Comments on: Washing machine spin speed efficiency figures and drying costs

By: Washer and Dryer Sale

Washer and Dryer Sale — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:12:39 +0000

This is a great post. Everyone should read this before they go out and buy a new dryer or set. In other words don’t get duped by the slick salesman trying to upsell you on the faster spin cycles. As you mentioned you would have to do 2500 loads of laundry to recoup that expense. Your dryer will more than likely be broke down and gone by that time.

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:09:46 +0000

The spin dryers used very fast but small motors mounted very close to the drum pulley via a very small belt. They could run at high speeds but couldn’t turn a heavy drum full of wet laundry. They had very small gear/pulley ratios so less speed was lost between the spinning motor and the pulley it was turning.

Front loading drums needed a bigger pulley to reduce the strain on the motor when turning large wet loads full of water and it had to be connected by a much larger belt. Both of which means a lot of speed is lost between the rate of the revolving motor and the subsequent revolving drum. The motor on a front loading washing machine probably spins at similar speeds to the old twin tub, it’s the gearing that results in lower drum speeds.

By: WMUser

WMUser — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:16:52 +0000

If the intention is to make clothes drier after spinning, why not use an old fashioned spin dryer, as they would spin clothes at about 2800 rpm! Maybe faster? Then put the clothes into a tumble dryer and see how quick they would dry.

I’m sure the old spin dryers (and the spinners in twin tubs) had faster spin speeds because the drum is mounted vertically? I wonder why washing machines or washer dryers don’t spin as fast as the old spin dryers? I know some launderettes have a spin dryer which customers use after the clothes have been spun in the washing machine!

By: jared

jared — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:53:59 +0000

thanks for explaining this to the uneducated/uninitiated. My machine broke yesterday. With a family of 6 there’ll be a new washing machine in tonight (machine has probably reached its life span) – you just saved me at least £50.

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:36:31 +0000

Some years back we were using a Hoover 1300 condenser washer dryer. I can’t remember how it came about but we swapped it for a Hotpoint washer dryer which was much newer as I’d somehow acquire it for nothing. I hadn’t realised it was only an 800 spin. However, Mrs. Washerhelp never complained once despite the fact that her old one spun 500 RPM faster.

You can trust me when I say she would have been more than happy to complain if she had found her washing was coming out much wetter.

I do personally believe that 1200 RPM for cottons is probably an optimum spin, everything else can be spun at 800 rpm perfectly adequately and with less wear and tear on the laundry and washing machine. There is nowhere near the difference in real-world results that manufacturers would have people believe.

I’ve maintained for years that spin speeds are merely a marketing tool, and that the slow evolution of an extra 100 revs at a time mimics the same ridiculous managed-evolution of the good old bladed shavers. For years all shavers had just one blade, then it was “discovered” that two blades shaved even better. Two blades ruled until it was “discovered” that three is even better. Then miraculously someone discovered that four is even better still. Then someone launched a 5 bladed razor and so on.. The imminent arrival of the Six blade shaver (According to this site the single blade razor dominated for 70 years, the twin blade shavor lasted 27 years and the triple lasted 5 years – does it really take all this time to discover an extra blade is better? Or do they just introduce them every so often to revitalise the market?)

It’s pure marketing designed to stimulate new sales and get one up on competition. I don’t believe shaver manufacturers couldn’t discover the optimum blades needed for the best shave and stick to it and I can’t believe washing machine manufacturers don’t know which is the optimum spin speed for cottons and then make all their machines use it. The only reason for not doing so – bearing in mind it costs virtually nothing extra to make a washer spin faster and many are actually deliberately made to spin slower using resistors – is to be able to offer a perceived extra value feature people believe is worth paying more for.