UKC

Washer/Dryer

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 James Malloch 22 Dec 2022

Boring thread alert. 

Are modern washer/dryers any good? We had one at uni and it was crap. Or maybe we were using it wrong.

We are looking to get a dryer but wondering if a decent combined one would be worthwhile to save some space.

Any tips for getting a decent one are welcome!

 gethin_allen 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

As far as I know they're still nowhere near as good as individual units. They're also extremely heavy.

I'd only get one if it was a real emergency and a push for space. And even then it would be a tough decision.

 Fellover 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

I recently used a newish washer dryer (model in last two years I think) while living with some friends and it seemed good to me. Wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between washing/drying with it vs separate units. It was about £500-600 I think.

It's nice just to be able to put stuff in and set it off for a wash/dry cycle without having to move stuff between the units. Not a big deal obviously but is nice. Not much help if you have lots of clothing you'd typically not put in the dryer though.

The most annoying thing about it was the fact it would take about 20-30min to allow you to open the door during or at the end of a drying cycle, I presume this is a safety feature because it gets hot inside, but it is annoying.

Another annoying thing was that you couldn't set the dryer temperature to 'low' for more delicate or sports stuff, but that seems to be the case for every modern dryer I've looked at. This problem is kind of offset by the fact that the fancy 'fuzzy logic' system stops drying when it can tell your clothes are dry, so doesn't keep on hammering them with more heat until the timer runs out when they're already dry.

I've since moved into a new house and ended up buying two separate units, because there's quite a lot of space. Did quite seriously consider getting a combined washer/dyer though, because it would have been cheaper than what we ended up buying and takes up less space as you say. Went with two separate because I often end up doing several loads of washing in a row because I'm disorganised and because the most economical stand alone tumble dryers can actually be significantly more economical than the tumble dryer in a washer/dyer, which feels nice environmentally and with current electricity rates and depending on how much you use your dryer, it can pay for itself in 5-10 years or so.

Did talk to a few people about washer/dryers before deciding and it seemed like all older (>40) people seemed quite negative on them, possibly a hang over from when they used to be rubbish, or maybe they're just wiser

 robert-hutton 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

Take it down to nearest launderette ours is £1.00 per massive load and takes about 10 minutes to dry.

 BRILLBRUM 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

Have had one on the last few years and was not a good investment.

Usual logistical issues can't wash when drying/can't dry when washing, doesn't seem to do one thing well, and when it broke - everything broke and was a mare to fix.

One thing I would say if you're out shopping for a washing machine and dryer is get a condenser dryer, saves a lot of faff having to run an exhaust hose to an external wall/through a door/window, and means you can put the dryer anywhere you like. Just have to empty the water trap at the end of a cycle - and you get a good idea of how wet your clothes are, and the benefit of an extra spin in the washing machine saving on drying time/money.

 robhorton 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

We had a Bosch one for about 13 years but left it behind when we moved (the new house had fitted appliances). It was fine as a washing machine and better than nothing for a drier but not great. It probably depends what your expectations are really - they're handy for occasional use, especially if you've not got space for a separate drier but if you're using it a lot a separate one is probably going to be better.

 Fellover 22 Dec 2022
In reply to BRILLBRUM:

Agree with condenser vs vented, but I'd say spend the extra £100-200 and get a heat pump tumble dryer (really should be called condenser with heat pump), it'll cost 1/3-1/2 as much to run per cycle, so the payback time isn't too long. Though obviously depends on how much you use your dryer and current cash availability as to whether that's a good idea or not.

 stubbed 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

Is it for a small flat or a family home? Space isn't the only consideration: I will use a dryer when I start to get more wet washing than I can hang up inside or out, so would have both running at the same time. Additionally as there are 4 or 5 of us, we wash a lot and our washing machine has a large drum for a larger load (dryer is smaller). Washer-dryers have smaller drums I think.

 petwes 22 Dec 2022
In reply to BRILLBRUM:

I bought a condenser direr. Need to run it 3 times on the extra dry cupboard program for a wash to get it less than damp. Still stuff hanging up all over the place to dry. With hindsight I would have blasted the hole in the wall. 

 shuffle 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

I have an AEG washer dryer and find it very good. I don't use the dryer for every wash but it is useful to have the option on wet days. I do live alone though and don't think it would be a good option for a larger household as obviously you can't wash and dry at the same time.

Apparently cheap washer dryers are not very good at all, so it's worth getting one of the more expensive brands if you can afford to. My last AEG washing machine lasted 20 years without a single repair so I was happy to spend a bit on another. 

 SuperstarDJ 22 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

In classic UKC fashion I wanted to suggest something completely different.  We have a Lakeland Heated Airer. It's cheaper to run than a tumble dryer and invaluable for a family. Worth considering.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/24909/dry-soon-deluxe-3-tier-heated-airer

David

 ablackett 23 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

I like our washer dryer, it’s probably 10 years old now but still working well, it wasn’t an expensive one, probably middle of the range when we got it.

The problem with it is that you can wash a full load but only dry a half load, so I take out all the delicate stuff and if I’m in a rush for the other stuff to dry stick it on, takes an hour or so and when it’s basically dry it turns itself off.

 seankenny 23 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

I have a washer-drier as I live in a flat. It washes clothes and dries them perfectly well. The only problem is it needs regular lint removal, so we just have repair insurance and get the guy out to fix it whenever necessary. You could probably do it yourself if you wanted to invalidate your warranty.

1
 artif 23 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

I was in a flat during covid as I was working away from home. It had been recently fitted with a new kitchen all Miele appliances.

The washer dryer was worse than useless. Even after 4 hours the washing still came out very damp. The dishwasher was a similar disappointment. Expensive junk. 

1
 Maggot 23 Dec 2022
In reply to seankenny:    Why not just hire yourself a servant, cut the middle man out taking his slice of cake?! 😂😂😂       

1
 Luke90 24 Dec 2022
In reply to SuperstarDJ:

I've also had one of those heated airers for a few years and really liked it. But it's not great for humidity levels in your house if that's a concern at all and I'm starting to think the supposed energy savings aren't all they're cracked up to be. I was recently reading a Which comparison between heated airers and tumble dryers. The exact numbers depend on what assumptions you make about drying times and load sizes, but it looks like the heated airers can only beat traditional energy-hungry tumble dryers and are somewhere between matching and soundly losing to modern heat pump models. They're not bad if you only have enough washing to fill the airer, just about breaking even with heat pump dryers under those circumstances, though arguably less convenient. But if you have more washing than can fit on the dryer in one go, they start to lose really badly.

This is the link, but I'm not sure whether anyone without a Which account (or cheekily borrowing a login from a relative as I am) will be able to see very much info.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/whats-the-best-and-cheapest-way-to-dry...

Quite a lot of useful info there for this thread in general, actually. They're not big fans of combined washer-dryers. They reckon they're typically half the drying capacity of an equivalently-sized tumble dryer and three times the energy costs to dry (compared to a heat pump tumble dryer, but still a little worse than even old-school dryers).

The combo one in my rental flat is pants. As in it just makes stuff wetter somehow. I have a heated clothes rack but there are several drawbacks - takes several hours (in reality probably a day) to dry stuff, once you factor in turning it off any time you leave the house, and it still makes some clothes smell musty so I have to wash them again; it's annoying if, like me, you want to do multiple loads in a day; it takes up space right in the kitchen where I'm cooking; plus condensation. I sorely miss having a dryer or a washing line (or even radiators). 

It's also quite annoying not having a dryer for reproofing kit.

Conversely my mate's combi is quite good, so if you can get one that works, fair enough. But I wouldn't recommend just a heated clothes horse unless you really can't have more.  

In reply to James Malloch:

Moved to a smaller house, with only one "free" appliance slot in the kitchen.  Didn't fancy running a tumble dryer in the garage (full of vintage steel bikes) so we plumped for a combo.

Have been running it for almost three years now and it has proved adequate though there are only two of us in the household.  I think a family of five with a dog (or dwarf pony/ housegoat etc.) might struggle with the limited capacity but it's fine for us as any drying is done outside when the weather is appropriate.

One negative is the temperature of the drying cycle.  One of my wife's woollen jumpers lost a couple of sizes and I certainly wouldn't risk any close fitting wool or Castelli cycling togs.  The latter are bloody tight enough as they are! 

OP James Malloch 26 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

Thanks for all the responses! It sounds like they can bit a bit hit and miss so we will have a good think about it in the new year. The extra space in our outhouse would be nice but it might be easier/cheaper just to add a dryer to our exiting setup.

There is also a laundrette close by which is what we do now when we need something drying. But opening hours mean you have to plan it well or you miss it! So a home one would be easier.

Plenty to ponder on, thanks!

 FactorXXX 26 Dec 2022
In reply to James Malloch:

>  The extra space in our outhouse would be nice but it might be easier/cheaper just to add a dryer to our exiting setup.

Ceiling height permitting, but it might be possible to put the dryer above the washing machine.


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