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Re: Washing machine performance
Here’s the thing – I’m not from UK, I’m from Eastern Europe. I’m about to buy my first front loader. At the beginning of this thread I knew nothing about washing machines. The models sold in my country are well below what’s sold in the UK – most are really low-end, made in China or Turkey. That’s why they all look similar inside – they have drums and paddles with virtually the same basic design. When looking over performance tests made on foreign models, I couldn’t understand why some machines were washing better than others, so I imagined that some have a thicker/heavier tub, with larger holes and so on. Then I read some more, watched a few presentations on youtube and also noticed that as you go from the lower range to the upper range the design of the drum and paddles really changes. I now know that washing performance depends mostly on drum and paddle design and the way they are used.
Re: Washing machine performance
I meant that the plastic (polypropylene) from one machine has similar thermal properties as the plastic from another; and so has the stainless steel. I wasn’t comparing plastic to stainless steel.
Some machines probably have an inner tub made from thinner stainless steel, which means less/smaller holes, while others have a thicker/heavier tub, which has different holes. I can see how that matters.
Thanks for clearing things up for me.
Re: Washing machine performance
Yes, I was referring to the performance of one front loader compared to another. Thanks for the answers.
Still, is temperature stability an issue? I think most washers have one heating element and I suspect the insulation of the machine doesn’t vary too much between different models. Drums/tubs are made from similar materials, usually plastic/stainless steel. Also, we’re not baking cookies, we’re washing clothes. Is a machine which maintains a temperature very close to 60*C better than another which lets it vary between 55-65*C? Do detergents actually need precise, stable temperatures?
Concerning design, most inner tubs look similar to me. I’m looking here at the standard design from the low and middle ranges, excluding improved designs like the Miele honeycomb, Samsung diamond and so on. I’m just trying to understand why a more expensive model would wash better than a less expensive one.
Looking at the wash times, a few of the better rated machines have lower washing times than some lower rated ones, so longer washing doesn’t necessary mean better washing.
