How does combo washer dryer work

As the drum spins, the interior heated air takes up moisture from the wet clothes. This moisture-laden air is then circulated through the cooled condensing chamber, which produces condensation, or a change of the moisture in the air into its liquid form of water [source: Lee ]. The condensation then leaves the unit by the water drainage tube. The dry, hot air is then recirculated with the clothes, and the process repeats itself [source: Creative Laundry Systems, Inc.

Whether you choose a vented or ventless unit, all-in-one combination units offer a range of program options to best fit your fabric care needs. You can wash and dry your clothes in one process, or you can also set the units for a "dry only" or "wash only" cycle [source: Equator Advanced Appliances ].

Units also offer a range of settings, including delicates, timed drying and extra rinse [source: Creative Laundry Systems, Inc. Thanks to Michael Lee, vice president of marketing at Thor Appliances , for his assistance with this article. When choosing between a separate washer and dryer or an all-in-one combination, there are some advantages and drawbacks that should be considered.

One of the most obvious advantages of an all-in-one unit is the space savings. Since many of these units are about the size of a standard dishwasher and can fit under a countertop, they offer those with limited space a laundry option [source: Lee ]. Since you don't have to run a vent outside, the ventless versions offer even more flexibility of positioning. Along with space savings, there is also an element of time savings.

Since these units have settings to let you both wash and dry at the same time, you don't have to worry about remembering to switch over the laundry.

This may also alleviate the need for a second wash if you forget to switch over those wet clothes and they start to smell moldy.

Finally, all-in-one units can be energy savers. First off, the washing portions of these machines work much like front-loading washing machines. Front-loading washing machines typically use less water than traditional top-loading units; for this reason, these units also use less energy to heat the reduced amount of water [source: Federal Trade Commission , California Energy Commission ]. Front-loaders also can spin more quickly and usually produce drier clothes at the end of the cycle, meaning less time in the dryer [source: Federal Trade Commission , California Energy Commission ].

All-in-one units do have their drawbacks, or at least qualities that you should consider before purchasing one. While washer dryer combos are space-saving, that can mean a reduced capacity when it comes to load size [source: Lee ].

You simply load laundry into the unit, and eventually, your clothes come out clean and dry. Now for the bad news — washer dryer combos are not all sunshine and soap bubbles.

Perhaps their biggest shortcoming, combo units restrict your ability to simultaneously wash and dry two loads of laundry. And speaking of drying time — prepare to wait a looooong time for this to happen.

As in, several hours long. The reason for this is, washer-dryer combo units are typically volts, compared to most standalone dryers which are volt, and the higher voltage units release more heat. Another cause for their slow drying time is that washer dryer combo units are ventless, which are known to dry slower than vented models.

Another misconception is that a combo washer dryer has poor energy usage. Many people assume that they used more energy than the regular units, because they have more features. The truth is, condensing dryers use anywhere from percent less energy than vented dryers.

They are designed to be very energy efficient and economical for the daily needs of a consumer. Other common misconceptions include the worry about moisture being put back into the area surrounding the dryer. But, this is also not true. The condensing dryers use a closed-loop system to prevent any heat, lint or moisture from being released into the air. The units use a dehumidfying process to ensure that there is no release of moisture into the air.

The common misconceptions about these laundry units in small spaces are all just that — misconceptions. The product flaws and features of decades ago have since been corrected, refined and enhanced to meet the needs of the consumer. Plagued by a chronic case of curiosity, Jeff Flowers is just a dude that annoys everyone around him with his loquacious goofiness. From beer to home living, Jeff is just trying to hack his way through life and write a few notes about it along the way.

You can follow his ramblings here, or listen to him complain about Austin traffic on Twitter at Bukowsky. This year April , I am going on my 2nd or 3rd service call. The heating element and drainage gave me the most issues. The last issue I had was the shutoff valve malfunctioned and would open the drain to let water in during the dry cycle.

I do like it for the convenience of not having to take the clothes out of a machine twice. I like the deal of set it and forget it until it whistles at you that it is done. I too, would like to know which washer dryer combo you would recommend. I seem to read a lot of negative reviews primarily of the ventless dryers. It would be nice to hear from anyone who is truly happy with their unit! I have an edgestar unit. Not sure the exact model, but I bought it here.. I have no complaints about it, and neither have any of the guests that have used it.

I have the Edgestar combo in my guest house. It was a fantastic purchase and I have no complaints about it. I bought a 2. Works great, have had zero problems with it. This is the choice of Monaco RV builders. I was informed that this venting reduces the drying time. Some others stated their drying times range from 3 to 6 hours so I decided to pass until I found this new Vented system. Our RV was set up with the installation of everything but the vent so I guess we will have a small installation fee.

We camp frequently and the Laundry chore was not my most fun thing to do. Hopefully this will be as good as the articles say. So I saw your comment.

Was it a good one? After a few cycles through the heat exchanger, the cooling water becomes too warm to use, so it's discarded down the drain and fresh, cool water is drawn in from the tap. Rinse and repeat, as it were, until your clothes are dry. Washer dryer combos use the same washing action as an equivalent front loader, so their cleaning capability is comparable, however, their drying often leaves a lot to be desired. Although they use about the same amount of energy as an equivalent condenser dryer to dry, they take about twice as long to do it — three and a half hours on average, but over six hours for one we tested long enough to line dry your clothes instead.

This isn't an issue if you're getting the laundry done while you're at work or overnight, but it could be frustrating if you're in a hurry for clean clothes. And drying in a washer dryer combo uses a lot of water — sometimes more than they'll use for washing. If you use your dryer regularly, you'll probably be better off with a standalone appliance.

Washer dryer combos use the same washing action as an equivalent front loader They're also more complex than their standalone counterparts, and with complexity comes cost. You can expect to pay significantly more than you would for the equivalent washing machine. If you need to buy both a washer and a dryer anyway, then buying a combo appliance could save you a few dollars over separate appliances, but poor drying performance may make this a false economy.

The added complexity also means there's a higher risk of something going wrong. Y ou may also face a bigger repair bill if things go sideways after the warranty runs out. And unlike standalone appliances which can be replaced individually, when your combo dies, you've got to replace the whole thing.

O ur reliability survey shows that washer dryer combo owners historically have had more issues with their appliance than owners of conventional washing machines, although combo quality has been steadily improving in recent years. It varies from model to model, but the appliances in our test averaged 35L of water to dry our 3. That's excluding one particularly thirsty outlier that, for a full load uses a staggering L claimed — and that's in addition to water used for washing.

That's bad news in a dry country like Australia, but due to a loophole in the way water efficiency ratings are calculated, it's not reflected in the machine's water efficiency star rating — only the water used for washing is calculated, not drying.