High-Efficiency Washers
HE Washer Guide

High-Efficiency Top-Loaders – Pros & Cons

In recent years, top-loading models have become the most popular consumer choice for washing machines. But not just any top loaders, but high-efficiency ones. Just as the name implies, a HE appliance will help you with saving both energy and water. In the end, you will be able to spend less money on laundry.

The main difference from a normal top-loading washer is the design of HE models. They involve a different kind of spinning mechanism. Because of their design, they are able to spin the clothes much faster, making the items dry and reducing the drying time. Though high-efficiency washing machines are usually more pricy than other models, you will save more money in the long run.

 

High-Efficiency Washers water

 

How HE Washers Save Water

A normal top-loading washing machine generally uses about 20 gallons of water per cycle. This is a huge waste, especially if the clothes are soaking wet when you take them out.

In its turn, a HE washer uses less than 10 gallons of water per cycle. It is twice more efficient. Because of the high spinning speed, it requires less water to make your laundry perfectly clean.

HE Washer

How HE Washers Save Energy

Drying clothes in a machine is the most energy-intensive aspect of the whole laundry process. High-efficiency washing machine models reduce this time greatly by making your clothes almost dry by the end of the cycle. Due to the high speed of such washers, the excess water is extracted from clothes while the cycle is still running.

In addition, energy is saved because of lower hot water consumption. Part of your electricity bills is the energy spent on heating gallons and gallons of water for laundry. This amount reduces with a high-efficiency washer.

conventional vs HE

Pros of High-Efficiency Washers

There is a number of reasons why high-efficiency washers are becoming so popular. Some of them are:

  • They are generally designed as top-loading machines, making it easier to load the laundry without bending over;
  • Unlike front-loading washers, the HE ones do not tend to develop mold and produce various odors;
  • They are really cost-efficient due to their low energy and water consumption;
  • Usually, HE washers allow larger loads, which reduces the number of cycles needed to wash all your clothes;
  • These models use a specific detergent, which ensures better cleaning;
  • The cycle duration is shorter in HE washers. It can take up to two hours for normal washing machines to finish the cycle, which is extremely time-consuming. HE models normally cope with the task within about an hour;
  • Because of the lower water consumption, it also requires less cleaning agent;
  • The models produce less foam than other machines. With a lot of foam, it is harder for clothing to spin around the tub. This results in unclean spots and foam stains. With less foam and more room, the clothes turn up much cleaner in it;
  • Such washing machines can be considered more environmentally friendly because of lower energy and water consumption. These models will be suitable for those people who cannot hand wash all their closes, but still, want to have a lower impact on the environment.

    High-Efficiency Washers water

High-efficiency washers drawback

Just like any other home appliance, high-efficiency washing machines have their own advantages and disadvantages. Different people might not consider some of their features as drawbacks. However, they are still worth mentioning:

  •  Because of their high efficiency, these washers might be too powerful and tough on some clothing items. However, there are different settings that can help. Simply choosing a delicate program for lighter and thinner fabrics will be enough to keep them undamaged;
  • Once again, the speed of the rotating might cause some inconvenience by tangling the clothes. In order to avoid entanglement, you can divide clothes by their types. For example, load bedsheets and lingerie separately. Another tip is putting clothes inside the washer one by one instead of tossing the whole laundry basket. This way they might not end up so intertwined;
  • These washing machines are designed to wash larger loads and bigger items like blankets and such. For this reason, they are physically larger as well as they take more space. This might not be an issue for those owners who have a lot of room to spare. However, when the area is limited, remember to take measurements and choose a model that will fit;
  • Special HE detergent makes clothes cleaner. On the flip side, some might say that it is more restricting to buying only those cleaning agents designated to it.

Conclusion

washer repair

In the end, we all choose home appliances depending on their general productivity and cost-efficiency. We pay attention to quality while keeping in mind the price. High-efficiency washing machines offer a great price/quality ratio.

There are some drawbacks, which, in many cases, might come down to personal preferences or possibilities. Some owners will not mind having a larger appliance in their bathroom or other premises, especially when it offers so many benefits.

High-efficiency washers save your money, time, water and energy. Rarely can you find an appliance efficient in so many ways? Moreover, the quality of the cleaning is higher. After all, the main goal of it is to make clothes clean, and HE washers can deal with various stains easily.