In ancient times people used various sources of water like ponds, rivers and lakes to wash their clothes. After washing the clothes, they had to dry the clothes. The clothes were dried under the influence of hot sun. The growth in industry, invention with the help of new technologies and change in the lifestyle of humans led to inventions that help automate the washing and drying process.
The device that was invented for washing purpose was named washer and the device invented for drying purpose were named dryer. Both had to be bought as separate appliances to carry out respective activities. The main disadvantages were the size and cost. Both had to be bought separate which were costlier as a whole and they occupied considerable portion in the house hold.
In order to overcome this problem a device named washing machine was invented that combined the functionality of both the washer and the dryer. Washing machine had both washer and dryer combined as a single unit. They were also named combo washer dryer. This combination reduced the overall cost and also the size that was occupied by washer and dryer when used as individual appliances. It came in various designs and was a hit among urban people. The limit of invention is only sky high. In order to mitigate size even more and the cost compact device name stackable washer dryer came into the market.
A stackable washer dryer is a combination two appliances namely washer and dryer. The dryer appliance is stacked over the washer. Today Stackable washer dryer has become a common used in every house hold. This device has been mainly designed to save the space in the house hold though the height of this appliance is higher when compared to the washer dryer combo. Stackable washer dryer posses the same features that of the washer dryer combo and can handle the same load that a traditional washing machine can handle. Stackable washer dryers can be stacked in various designs depending upon various factors.
A washer can be either front loaded one or a top loaded one. If the washer is a top loaded one, the dryer is placed at the back which has an angled opening that can be used to collect the washed and dried clothes. A magnet is present at the bottom of the dryer to hold the washer tightly so that the clothes get properly transferred from washer to dryer. If the washer is a front loaded one, the dried can be easily stacked at the top of the washer and this design is the best opted one in the market.
The products usually come in this design. In the front loaded design, the clothes are put into the washer for the washing purpose. After washing the clothes they are put into the dryer that is stacked onto the washer for drying the clothes. Some modifications have to be made in the electrical supply of the house hold when you need to install a stackable washer dryer.
Stackable washer dryer provide one of the most space and energy efficiencies. This appliance is the most suited one for people living in small house hold. In the front loaded design, the washers use gravity to wash the clothes. Generally front loaded washers use gravity to produce less wear and tear effect on clothes. The washer present in the stackable washer dryer is common among the manufacturers that design the appliance under different brand name.
The main difference relies on the type of the dryer that is used. Traditional dryers used hot air that was passed to dry the wet clothes. However, better designs and inventions have led to the design of air less dryer. For instance, condenser dryer is same as the traditional one but condense the vapor produced from the evaporated clothes and the content exited is in the form of water. Spin dryer consists of a drum that is rotated at a greater speed which extracts the water from the clothes which are exited through the exhaust vent. The spin dryers save lot of energy when compared to other dryers.
Another type of dryer is heat pump dryers which use a device called heat exchangers to recycle the vapor from the clothes and loop it back again to dry the clothes. In the stackable washer dryer it is always recommended to have moisture sensor in the dryer that detects the content of the moisture and functions accordingly. Stackable washer dryer come in different configurations based on the following factors:
Size: The most common units have width of either 27 inches or 24 inches. Larger the width results in handling large load whereas small size are meant for convenience and saving the space.
Voltage: The most vital factor that one can not compromise and must be met is the voltage. Stackable washer dryers use 220-volt.Some changes has to be made in the electrical lines of the house hold before you install it.
Energy Rating: This rating is given by Department Of Energy depending on the efficiency of the appliance. If the number is lower, it means the efficiency of the machine is higher.
The main disadvantage of this appliance lies in the difference in the quality of the dryer and the washer. One might be superior or inferior to another. They are sold as a pair, if one fails to function it can not be replaced. Another one has to be bought to compensate it.