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

By: eleison

eleison — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:58:12 +0000

Cheapo Hotpoints? I had two, the first one we bought 2nd hand and it lasted us over 5 years, the 2nd one went like a trojan through two babies using washable nappies and only needed the brushes changing once after 10 years. I won’t buy anything else!
Excellent site and useful info about the spin speeds. Thanks

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:08:55 +0000

Thanks for your contribution Marcus. Unfortunately the official average life of a modern washing machine is a mere 7 years. Also, electricity costs have increased but drying costs may have decreased significantly too for many dryers as they have become more efficient. My AEG dryer has a fridge-type compressor in it which stores heat and re-uses it.

I think the 1800 spins may have died out because manufacturer’s realised their current build quality wasn’t good enough to cope. We are already experiencing some washing machines apparently not coping with fast spins (Washing machines exploding: What’s going on?)

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:22:39 +0000

PS As per the above calculations, the difference between a 1200- and 1800-spin speed would now be c 10p per dryer-load. At three loads per week for a year, this is c £16. The faster dry may be desirable, too, but this may be offset by additional wear-and-tear on the machine. Still, that £16 will no-dount soon be £20 – and that would certainly make an additonal £100 for the 1800 worth it, I suggest. If you manage, as we hope, to get 10 years out of your machine, that’s £200 over its lifetime as opposed to the 1200.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:04:40 +0000

The drying costs noted above would, generally, be nearer 50p now. Which? uses a figure of 14.5p per kWh for its running-cost calculations as at this date, as opposed to the 10p quoted when this article was written – so it seems appropriate for us to (particularly as Which? model reviews are often mentioned on this site). We all know that electricity prices are only only going in one direction (!) – so running cost / efficiency issues are increasingly significant, I suggest, in model choice – including spin speed / water extraction efficiency (particularly if not line-drying but using a dryer…) If you manage to line-dry most of the time, this matters proportionately less, of course…

There seem to be virtually no 1800 spin-speed machines on the market, but, other things being equal, I’d pay more – how much more? – for the fastest available spin. My current 1200-spin Bosch will be replaced by at least a 1600- next time.

In order to be ‘green’, and to reduce electricity consumption, I line-dry when weather permits (though I use the dryer for 10 mins after line drying to soften and remove lint). But winter means more dryer use.

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:24:02 +0000

Hello Mike: It sounds like your AEG is one of the last to be made that way. Current AEG washing machines are all plastic and hardly any better made than an averagely decent machine. Many modern washing machines spin much faster than they are built to properly endure, with poor quality suspension and out of balance software as well as poor design. It’s mostly about selling features now, by making them spin faster they can charge a lot more but they don’t build the motor or other components any better than their slowest spinning machines.