Interesting Green: What is the Difference Between a Front Loading and Top Loading Washing Machine?

Source Website: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-front-loading-and-top-loading-washing-machine.htm
By WiseGeek

PHOTO: Front loading washing machine
The range of choices for laundry includes custom programs quickly: Added the new “14 minutes” to 30 ° C to quickly wash small loads of laundry. There are two other programs fast: 44 minutes and 29 minutes for 3.5 kg to 2 kg.Finally, the program Mix & Wash, exclusive Candy Group, to wash all together heads of different fibers. E ‘A new shortest cycle at 40 ° C, lasting less than 2 hours. It becomes possible to always fill the washing machine, optimizing the use of water and electricity.

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There are many differences between a front loading and top loading washing machine. Most people still have the traditional top loading machine. They are less expensive than front loading machines, though in the end, top loaders may cost you more money in energy and water costs. There are trade offs with each type of washing machine, and plenty of things to consider if you’re planning on purchasing a new machine.

A top loading washing machine is most familiar to people, though they may have seen front loading machines in laundromats or increasingly in appliance stores. These machines use an agitator which spins the soapy clothes to help get out dirt. The washer drains, adds more water to rinse and then spins the clothes to wring out excess water. Clothes are placed into the spinning basket via the top of the machine, and you can open the machine at any time to add something else.

PHOTO: Whirlpool - Whitemagic F65

This 6-kg top loading fully automatic washing machine with agitator wash has 8 preset programmes. It allows prewash (soak), hot water wash, heavy wash, normal wash, quick wash and delicate wash. Additional features are washload sensor, automatic drainage, auto restart and child lock. It has a stainwash programme with limited ability to remove stains. The stainless steel drum facilities hot wash by externally adding hot water. What's more, it sets optimum water and detergent levels according to the wash load and wash programme selected to give you the best wash performance.

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A front loading washing machine uses less energy and does not have an agitator. A front loading machine is a gentler method, because it uses gravity to spin the clothes, which helps save energy and may extend life of clothing. These machines use less water and detergent, which may be a great savings on water costs, and they can usually be filled with more clothes. You cannot open these machines while they are running, so your days of adding a forgotten sock to a batch being washed are over if you choose a front loading washing machine.

PHOTO: Xeros - The ‘one-cup water’ washing machine concept

Professor Stephen Burkinshaw has invented a washing machine, dubbed Xeros that will wash a full load of your clothes using just a single cup of water. This magical washing machine uses plastic chips to do the cleaning job. These plastic chips are 0.5 centimeter in size and around 44lb (20kilos) of these go into each load. When the washing cycle commences, the water gets heated up and dissolves the dirt, which is then absorbed by the plastic chips. The plastic chips are re-usable and can be used up to 100 times.

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Front loaders vary in size but many can take up less space than top loaders. It’s often possible to stack a dryer on top of a front loading machine, but you will usually only find this feature in top loaders that are very small and won’t accommodate large batches. A front loader may be a better choice if you need to save on space but still want a fairly good sized washing machine

There is nevertheless some advantage to the top loading washing machine if you have back, knee or neck problems. It can be awkward to bend down to load and unload clothes, but usually no more so than using front loading dryers. If you have to do lots of laundry, you may prefer a front loader to avoid frequent bending to get clothes in and out of a machine.

PHOTO: Not your standard washing machine, the iBasket "will automatically wash your clothes once enough clothes are tossed inside -- as per the weight."
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You do give up greater efficiency, savings in energy and water costs, use of less water, and potentially longer life of clothing when you use a top loading washing machine. However you also may benefit in the short run because they are significantly less expensive. For people who can afford the front loader and who don’t have issues with the way clothes are loaded, this may be your best bet. In some states and countries you may even qualify for an energy rebate if you purchase a front loading machine.

PHOTO: "You can also control the frequency of wash cycles. The iBasket will also send you a message on your computer once the cleaning is completed." http://media.techeblog.com/elephant//ul/20397-450x-a_1.jpg http://www.techeblog.com/elephant/photo.phtml?post_key=151033&photo_key=20397

Discuss this Article

When you compare washing machine prices, also think about things like warranties from the company and service options from the place where you bought it. Some stores, both larger and even independent, can give you seemingly great prices but won't be able to help when things go wrong. When my parents bought new machines nearly ten years ago now, they went to the local appliance store, and for several years could get it fixed easily anytime it broke. The store is sadly now closed, which is unfortunate because it gave such great service.

- panda2006

As with most appliances, "cheap" washing machines will turn out to be just that- cheap. Top loaders are admittedly often larger, but that is their main advantage. However, either choice can be a poor one if you end up with a machine that will not last; while something cheap is tempting, reading reviews and looking at several different models would be a good idea to prevent the need to replace the machine after only a few years.

- watson42

Thanks! Better choice.

- anon80027