Clothes Washers
About 85% of the energy used for washing
clothes is for heating the water.
Why Buy An Energy Efficient
Clothes Washer?
A typical clothes washer will cost
almost $1,100 to operate over its lifetime.* Clothes washers have a
significant impact on water and sewer costs. The national average for water
and sewer costs is estimated to be $2.84/1000 gallons. This brings the total
cost for water and sewer over the life of the clothes washer to be around
$600. If your cost of energy or water exceed the national average, or if you
use your clothes washer more frequently, you should consider the purchase of a
high-efficiency, low-water-use clothes washer. Additionally, the clothes
washer also impacts the energy use of your clothes dryer depending on how dry
the clothes are after the spin cycle. Some high-efficiency clothes washers
have faster spin speeds which remove more water, so less energy will be needed
for drying.
In the past decade, the energy
efficiency of standard top-loading washers has doubled. Most new models offer
various controls over wash and rinse temperatures and load size. Some models
have a "suds saver" option to save soapy water from one cycle to the
next. Certain high-end machines automatically sense load size, dirtiness of
water, and fabric type and adjust water level and wash cycle
automatically.
* Based on 8 loads of clothes a week for 14
years, using 13,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity at today's average cost of
8.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
About Clothes Washer Efficiency
Almost all of the energy used by clothes
washers is for heating the hot water used to wash the clothes. Only about 10
percent or less of the energy is used by the electric motor which runs the
clothes washer. So, the best way to improve the efficiency of a clothes washer
is to reduce the amount of water, particularly hot water, that is needed to
wash the clothes.
The efficiency of a clothes washer is
measured by a term called the energy factor. It is somewhat similar to the
miles per gallon for a car, but in this case the measure is cubic feet of
washing capacity per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The minimum allowed energy
factor rating for standard capacity clothes washers is 1.18.
Federal law requires that EnergyGuide
labels be placed on all new clothes washers. These labels are bright yellow
with black lettering. When you're shopping for the best buy in a new
appliance, EnergyGuide labels can save you money.
Tips for Buying a New Clothes
Washer
- Choose a washing machine that has
several options for adjusting the water level. A small load should have
the option of using a smaller amount of water.
- Choose a model with a
"mini-basket", a small tub that fits over the agitator. This
allows you to wash very small loads.
- Look for pre-soaking options. Both
pre-soaking options and "suds saver" features conserve energy,
although the latter option is rare.
- Choose a washing machine with faster
spin speeds. Higher spin speeds can result in better water extraction and
reduce drying times.
Tips for Lowering Your Washer's
Energy Usage
- Locate the washing machine close to
the hot water tank, if possible, to reduce the heat loss in long pipe
runs. Insulate exposed pipes.
- Keep your hot-water heater thermostat
setting at 120°F. Each 10°F reduction in water temperature will cut the
cost of washing clothes by up to 13%.
- You can save considerable amounts of
energy in the laundry through conservation of hot water and by using your
automatic washers and dryers less often and more efficiently.
- Wash most clothes in warm or cold
water; rinse in cold. You'll save energy and money. Use hot water only if
absolutely necessary. Switching the washer temperature setting from hot to
warm could reduce a load's energy in half.
- Fill washers (unless they have a
small-load attachment or variable water levels), but do not overload them.
In general, washing one large load is more efficient than washing two
small loads.
- Don't use too much detergent. Follow
the instructions on the box. Over-sudsing makes your machine work harder
and use more energy.
- Do not over-wash clothes. Delicate
clothes don't need as long a wash cycle as dirty work clothes.
- Presoak or use a soak cycle when
washing heavily soiled garments. You'll avoid two washings and save
energy.
U.S. Department of Energy
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