A thrilling dilemma about spin speeds in washer dryers.

[MatildaTheCat]

I know, it's an exciting one but please bear with me.

I have a rental property which only has room for a washer dryer so no separate tumble dryer option. The existing WD is under a policy which will replace the product if it cannot be fixed and this has now happened. So, I've been offered a 1400 spin WD for free if you don't count delivery charge,connection charge and disposal charge. The WD looks fine on google although it's a pretty old model.

The question is, I could upgrade, at more cost to a 1600 spin which clearly dries the laundry more quickly but does it really make much difference? Is it worth it or AIBU to just accept the new machine which will undoubtedly be better that the existing one?

Thanks for any comments and sorry for the dullness of the enquiry.

Take the 1600 if you can afford it. Shirts and light weight cottons are dry in a matter of hours, anything synthetic is pretty much dry when it comes out. The only warning I have is that you need to hang the clothes as soon as the wash is finished because the clothes start to smell more quickly!

Ahhh - it depends...
My washing machine has a 1400 spin but the normal mixed load setting that I use most often and takes 50 mins won't allow you to set it higher than 1200...the 1400 spin is for the cotton washes only which take a minimum of 2 hrs even if you turn the temp down. Something that is worth checking...
Also if it is your machine - spinning at 1600 is more wearing on the machine and it probably won't last as long as one with a lower spin speed - but if you will sometimes hang washing out to dry and therefore will only use that speed for when you need to tumble dry it might be worth getting....
I know you probably don't have the space but I have a separate spin dryer - cost £20 second hand (they are about £100 new). Mine lives in a cupboard. That spins up to 2800 rpm and I use it before I tumble dry things and sometimes to speed up drying on a rack inside - it uses less energy to spin than tumble and things dry in half the time. Especially useful for things like towels - it really takes loads out even after a 1400 spin.

This is my kind of dilemma settles in

I have a 1400 rpm machine but you've got me worried now that I should have gone for the 1600 model

I've got a 1600 and like PP says synthetics are basically dry when you take them out, the first few times I was worried the machine had malfunctioned and hadn't washed the clothes!

Get the highest spin you can afford saves time and money in the long run. My machine is nearly 4 years old most of the clothes come out nearly dry at 1600 spin are dry in no time at all in fact in summer I can do quick loads 45minute and they can be dry when the next load is ready to hang out

A faster spin speed doesn't necessarily mean dryer washing, it depends on the machine. A good machine might give a better result on 1400 than a less good one on 1600.

If you told us the models/makes of the two machines perhaps people could give you their experience of them.

Definitely makes a difference - I'd never get a machine that didn't have a 1600 option. You really notice it if you dry stuff on an airer - it dries much faster and helps cut down on the humidity in the room. You'd be using a shorter drying cycle with a w/d so that would offset the cost.

I've always had 1600, too, and it's great. Some things are virtually dry when they come out (like school shirts) and take hardly any time to dry off.

Thanks everyone. I will find out how much extra it will cost. It's a Hotpoint Aquarius but quite an old model although it has good reviews on Reevoo.

The shorter drying time on the hanging rack is a good point because like many rental flats,mdo sensation can be an issue. As is the tenants overfilling the machine in the first place ( it's my son so yes, I do know!)

Now, any tips on getting good drying results other than not overfilling it? It's a 7kg wash and 5 kg dry. The thrills keep coming.

*condensation.

May not be a noticeable difference. Interesting article ....

here

I have a machine with a max speed of 1,400 and the one below is 800. For heavier items like towels I choose 800 otherwise the weight of the towels filled with water when the machine starts the spin means I get a lot of noise from the machine. It doesn't feel like it'd be doing the drum any favours. So basically I don't think the difference between 1400 and 1600 would matter to me.

I do however have a 10kg drum and I love it!!! It's huge! I had to buy an extra airer so I had space to dry a whole wash

Condensation - If you are using drying racks inside get a dehumidifier ... it is a modern problem really. The better insulated/draughtproofed your house is the more likely you are to have problems - or you have to keep windows permanently open.
I had problems with damp - even though I had stopped drying washing inside and have a well ventilated bathroom and kitchen...I got a dehumidifier and was amazed how much water it pulled out of the atmosphere.
I now do use a drying rack again...and don't have a damp problem...

Hotpoint ...Sorry I wouldn't touch with a bargepole...I had one a few years ago and it was nothing but hassle.
At one point it was a good make but not from about 2000 (unless things have changed in the last 5 or so years...).
The repair man told me to avoid getting another when I finally gave up trying to get it fixed - I hadn't got a rogue machine - they were all bad now. In fact sourcing parts for it I discovered that a lot of the parts were the same for Hotpoint, Indesit and another 'cheap' make (Candy maybe) . Things like trims were brand specific but the important working parts - like pumps and motors etc - were interchangeable. Basically I really had paid more just for the name...

Do they rate spinning performance with the A-F type ratings? If so, is the 1600 in a higher category? I could quite easily see that a 1400 spinning for longer would perform better than a shorter 1600 spin, so faster may not equal noticably better.

I had a Hotpoint Aquarius with those specifications and the drying function was absolutely pants, you could really only dry maybe one pair of jeans or a few pairs of pants and it would still take an hour.

I have a 1600 spin.

Never use it, knackers my clothes. I use 1200 for most things, 1400 for sturdier things like towels.

I doubt tenants would care.

Thanks everyone. I will accept the 'free' Aquarius and hope for the best. I know the dryer isn't great but better than nothing and almost without doubt better than the existing one. Interesting article, thanks Liz.

I did have awful problems with condensation damp but we've had a ventilation system fitted which has been simply amazing. It was expensive but works like a dream.