How Washington Ruined Your Washing Machine

[Capt Worley PE]

It might not have been the most stylish, but for decades the top-loading laundry machine was the most affordable and dependable. Now it's ruined—and Americans have politics to thank.

In 1996, top-loaders were pretty much the only type of washer around, and they were uniformly high quality. When Consumer Reports tested 18 models, 13 were "excellent" and five were "very good." By 2007, though, not one was excellent and seven out of 21 were "fair" or "poor." This month came the death knell: Consumer Reports simply dismissed all conventional top-loaders as "often mediocre or worse."

How's that for progress?

The culprit is the federal government's obsession with energy efficiency. Efficiency standards for washing machines aren't as well-known as those for light bulbs, which will effectively prohibit 100-watt incandescent bulbs next year. Nor are they the butt of jokes as low-flow toilets are. But in their quiet destruction of a highly affordable, perfectly satisfactory appliance, washer standards demonstrate the harmfulness of the ever-growing body of efficiency mandates.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704662604576202212717670514.html

Older article, but i wasn't aware of this.

 

[Flyer_PE]

It's amazing where unintended consequences of government regulation show up. One more example of the futile search for the free lunch.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

In all seriousness, I think they'd ban dryers if the thought they could get away with it.

It would be a gigantic energy savings.

 

[Judowolf PE]

Hmmm, so in larger cities they would string clotheslines between buildings and let people air dry their clothes?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

My HOA actually prohibits clotheslines...

The efficiency ratings for dryers has significantly gone up as well. Most new houses are fitted for natural gas dryers which are insanely cheap to operate and seemingly last forever.

 

[Flyer_PE]

Gigantic energy savings would result in less energy used.

Less energy used means less demand and lower costs for consumers.

Less demand and lower costs for consumers means lower tax revenue from the energy sector.

Lower tax revenue from the energy sector means taxes on energy must be raised to punish those evil energy companies.

Higher taxes (possibly labeled as fees) will be passed through to consumers thus raising the cost of energy.

The end result is that you end up paying the same amount to clean your clothes, only now you're doing it with a crappy piece of equipment that will only last three years instead of fifteen.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Gigantic energy savings would result in less energy used.

Less energy used means less demand and lower costs for consumers.

Less demand and lower costs for consumers means lower tax revenue from the energy sector.

Lower tax revenue from the energy sector means taxes on energy must be raised to punish those evil energy companies.

Higher taxes (possibly labeled as fees) will be passed through to consumers thus raising the cost of energy.

The end result is that you end up paying the same amount to clean your clothes, only now you're doing it with a crappy piece of equipment that will only last three years instead of fifteen.

You forgot the part where energy companies raise rates to maintain profit margins.

You also forget that the energy lobby owns Congress and they do the bidding of their corporate masters.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

My HOA actually prohibits clotheslines...

My stance on HOAs is well documented.

We had indoor and outdoor clotheslines when I was a kid. The only downsides to clotheslines are carrying stuff in and out (but that's an issue of how lazy we've become) and the fact that the clothes would dry a bit stiff.

The efficiency ratings for dryers has significantly gone up as well. Most new houses are fitted for natural gas dryers which are insanely cheap to operate and seemingly last forever.

How about electric dryers? I'll have to look into that.

We got an he washer a few years back. Did it more for the larger capacity than the energy/water savings.

 

[Judowolf PE]

My HOA actually prohibits clotheslines...

My stance on HOAs is well documented.

We had indoor and outdoor clotheslines when I was a kid. The only downsides to clotheslines are carrying stuff in and out (but that's an issue of how lazy we've become) and the fact that the clothes would dry a bit stiff.

I remember a literal downside to the old clothesline being landing on my butt after hitting it while chasing the dog!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

My HOA actually prohibits clotheslines...

My stance on HOAs is well documented.

We had indoor and outdoor clotheslines when I was a kid. The only downsides to clotheslines are carrying stuff in and out (but that's an issue of how lazy we've become) and the fact that the clothes would dry a bit stiff.

I remember a literal downside to the old clothesline being landing on my butt after hitting it while chasing the dog!

I bet you learned real quick not to do that!

 

[wilheldp_PE]

How about electric dryers? I'll have to look into that.

We got an he washer a few years back. Did it more for the larger capacity than the energy/water savings.

Moisture sensors did a lot to improve the efficiency of electric dryers. Now, as long as you are using an automatic cycle, the dryer doesn't run as long as it used to.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Didn't know that, thanks.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

How about electric dryers? I'll have to look into that.

We got an he washer a few years back. Did it more for the larger capacity than the energy/water savings.

Moisture sensors did a lot to improve the efficiency of electric dryers. Now, as long as you are using an automatic cycle, the dryer doesn't run as long as it used to.

Mines an electric one and has this feature. If anything, it underdries and forces you to run it through a 2nd cycle. It usually isn't an issue since most of mine and the Mrs' clothes are hung up in the closet, but it can be annoying when trying to wash the kids clothes, towels, or a blanket.

 

[snickerd3]

I have the mositure cycle on my electric dryer and haven't had that problem. Maybe your senor is broken/soon to break. That's what started happening to our old dryer with that feature. It took longer to dry then the thermal fuse kept burning out. We got tired of spending $20 every 3 months and bought a new dryer.

 

[envirotex]

Since we are semi in-the-market for a new washing machine because ours is singing a death song during its spin cycle...I have seen reviews stating that HE machines don't clean too well because they don't use enough water. Consumer Reports has just created a new rating category called something like "Cleaning Effectiveness" for this.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^Ours seems to do pretty well unless it is ground in dirt, then it has to be run through at least twice.

So, no, they don't clean as well, but they clean OK for normal washing,

 

[envirotex]

^^I have two boys, 11 and 16, and a husband who is a contractor/artist/car enthusiast. Everything has ground-in dirt in it.

 

[snickerd3]

Our new front loader, got last year, has a setting for heavy soiled loads, it even has lightly soiled setting...not that I have ever used THAT with a toddler in the house. I have used the heavy soiled once or twice and I would say that it works for the ground in stuff

 

[engineergurl]

I can actually say the brand of washer I have has 9 different settings and while I generally use the "speed cycle" which takes 38 minutes usually cleans things fine, if something has a stain (or for ground in GA red clay on your jeans), I had no issues setting it to "stain wash" which lasts 2 hours and 44 minutes and everything comes out clean. With he you have have to remember to buy the he soap though. If you use regular soap, then no your clothes won't come out as clean because it will produce too many suds or something like that...

and the stains in our clothes run from the gammit of food to blood to car grease to ink to just plain old ground in mud.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^^I have two boys, 11 and 16, and a husband who is a contractor/artist/car enthusiast. Everything has ground-in dirt in it.

You won't like it, then.