Front-Loading Washer Saves Water, Energy

Fri., May 31, 1996

Amy Mickelson Washington State Energy Office

Q. I’m in the market for an energy-efficient clothes washer. I’ve heard front-loading washing machines are very energy efficient. What features make them more energy efficient than top-loading machines?

A. You heard it right! Front-loading or “horizontal-axis” washing machines use one-third less water than top-loading washing machines and are more energy efficient for several reasons.

Heating water accounts for about 90 percent of the energy a clothes washer uses. The wash tub in horizontal-axis machines is turned on its side, like a dryer. The tub itself rotates, tumbling the laundry in and out of the water at the bottom. This design requires less water and energy to get the cleaning done. In contrast, vertical-axis machines (top loading) use about 45 gallons of water for a full load in order to submerge clothes in the water and wash by an agitator.

Horizontal-axis washing machines spin faster than vertical-axis machines, forcing more water out of the laundry, so the dryer needs less energy to finish the job. (Horizontal-axis machines spin at about 1,500 revolutions per minute, whereas the typical vertical-axis machine spins at about 600 revolutions per minute.)

Because less water is used, you’ll need less laundry detergent, bleach and softener, and you’ll send less waste water into your sewer treatment plant or septic system.

Here are few other advantages and disadvantages to consider when buying a horizontal-axis washing machine:

Advantages:

More accessible to people with limited mobility.

With dryer stacked on top, takes less floor space.

Better able to handle unbalanced loads.

Gentler to clothes.

Disadvantages:

Higher purchase price.

Smaller capacity than top-loading machines.

Might have longer wash time.

For a list of the energy efficient clothes washers, call the Energy Hotline at 1-800-962-9731 or 324-7980.

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