Washer Dryer Combination

The term washer dryer combination can mean different things to different people.

Some think of a washer dryer combination as meaning two separate units that are the same color and style.

It can also mean a separate washer and dryer built into a single unit stacked one on top of the other. This is useful for people with limited space. If you only have room in a closet or alcove, having a stacked unit like that makes sense.

But that latest meaning of washer dryer combination is truly a remarkable feat of engineering; both a washer and dryer in a single unit. That's right; one door, one chamber, one appliance, if you will, but two completely different functions.

How do the latest washer dryer combination appliances work?

First your clothes are washed in a pretty traditional way. The spin cycle is usually more robust to extract as much water as possible.

But the amazing part is when it comes time to dry them. It circulates hot air throughout the chamber as a traditional dryer would. But it doesn't heat the air in the traditional way.

Instead it uses a condensation method. This means that the dryer uses a heat exchanger which removes water vapor from the air and condenses it into liquid, which can flow out the same tube as the excess wash water. Then it recirculates the same air through the chamber.

One advantage of this type of water dryer combination is you do not need any external vent through which to blow the hot air out. This makes it extremely appealing to people in an apartment that aren't able to cut holes through their walls.

And most of these washer dryer combination units can be hooked up to a regular sink faucet. The run off water can also flow into the sink and down the drain, so no special hookup of any kind is needed.

Do these new-fangled water dryer combination sets clean and dry as well as their traditional counterparts?

The evidence seems to point to no.

The recirculated air tends to have more humidity in it than the heated air in a standard unit. So your clothes do dry, but they tend to still feel a little damp. Once you remove them and the air has a chance to dissipate, they are ok.

Another downside of the recirculated air of the washer dryer combination is that your clothes get more wrinkles than they would with a traditional set.

But if you are in a limited living situation and it's a choice between none at all and a washer dryer combination, the cons of it do not outweigh the benefits of being able to do your laundry in your own house without plunking quarters into somebody else's pocket.

Most water dryer combination units pay for themselves in 3 or 4 years.

And besides the cost savings, it's so nice to be able to do laundry while you do other things around your apartment rather than having to spend hours with a book at a laundromat.

All-in-all, a washer dryer combination is an appliance you'll be happy you have.