soaking wet) when having a dryer would be so much easier and because we no longer have to compromise on the size of the washing load, I think that's a win-win. I haven't decided on the heat pump yet, there are pros and cons there I still need to consider.

 

[kenny]

... The biggest complaint seemed to be how long it took the clothes to dry, but that complaint was made by many. That would be frustrating. ...

DH agrees that taking long to dry was a downside, a big one to him.
To me drying time doesn't matter at all; I'm not doing the work, the machine is.
While it's drying I'm doing other stuff at home.
No skin off my back if it takes 10 minutes or 10 hours.
It would be different if I was waiting for clothes to dry at a laundromat.
Then it would be wasting my time.

To me the main positive is the higher efficiency.
That's better for the planet.
Less energy consumption means less energy to pay for, and less damage to the planet.

When I think about it, it's a sin to send heated air outside.
You paid money and consumed natural resources to heat that air, and then you throw it away?
Reminds me of all the SUVs and pick up trucks I see on the freeway where the only cargo they're hauling is a Starbucks Latte.

This reminds me of why I was an early adopter of hybrid cars.
When you brake for a red-light it converts the moving car's kinetic energy into electrical energy that charges the battery.
Then, when the light turns green, you USE that energy to accelerate.
Brilliant!

 

[MissGotRocks]

DH agrees that taking long to dry was a downside, a big one to him.
To me drying time doesn't matter at all; I'm not doing the work, the machine is.
While it's drying I'm doing other stuff.
No skin off my back if it takes 10 minutes or 10 hours.

And the much higher efficiency is better for the planet and less energy consumption means less energy to pay for.

When I think about it, it's really really naughty to send heated air outside.
You paid money and consumed natural resources to heat that air, and then you throw it away?

This reminds me of why I was an early adopter of hybrid cars.
When you brake for a red-light it converts the car's kinetic energy into electrical energy that charges the battery.
Then, when the traffic light turns green, you USE that energy to accelerate.
Brilliant!

I understand your thoughts and it sounds like this might be a good option for you. The time to dry is a large issue for me; while one load is drying, another can be washing. I hope this works well for you - keep us posted on your thoughts about it if you go this route. New technology is always interesting and generally frowned upon by the masses. Most have to be drug along slowly but energy savings/planet considerations are always important!

 

[HGar]

Yep, have had them for the last 14yrs. My first one died after 11yrs so I replaced it with an even bigger model. Won’t necessarily apply to you as I think from memory your household is only 2 but for our family of 5 we still have a heat pump drier separate as well. Just for the times that I need the washer for a second load whilst the first needs to be a drier.

But here in Australia a drier is really only needed in Winter as we tend to line dry everything. My household only puts towels in the drier year round as my family likes soft and fluffy towels.