Shuttling laundry between the back door and detached garage housing a washer and dryer is no fun during the cold Northwest rainy season. At least not according to Margaret Meddaugh, whose 900-square-foot, 1940s vintage home design had overlooked inclusion of a laundry room, now a common convenience of modern living.
She and her husband, Daniel, wanted the appliances inside. But, full-sized high-efficiency laundry appliances that handled big loads were out of the question. The only place to put them was in a 25-inch wide and 25-inch deep closet on a hallway leading to the bathroom and bedrooms. Although the space was tight, the closet conveniently backed to the shower.
They couple took a page from Europeans facing similar problems: little space to spare and no place to vent a dryer. Many European homes and apartments are in buildings centuries old and are difficult to retrofit for the conveniences of modern living. Apartment living often brings similar problems.
European energy costs are also higher. So, they devised more efficient washer and dryer technologies using little electricity or water. These high-efficiency washers use less water, detergent and energy to run a load of laundry. They tend to reduce fabric shrinkage and lengthen the life of your clothes. The dryers use either heat pump or condenser technologies. Both recycle and reuse the heat from the dryer rather than venting it outside.
Daniel researched compact washers and electric dryers looking at European models that are available here. He settled on Bosch front-loaders, because of their local availability. They required no venting and just one 220 volt plug-in, because the two machines daisy chain together. Both were the same size — 24-inches wide, 34-inches high and 24 inches deep. Stacked they just fit the small closet with room at the top.
One downside of today’s compact models, besides limited availability, is expense. The two appliances ran the couple nearly $1,800 on close-out. The full retail for similar models runs more than $2,400 for the pair. They’re not a budget item, but worth considering when space and venting are an issue, or when taking the long view on energy costs.
“We definitely had to come to terms with paying more for smaller appliances,” said Daniel Meddaugh. “But we needed a solution that didn’t vent to the outside.”
Both of the appliances are Energy Star certified. Based on four loads of laundry per week, the Meddaughs operate both for about $25 a year. The maximum load is 8 pounds, which means smaller loads. This hasn’t proven a problem for a couple who sort their loads by color, but it may be a drawback for others.
Smaller loads also mean faster washing times. In about 30 minutes, the Meddaughs’ Bosch model takes 2.2 cubic feet of laundry from dirty to dry. The washer spin cycle wrings most water out of the fabric but sounds like a high-pitched whine during the 10,000-RPM spin cycle.
“That noise will soften once we put the closet door back on,” the couple said.
Ultra-high efficiency laundry appliances are still evolving. Manufacturers are now producing full-scale models capable of larger loads and equal efficiency. And even more standard models, when purchased new, are using less energy as technology improves.
Either way, be sure to compare not just purchase price, but the price of running the appliance in to the future. And call a Clark Public Utilities energy counselor at 360-992-3355 to see what rebates are currently available to upgrade appliances.
Still, if you want to try out a truly high-efficiency clothes dryer, use what many Europeans are still relying on: the old-fashioned clothesline. Just wait for the warmer days sure to come.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
