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APPLIANCESShould I Buy A Front Loading Washer?With all of this hype about going green with appliances, should I buy a front-loading washer?-Beverly in Prescott Beverly, believe it or not, you may not have a choice for much longer. As we know, top-loading machines are becoming what we know as a dinosaur, much like manual defrost freezers. Front loading machines are generally considered to be more efficient than top loading machines. Consumer Reports determined they could not give a “best buy” rating to any top load machine. As we know, our federal government is implementing new energy standards on everything from appliances, to cars to lawn movers to computers and they have required appliance manufacturers to manufacture washing machines that use less energy. Front-loading machines are more costly; however, they do perform better under the new energy standards. If you are considering a purchase of a front-load washing machine, buy one that has an Energy Star label, this indicates the machine is more energy efficient than federal standards. Look for a washer that has a high spin speed of at least 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. A higher speed spin removes more moisture from the laundry, thus spending less time in the dryer. Purchase a model that has an option for a slower spin for the delicate items. Make sure that you read and compare the energy guide label on all models you are looking at and last but not least, but a model that has the options you like for your washing needs. Do not settle. We know families have different types of fabrics, water levels, load sizes, temperature settings, etc. Happy Washing Bev. |