When choosing a washing machine, many buyers prefer models that consume a small amount of electricity. A more economical device will significantly reduce electricity costs, but before making the final choice, you should understand what exactly the power consumption of the washing machine depends on.
What determines the power consumption of a washing machine?
Power consumption primarily depends on:
- Heating element power.
- Drum drive motor power.
- Availability of additional options.
If a powerful heating element is installed in a household appliance, the machine will consume a significant amount of electricity per unit time. In this case, the average power consumption will increase slightly, because a more powerful heating element will allow you to quickly heat a significant volume of water to the required temperature, in comparison with a low-power element. During operation, the total power consumption of the washing machine may also increase due to an increase in the water heating time due to the formation of limescale on the surface of the heating element. This problem can be solved with the help of citric acid, which is poured into the loading tray and the device is turned on in the standard wash mode.
The powerful electric motor also consumes a significant amount of electricity, so energy consumption will directly depend on the duration of the wash cycle.
Power consumption can increase significantly during operation when the engine belt does not fit tightly enough into the pulley. In this case, the engine will often crank without doing any useful work.
The presence of some additional options can increase the power consumption of such a household appliance by more than 5 times. Typically, a significant increase in electricity consumption occurs when using devices equipped with a drying function.
Other functions aimed at increasing the quality of washing and comfort of use do not consume a large amount of electricity, but if the household appliance is used frequently, then even operating the drain pump for a year will cost hundreds of rubles.
A household appliance is not economical if there are no or only a small number of optimized programs for washing certain types of fabrics.
If on the control panel it is possible to more accurately set the water heating temperature, then in this case it is also possible to significantly reduce power consumption by maximizing the optimization of the work process.
How to reduce electricity consumption when operating a washing machine
In addition to abandoning such a built-in function as drying clothes, to reduce energy costs it is recommended:
- When purchasing, choose a washing machine that is ideal for the weight of the load of laundry.
- When operating the machine, try to select the optimal operating mode.
- Install a two-tariff electric meter.
- Connect the household appliance to the hot water supply circuit (provided that this possibility is supported by the design of the electrical product)
First of all, you should not purchase a powerful washing machine with a large load of laundry if most of the time the washing machine will not be used at full capacity. In this case, more electricity will be consumed each time due to the need to heat a significant amount of water, as well as a longer operating cycle.
Modern devices have a large number of preset washing modes, so to reduce the consumption of not only electricity, but also water, it is recommended to select the optimal program.
In Russia, there is a double tariff for paying for electricity depending on the time of day, so washing clothes at night will reduce costs by about 2 times. Even if you are not a night owl, thanks to the microprocessor hardware that controls all modern machines, you can program the operation of the device with a delay of up to 12 hours.
If the design allows you to connect to hot water, then you can do it yourself. When the inlet fitting is connected to the hot water circuit, the washing machine will not turn on the heating element to heat the water, which will significantly save on electricity costs.
Power consumption of some washing machine models
Almost all manufacturers strive to reduce power consumption without compromising performance. Below we will present a rating of models that, even by modern standards, are the least “gluttonous”.
- Bosch WAY32541 is a laundry washing device that has an “A+++” energy saving class.It is very difficult to find such high indicators in the field of saving electricity in household appliances using a resistive water heating element. This “champion” among household appliances for washing clothes allows you not only to spend less money on electricity bills, but also to significantly save water. At the same time, the device achieves high efficiency not at the expense of its dimensions and maximum load. You can wash up to 9 kg of dry laundry in Bosch WAY32541. The main disadvantage of this product is its high cost, which will amount to at least 50,000 rubles on the Russian market.
- Samsung WW80H7600EW – Korean technology is not inferior to European technology in using the latest achievements of science and technology aimed at reducing energy consumption. When choosing the standard washing mode, the energy consumption will be only 1 kW when the drum is fully loaded. In terms of capacity, the Samsung washing machine is only 1 kg inferior to the Bosch WAY32541, but the cost of the product on the Russian market will also be at least 50,000 rubles.
- Indesit BTWE 71253 is an economical model from a world-famous manufacturer of household appliances. Even with frequent use, the electricity consumption will be only about 174 kW per year. The low power consumption of the Indesit washing machine is achieved through correctly calculated automatic modes for washing clothes made from various fabrics. The device also uses a high-quality heating element, which allows you to convert electric current into thermal energy with an efficiency of about 100%. The cost of Indesit BTWE 71253 will be 25,000 rubles.
- Hotpoint-Ariston RST 703 DW is a modern household appliance equipped with intelligent control of washing modes, which allows reducing power consumption to 0.13 kilowatts per 1 kg of loaded laundry. The microprocessor filling of the Ariston washing machine allows you to delay the moment of switching on for up to 24 hours, which, when using a two-tariff meter, will save even more money on utility bills. Price Hotpoint-Ariston RST 703 DW – 20,000 rubles.
- Zanussi ZWQ 61215 WA is an economical household appliance with vertical loading of laundry. For 1 cycle of the standard washing mode, the device consumes only 900 W. The high efficiency of energy saving is due to the use of intelligent control, which allows you to maximize the operation of each element of the washing machine. The use of a high-quality heating element and bearings that minimize the coefficient of friction also contributes to the energy saving of the device. You can buy Zanussi ZWQ 61215 WA for 40,000 rubles.
- LG FH-4A8TDS4 – the machine has an A+++ energy saving class when loading 8 kg of dry laundry. A special feature of using this economical model is the possibility of remote control via a smartphone. You can also postpone the operation of the device at night, when the cost of electricity is much lower. The main disadvantage of this model is its high cost. You can buy LG FH-4A8TDS4 for 40,000 rubles.
- BEKO WKB 51001 M - this model is significantly inferior in energy efficiency to the devices at the top of this list, but given the relatively low cost of the machine, purchasing a Beko washing machine will immediately save more than 30,000 rubles. You can save this amount on electricity bills when purchasing an expensive but more efficient washing machine only within 10 years of daily use of the device.
- ATLANT 70С1010 – the advantage of this model over other devices for washing clothes is its price. For just 20,000 rubles you can purchase an Atlant washing machine with the maximum level of energy saving. At the same time, the household appliance is quite spacious and allows you to load up to 7 kg of dry laundry.
- Siemens WS 12T440 is a very economical washing machine from a well-known German manufacturer of household appliances. The product has a power consumption level of “A+++” and the laundry load is 7 kg. The low level of power consumption is achieved through the use of innovative technologies in the production of this model, as well as thanks to built-in automatic programs that allow you to select the optimal washing mode. The device uses a ceramic heater, which will last much longer than conventional parts, so the buyer will not worry about the question for a long time: “How to remove the heating element of a washing machine.”
What power some models consume is described above, but you can find out this parameter for any device that is sold through a retail chain if you carefully read the device instructions.You can also always contact a sales consultant who will tell you about the electricity consumption of each model you are interested in.
Conclusion
You need to know exactly how much power a washing machine consumes before purchasing it. Otherwise, you will need to spend significantly more money on energy bills. Devices with minimal power consumption, with the same load, will cost noticeably more, but during operation the difference in price will be fully compensated by lower electricity consumption.
