How Washer Dryers Work?
Washer dryers are two-in-one appliance that have the features of regular washing machines and tumble dryer in a single unit. The combined washer dryer is suitable for those who are limited by space as it takes up just the space needed by a washing machine. These machines are also an ideal option for small families who need less amount of laundry to be done.
Washer dryers are as much efficient as regular washing machines and the same drum in the machine is used to dry the clothes. The dryer unit in the machine removes the moisture by condensing the moisture from the clothes. Usually, washer dryers need to be installed properly and attached to domestic water supply (both hot and cold water).
Washer dryer allows you to choose the washing and drying programme using the programme selector knob. The selector knob also has a few extra settings like low and high drying temperature settings. By adjusting these settings, the wash time and drying time can be altered to your needs.
All the washer dryers work just like front load washing machines.
After the machine has completed the washing cycle, the machine automatically turns its drying mode on. There is a fan that draws the cold air and the machine heats the air and passes the hot air into the drum in the machine. The washed clothes are spun slowly and the hot air removes the moisture from the clothes.
Now, the wet air is sent into a condenser which has cool fins. The water supply trickles keeps the fins cool and when the wet air passes over the fins, it gets cooled and the moisture present in the air condenses into water which drips down. The dripping water is collected and drained out through the hose.
There are types of separate tumble dryers - condenser and vented models. The vented type dryers are very cost-effective and the various spinning programmes available in the high-end models allow you to reduce the drying time as well as prevent creasing of the clothes. It is also easy to install as the hot air generated by the dryer can be vented through the window using a pipe.
Condenser type dryers are suitable for small rooms and you need not connect the pipe to the machine. They use bottles or water reservoirs which are kept at the base of the machine to collect the condensed water from the machine while drying.
Design
Washer dryers come in two designs - free-standing washer dryers and built-in-one washer dryers. The free standing models look sleek, stylish and modern. Depending on the interior of your kitchen, you can choose aluminum or silver or white free-standing washer dryer.
Integrated or built-in-one washer dryer is ideal option if you want to save space, as these machines can be easily fit behind a cupboard in your kitchen and barely visible to anyone.
Load size
On average, washer dryers can wash a load size ranging between 5 kg and 8 kg. However, the drying capacity is usually less than half of this load size, i.e., 2.5 to 4 kg. This means, the washer dryer needs two drying loads after each washing load.
Spin speed
Higher spin speeds quicken the drying process as the machine removes the moisture on a faster pace. Washer dryers have spin speeds ranging between 800 rpm and 1600 rpm. Some models come with a variable spin, which means you can use lower spin speed settings while washing fabrics that need extra care.
In addition, there two types of drying mechanisms used in washer dryers. In the uni-directional washer dryers, the drum spins in a single direction. The bi-directional washer dryer type drives the drum to spin in both directions and this helps to prevent creases during the washing/drying cycle.
