I actually have to say I like my new energy efficient washer, but that’s perhaps because it replaced a 30 year old washing machine that had only half the capacity and it took 3 loads to do what 1 load can do now.
What kind of washer did you buy? We are looking to purchase a new washer in the next week or two.
from the article, the idiots in the Senate are getting involved too:
Now Congress is at it once again. On March 10, the Senate Energy Committee held hearings on a bill to make efficiency standards even more stringent. The bill claims to implement “national consensus appliance agreements,” but those in this consensus are the usual suspects: politicians pushing feel-good generalities, bureaucrats seeking expanded powers, environmentalists with little regard for American pocketbooks, and industries that stand to profit from a de facto ban on low-priced appliances.
Well, the new ones don’t use enough water, so they basically work by beating your clothes to death. It’s like the old school method of cleaning clothes by smacking them on rocks in the river. Not so great for the clothes.
The front loaders have problems with mold around the seals and smell, and I heard that the machines that have chutes for the detergent develop mold in the chute.
These enviro-nuts are destroying our way of life. Their most recent score was banning phosphates from dishwasher detergent, so they don’t work any more. My daughter e-mailed the makers of Cascade, and they said to use twice as much detergent and wash the dishes twice! How does this save anything???
In a couple of years, new standards go into effect for refrigerators and dishwashers. If you want one that works, you better buy before then.
The front loaders take longer to wash each load, but they can run bigger loads still using less water and detergent. Eliminating the agitator means for the same sized basket, more clothes can fit in and there is less wear and tear on the clothes during washing. Front loading allows the washer and dryer to be stackable, so they can have a smaller footprint in the home.
Did you get a front loader? They use a lot less water and energy and get clothes cleaner than a top loader. They are much more expensive, but if you want a new washer, this is the only thing on the market now that works.