Green Tip #5 ~ Efficient Clothes Washer.
If you think about how long it would take to wash clothes by hand then you will appreciate how hard your washer needs to work and now the next question should be how efficient should it be?
When buying a washer there are two specifications you should look at, the amount of electricity it uses and the amount of water the machine uses. To help you gauge the difference between each appliance there are two rating systems:
- EnergyStar helps you decide by rating the washer for you, to qualify as an Energy Star washer it needs to have a Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 2.0 or greater and a Water Factor (WF) of 6.0 or lower. (1/1/2011).
- The Super Efficient Home Appliances Initiative by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) a nation, non-profit public benefits corporation has a tiered group rating for the washers energy and water use. The higher the tier group, the more efficient the machine. See chart below.
Why Do We Need These Rating Systems?
Today’s average American family does almost 400 loads of laundry a year. Using Energy Star washer’s families can cut their related energy costs by about a third and waterby about half.
Clothes washer technology has seen dramatic improvements in efficiency and functionality in recent years. Full-sized washers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use 10–20 gallons of water per load, compared to the 30–35 gallons used by a standard machine. Energy Star washers come in both top load and front load. The Energy Star top load models use different types of washing action than the older models to save energy. Both top load and front load use such features as water temperature sensors, repeated high pressure spraying rinse cycles and faster spin speeds to reduce drying time and in all save on energy and water usage.
Other Benefits.
If you are using a washer more than 10 years old then you are paying over $135 more each year on your utility bill than you would be if using an Energy Star qualified washer.
The new wash system technology gently flips and spins clothes and thus lengthens the life of the often washed items.
Without the bulky agitator in older models there is more usable space in the washer for laundry, which means fewer loads to wash.
If every clothes washer purchased in the U.S. this year earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save 540 million kWh of electricity, 20 billion gallons of water, and 1.4 trillion BTUs of natural gas every year, resulting in energy bill savings of about $250 million, every year.
Note* ~ For both models, check to see if you need to use special detergent. Low-water washers use special low-suds detergent for best results. Check owner’s manual for recommendations on detergent use.
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David Popoff is a certified 'Green' Realtor in Darien, Connecticut. A life time resident of Fairfield County he has worked throughout lower Fairfield County and now resides in Darien, Ct since 2004.
- Member of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, CAR.
- Member of the National Association of Realtors, NAR.
- David Popoff is an accredited LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) Homes and USGBC member of the Connecticut chapter (CTGBC).
- Associate member and an accredited Certified Green Professional (CGP) of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the local chapter HBRA-Fairfield County, Ct. .
- Contact David Popoff for all your real estate needs in Darien, New Canaan, Rowayton and other parts of Connecticut.
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