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Clothes Washers and Dryers

posted 11:32 AM Friday, December 19, 2008 by akulkar2

We have shortlisted a few washing machines and dryers based on our requirements. The main factors considered were the solar decathlon rules which define the size of the load, the energy consumption, cost, capacity and features.

The next step in the selection process would be to finalize the budget allocated to the appliances. The shortlisted washers range from $674 to $2000 and the dryers range from $270 to $400. The costlier appliances offer lesser energy consumption, more features, superior aesthetics and sometimes, a bigger capacity. We also need to confirm the maximum possible dimensions for the washer and dryer to fit them in the house.

For the clothes washer, we found a very energy efficient model made by Staber, yet it costs almost three times the Maytag or Kenmore models of similar capacity. The features and specifications of the Staber model as well as the Maytag and Kenmore models are listed in the appendix. If the budget permits, then we feel that we should go with the Staber model.

The dryers are all competitively priced. All dryers roughly consume the same amount of energy and hence, dryers are not rated by independent rating agencies such as Energy Star and Energy Guide. The selection process for dryers thus boils down to the tub capacity and required features. As soon as all the mentioned steps are completed, we would go ahead and make our final recommendation.

-Akshat Kulkarni

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