Washer-dryer or washer + dryer? What to choose? Do you think it's a matter of money and space? But not only that! Each type of technology has more serious pros and cons. Which ones, we asked specialists - manufacturers of household appliances. Who knows better than them?
Our questions were answered:
Head of Miele Product Category Management Department Valentina Nikolaeva,
training manager for household appliances brands Bosch, Siemens, Neff, Gaggenau in Sergey Shugalev ,
Leading product manager of the Haier Europe division responsible for the development of the Candy and Hoover brands in Russia Alexander Kryuchenkov ,
Head of PR for corporate communications, innovative products and household appliances at LG Anna Fedotovskikh .
Galina Sizikova studied the answers and sorted everything into sections so as not to miss anything.
Washer dryers
Two functions in one click
The most important advantage is why many wealthy but busy citizens prefer washing and drying equipment. There is no need to transfer wet laundry from one drum to another and install programs twice. They put in the dirty stuff and took away the dry, clean stuff. What a beauty! If you use the delayed start function, you can program the end time of the program so that you can take out dry clothes, for example, on Saturday morning, and iron them immediately.
Place
The very first thing that comes to mind. It is always easier to find space for one device than for two.
In the kitchen, washing and drying machines are perfectly hidden under the countertop; in the bathroom, the upper part of the cabinet turns into a table on which cosmetic bags, razors, boxes of washing powder, etc. lie.
At the same time, the sizes of washing and drying machines are very different: there are both full-size and narrow devices.
- Candy's range includes washing and drying machines measuring 85x60x40 cm.
- LG has the narrowest models 85x60x45.5 cm.
- Bosch makes full-size machines 85x60x61 cm.
- Miele washing machines with drying function occupy 85x59.6x63.7 cm.
Price
It seems that buying one washer-dryer can be cheaper than buying two devices (if you compare appliances from the same brand).
But this rule doesn’t work for expensive brands!*
- A Bosch washer-dryer costs RUB 77,490*. And you can buy a washer + condenser dryer from this manufacturer for 29,990 rubles* + 39,990 rubles*.
- Miele has a washing machine with drying function for RUB 134,900*. To purchase two devices you will need 64,900 rubles*. + 65900 rub*.
For other brands the situation is different. Indeed, one device is more affordable than two:
- Candy has the most inexpensive washer-dryer - 24,090 rubles*. Washing machine + dryer RUB 15,890*. + 28490 rub*.
- LG has 32,990 rubles*. And 18990 rubles*. + 60790 rub*.
*Prices are current as of April 16, 2021, taken from the official websites of manufacturers.
Design and principle of operation
Since the washing machine is equipped with an additional function, of course, its design has become somewhat more complicated. To provide the drying function, the device is additionally equipped with the following elements:
- Heating element is an electrical device that is designed to heat the air.
- Fan and duct. The fan ensures that hot air flows through the duct to the drum with clothes.
- Special blades in the middle of the drum. During drying, the drum rotates, and the blades inside it are designed to prevent the laundry from laying down and, as a result, the formation of deep folds.
- Humidity sensors. They signal the moisture level and then determine the degree of drying.
- A container (reservoir) is a place where condensation collects and liquid is formed.
There are models that do not provide a reservoir, and the liquid immediately goes into the sewer compartment. This simplifies the maintenance of the device and does not require additional cleaning and drying.
Washer dryers
Small load for drying
The machine can dry approximately one and a half times less laundry than it washes. Therefore, you will either have to unload half and dry it in two passes, or initially put in for washing only the amount that the machine can dry, or buy a full-size model with a huge load.
- Bosch – wash 10 kg, dry 6 kg.
- Miele – 8/6 kg or 8/5 kg.
- LG - washing load in a full-size machine can be 10 kg, and drying - 7 kg. In narrow models - 6 and 3 kg of laundry, respectively.
- For Candy – washing 8/6 kg, drying 6/4 kg.
Resource consumption
Washer-dryers use more resources - water and electricity - than the best heat pump washers and dryers.
Limited functionality
This is mostly a minus for inexpensive washer-dryers. Full-size units, which are often more expensive than two devices, have more than enough drying programs. But still, even such machines can do less than the drying machines of these manufacturers. In particular, Miele and Bosch washer-dryers do not have an accessory for drying woolen items or sports shoes.
Or wash or dry
If you have one machine, it can either wash or dry at the same time.
If you have two machines, one can wash while the other dries. This can be important in large families or families with children, because life is full of surprises.
Cases of breakdown
You cannot be 100% insured against malfunctions and breakdowns. If they occur with a washer-dryer, you lose both washing and drying, which will not happen if there are two separate units in the house. In an unforeseen situation, at least one of them will remain in service.
Washer + dryer
Heat pump
Only stand-alone dryers are available with a heat pump; washer-dryers lack this important detail, as it takes up a lot of space. Experts say that the first manufacturer to release a washer-dryer with a heat pump will disrupt the market. I wonder who will be?
Advantages
- Installation anywhere in the apartment
There is no need to connect to either water supply or sewerage. The condensate is collected in a special tray. Water can be used for economic purposes. Therefore, the dryer can be placed anywhere in the apartment or house.
- Best drying quality
Drying is carried out at low temperatures (up to 40 ° C); even wool and cashmere products can be dried.
- Economical energy consumption (energy efficiency class A and above).
During the times. when electricity prices are rapidly rising, this is important.
- The machine takes air from the room once, so the operation of the machine does not affect the humidity and state of the atmosphere in the room.
Extraneous odors, additional humidity, who will like it. A dryer with a heat pump does not bring additional discomfort; the only thing that cannot be eliminated is noise.
Advanced functionality
Manufacturers have many special drying programs in their arsenal.
- You can choose your own program with the optimal temperature for each type of fabric.
- Some Miele and Bosch models have special. a stand that is placed in the drum, on which you can put a cashmere item and dry it carefully. This accessory can also be used for drying shoes.
- In Miele tumble dryers, you can freshen up items that have been sitting in the closet for a long time without washing them using FragranceDos.
- Bosch dryers have additional steam treatment, which will make further ironing easier, and in some cases even eliminate it.
- LG dryers have a “Hypoallergenic” mode that combines high heat and low humidity, eliminating up to 99.9% of bacteria and dust mites. In addition, humidity and temperature sensors automatically detect the moisture content of each item to optimize drying time. This protects clothing from damage caused by excessively high temperatures.
- Candy dryers are famous for their large range of short programs lasting less than 1 hour.
Large load
You can dry a lot of laundry at once in a drying machine, or you can dry really large and heavy items.
The maximum load of the largest models is up to 9 kg.
Both washing and drying at the same time
Separate drying with a full load is especially useful for large families or those who often wash large quantities of clothes: after washing one load of laundry is completed, you can move it to the dryer and additionally run another wash cycle.
Simultaneous control of two machines
Almost all manufacturers now provide the opportunity to combine a washing machine and dryer into one “smart network”. In this case, the dryer itself automatically selects a drying program, having received information about the washing settings from the washing machine.
- With Miele this is the Wash2Dry function.
- LG has a mobile app called LG ThinQ.
- Candy has the Simply-Fi app.
- Bosch has SmartDry.
general information
When choosing washing machines, people often look at the dryer option. But before purchasing it, you should consider all the pros and cons. The main advantage of this technology is that its acquisition eliminates the need to purchase an additional dryer.
After washing, the laundry comes out completely dry , all that remains is to iron it and put it in the closet. The machine is designed in such a way that the air inside it is heated to the desired temperature and blows on the already clean laundry.
Drying machines are divided into the following types:
- Timer controlled . Once the wash is completed, the user will need to set the drying time.
- Program controlled . You need to choose one of the three offered options: under the iron, in the closet, very dry.
- Adjustable by sensor . The laundry will be dried until it reaches the humidity percentage set in the settings menu.
Washer + dryer
Place
Additional space is needed for a second car. Moreover, dryers are mostly full-size. Of course, you can build a column with a washing machine and a dryer on top, but then the space on the washing machine is lost.
Dryer sizes:
- Miele has 85.0x59.6x65.5 cm.
- Bosch – 84.2×59.8×59.9 cm.
- LG - 85x60x69 cm.
- The narrowest models are presented in the Candy range - depth 46 cm, capacity - up to 7 kg of laundry.
Manual labor
No matter how capable the dryer is, it will not be able to transfer laundry from drum to drum. You'll have to. And this bothers many people.
Additional expenses
If you already have a washing machine and are happy with its performance, are you ready to shell out a pretty penny for a dryer? It's a little easier if you're changing equipment and wondering what to buy. As we found out, in some cases a washer + dryer will cost less than a washer-dryer unit, in other cases it will be more expensive. The choice is yours.
In any case, drying clothes becomes a function of technology. New buildings in big cities are increasingly deprived of balconies, and you don’t want to see ropes or drying devices on them. Therefore, a dryer or washer-dryer is an undoubted attribute of urban life in the 21st century.
We thank our consultants for their assistance in preparing the material.
