Among the most important home appliances such as fridges and dishwashers, washing machines and clothes dryers are undoubtedly essential items making our lives much easier. Thanks to their compact size, modern washing machines and dryers can be placed in the bathroom, kitchen, balcony or dedicated room, saving your time and effort. Available in freestanding or built-in versions, with front or top loading, our washing machines can meet the needs of singles or large families. The same goes for dryers, which are truly indispensable when there is no space to hang out the laundry. Finally, an integrated washer-dryer is the best choice if your space is limited: washer-dryer combos are the all-in-one solution when you want to make the most out of your budget, avoiding the need for two separate appliances.
At Klarstein you can find various compact washing machines and dryer machines, specifically designed to fit small apartments and spaces: they re just perfect if you don't want to miss out on the pleasure of soft, fragrant laundry, even when it's not possible to dry it outside. With a compact footprint, multiple drying programmes and ease of use, our compact tumble dryers are an essential home appliance, and their low price means you can say goodbye to the laundry room and enjoy perfectly dry clothes every time.
Washing machines and clothes dryers have a lot in common, but they do a completely different job. While you can't do without the former, you can probably do without the latter if you have enough space outside to dry your clothes. Electric clothes dryers turn out to be extremely handy when there’s no balcony and drying is necessarily done within the house’s four walls. With a washer-dryer, the two operations are carried out by the same appliance, with considerable space saving. To help you make an informed choice, we have listed below some points these three products have in common, and that should be considered carefully before buying:
Tumble use different mechanisms to produce the heat needed to dry fabrics, heating the air taken from outside and then ventilating it inside. There are two ways in which hot air is generated: the electric resistance system and the heat pump system. In electric resistance dryers, drying is ensured by the combined operation of electric resistance and a fan that evenly diffuses heat into the dryer drum: from a mechanical point of view. It is a straightforward mechanism whereby the air, taken from outside, is passed through a very hot electric resistance and then introduced inside. From an economic point of view, it is certainly the least expensive dryer, due to its simplicity, but the energy consumption is very high.
On the other hand, heat pump dryers use more up-to-date technology. Compared to the previous one, it differs because the hot air is generated by a heat pump inside the machine: a considerably more complex and less economical solution. In addition to the tank, the heating system’s core is formed by a compressor circuit with refrigerant gas and a motor equal to an air conditioner. Heat pump dryers are only available in energy class A: a heat pump’s energy consumption is considerably lower than an electric resistance tumble dryer.
Natural drying takes much longer to dry, and if it is carried out outside, if you are in a city, it absorbs smog and all the odours in the air, compromising the level of hygiene. Drying outside stiffens the fabrics which are less easy to iron. Drying inside the home, as in the laundry room, releases the water from the fabrics into the environment to the detriment of the walls and the environment, absorbing moisture. The most obvious advantage of natural drying is that it saves or rather does not use electricity.
With the use of a clothes dryer, drying times are significantly reduced, and you can dry at any time, regardless of weather conditions. Condensation water does not spread into the environment but is recovered, and clothes remain soft, relaxed, fragrant and easy to iron. It is a household appliance that provides real support for drying and ironing operations, saving time.
Each appliance has its right place, so there are some fundamental requirements for washing machines and dryers. Whether you have a laundry room or not, when measuring for the washer and dryer, keep in mind that you will need three connections: one to the electrical system, one to the water pipe used to wash the laundry and one for the wastewater. Whether you choose a class A tumble dryer or any other type, the connection to the mains socket will be necessary, while only for the evacuation type, a flexible hose to be connected to an exhaust pipe or a glass socket will be required for the installation.
Finally, for heat pump tumble dryers, it will be necessary to leave a few centimetres of space from the wall so as not to block air circulation. If you choose a front-loading washing machine, don't forget the door’s opening size to avoid the unpleasant surprise of not being able to open it fully. If, on the other hand, you prefer a top-loading washing machine or dryer, you will need to consider the space required vertically for easy opening of the door.
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