Can someone explain to me how a high efficiency washing mashine can run for 3-4x longer than a conventional washer, yet uses less energy?

Because running the motor is a trivial part of the cost. The major part of the cost is primary and auxiliary heating for the water.

They use less water so don’t have to expend energy on heating it up.

Aaaah. I hadn’t even thought of that. Thanks. :)

And it may use a far more efficient motor too.

According to the mighty Google (all praise the Mighty Google) they tumble the clothes instead of the traditional agitaiton motion. (No I have no idea what the difference is).

@Lightlyseared the difference is, for one thing, less water. A lot less water. All that’s needed, essentially, is enough water to wet the clothes thoroughly and provide a medium for the suds and soil to float away in as the tumbling and detergent loosen the soil. (So you use less detergent, too.)

It’s sort of the difference between a bath or a shower for your clothes. And since your clothes can’t justify “a bath” on grounds of romance, relaxation or recreation, the “shower” wins out.

Having been in the commercial and industrial laundry industry for more years than I care to admit, I have to say that CyanoticWasp’s comparison of a bath/shower to front-loader/top-loader machines is spot on and not a description I have ever heard. Bravo!

@Lightlyseared: Tumbling allows for what is called “mechanical action” on the clothes and allows for better cleaning. Essentially, the clothes are raised up to the top of the drum and then they drop down onto the other clothes and water at the bottom. This action causes disturbance to the fibers and helps loosen soil. Agitation pulls clothes through the water and there is very little mechanical action and also leads to the need for more water.

Lastly, the more efficient machines need to run longer because of the simple truth that you need three things to clean linen: Time. Temperature. Product (detergent/water/bleach et cetera). If you have less of one you need more of another. Therefore, less detergent, water, and in the case of some super efficient models, temperature means you will need more time to get the job done.

@Sueanne_Tremendous OK but how does that use less energy. The drum is still turning. It’s still changing direction. How does the difference in its action result in less power use?

@Lightlyseared it takes much less energy to lift something out of the water and drop it back in, than it does to move it and the water back and forth. So you can use a smaller less energy hungry motor.

I was really annoyed when I got my HE brand new, cost me a fortune washing machine home and it took almost an hour to do the wash. Less water only matters to me if I live in a place that water conservation is a concern. I seriously think I would not buy one of these washers again. They also get moldy easier in my experience, you have to dry the area where water sits after you do the wash, maybe it is just my washer? But, from what I have heard it is all of them. I am very happy with how it washes my hand wash and delicates.

I’m learning a lot here, you guys are a font of knowledge!

What the…? I can’t thank the people responding to my question and compliment them on knowing a lot?

tumbling machines?!? I didn’t think they were new at all, that’s all we’ve ever had in the house since I was a kid and even when I’ve been out in dark, cold, no decent food anywhere of east Russia they have the same tumblers too? Are uprights some thing only available in the US or something?

@Tobotron The old front load machines used regular soapy detergent and had lts of water swishing around. The new ones use very little water, the clothes are barely soaked, and it is recommended to use detergent for HE washers which has almost no bubbles. I’m guessing you were aquainted with the old kind?

@MissAnthrope I think that was removed by mistake. I’ve re-posted it.

@Tobotron I saw a top-loading tumbler once, a relic of the Italian 1980s. The closing mechanism no doubt claimed many a finger.