Are washer-dryers any good these days?

[jak]

Needing to save space I’m thinking about replacing the washer and separate vented dryer I have for a single washer-dryer. Ten years ago, washer-dryers were a big disappointment – in fact the washing machine is a w-d but performed so badly we got the tumble dryer. So I’m quite sceptical about whether w-d’s can work for us, a family of five.

But the reviews of some of them on the Which site suggest they are better now. The Hotpoint AQM8F49I/V for example has a 8kg wash capacity and 6kg dry, and Which say: “Quick washing and drying programs, good cotton cleaning, good rinsing, large capacity drum, excellent water and energy efficiency.”

What do you think, would we really miss the vented AEG tumble dryer? We do a lot of washing and drying!

What I actually want to do is put a single unit in the bathroom to replace the two in the kitchen. So a second question is can I do this? I would run a RCD-protected spur off the landing.

Many thanks,

John

[odom]

Re: Are washer-dryers any good these days?

If you do a lot of drying you will be much better off with separates, as well as saving lots of energy. See http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/buying-ad … dryer.html

Also, having a washer dryer in the bathroom is definitely a bad idea. Apart from the risk of electrical shock, condensation will do no favours to the already unreliable Indesit electronics you’re considering purchasing.

[jak]

Re: Are washer-dryers any good these days?

Pretty much what I expected, but I thought things might have moved on. I note that the guide you linked to seems to be quite old! One of the points, that the drum is too small to dry well seems like it might not apply anymore given the 8 and 9kg drums I’m looking at.

Really the issue is of drying speed and evenness. The Which review of the Hotpoint I mentioned suggests it’s pretty quick, and while I would not believe manufacturer’s ratings, surely Which are reasonably trustworthy.

I take your point about condensation and electrics, not that much of a problem in our bathroom as it’s big and has an extractor which we use whenever we create steam. Are LG any better in this respect, they do a reasonably well-reviewed 9kg model? Would a properly installed RCD-protected spur not eliminate the risk of shocks?

[iadom]

Re: Are washer-dryers any good these days?

There is only one model of washer dryer you should consider and that is a Miele, all of the others are poor by comparison.

The Hotpoint machine is actually a low end Indesit and will have a completely sealed outer drum.

Drum sizes

Take a look at the picture of the large load Servis machine in that article, it should make you think about 8/9kg washer dryers. :rolls:
The simple answer to your question is that washer/dryers in general are nothing like as good as they were ten to fifteen years ago and even then they were a big compromise and not suitable for anything other than a couple or a single person.

[jak]

Re: Are washer-dryers any good these days?

What a shame. I really want to get the washer and dryer out of the kitchen.

Plan B was to stack the dryer on top of the washer. I know kits exist for this, but I was concerned about the vibration from the washer on spin. Can it be done?

[Higher-water-level]

Re: Are washer-dryers any good these days?

With a proper stacking kit everything should be OK. 😀

[Author]

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