Horizontal Axis (Front-Loading) Clothes Washers - 11/22/2004 - Home Interior Kitchen Appliances

Horizontal Axis (Front-Loading) Clothes Washers

Horizontal-axis washing machines are putting a new spin on laundry--literally. By tumbling clothes like a dryer rather than agitating clothes like a conventional tub-and-agitator machine, horizontal-axis machines use significantly less water and energy to do the same job as conventional machines. Horizontal-axis washers, common in commercial laundries and in Europe, are usually loaded from a door in the front and are often called front-loading washers.

Clothes are placed in a horizontally-oriented stainless steel drum as opposed to a vertically-oriented conventional tub with central agitator. Horizontal axis washing machines are partially filled with water and cleaning action occurs as clothes are tumbled through the pool of water at the bottom of the tub. They use less energy than conventional washing machines mainly because they use less hot water. Because of the high RPM at which they spin, the machines extract a high level of water from clothes, thereby reducing drying time.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, horizontal-axis washing machines use about 40 percent less water and 50 percent less energy than conventional washers, cause less wear and tear on clothes, and can accommodate large items that won't fit in a top-loader. A typical top-loading washer uses about 40 gallons of water per full load. In contrast, a full-size horizontal axis clothes washer uses between 20 and 25 gallons.

	Horizontal axis washers have been shown to use about 50% to 60% less energy than standard washers (largely due to reduced hot water consumption).
	Horizontal axis washers use between 30% and 40% less water than conventional tub and agitator washers.

Currently, a horizontal axis washer costs between $600 and $1,500. They typically cost a few hundred dollars more than vertical axis washers do.

By saving water, energy, and laundry soap, the operating cost for horizontal-axis washing machines are considerably less than vertical axis machines. The estimated annual utility bill savings for a family of four is about $75 to $100 plus any additional savings associated with shorter drying time and reduced detergent use.

The Federal Trade Commission requires that clothes washers display the yellow and black EnergyGuide label that gives consumers information about the product’s energy use.

A field study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy of 103 washers in Kansas showed that front-loading, horizontal-axis washing machines used 56 percent less energy and 38 percent less water than top-loading machines.

MADE Project: Bowie, Maryland

Installation of horizontal axis washing machines is similar to that of top-loading machines.

Warranties range from 1 to 3 years for the entire washer, and up to 10 years for individual parts to a lifetime warranty for the tub. These warranties vary among manufacturers.

Horizontal axis clothes washers use less water, energy, and detergent than conventional top-loading machines. The estimated annual utility bill savings for a family of four is about $75 to $100. Unlike top-loading machines, there is no central agitator to tangle clothes. In addition, the design permits a high level of water extraction that may result in lower energy use for drying.