Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

American Applicances in UK?

26 replies

Ruggles · 26/12/2013 15:02

I can't quite believe I'm asking such a domestic question, but I am super impressed! We're on a self catering holiday in America and using the houses applicances - dishwasher, washing machine and drier. I am amazed at how much faster they. The dishwasher is done in 30/40 mins and the laundry is incredible - really fast and nothing needs to be ironed when it comes out the drier. I know about the power differences, but does anyone have US applicances in the UK? Why are they are so much better? No doubt they guzzle water and power but is it offset by the speed of use?

OP posts:
specialsubject · 26/12/2013 15:15

guessing that because energy is much cheaper in the US (hence the huge waste) so appliances don't need to be designed for economy.

never quite understood why the speed of a dishwasher should matter unless you serve a full meal every 20 mins. Certainly does not justify using huge amounts of resources.

I do know that washing machines in the UK have moved on considerably, bought a new one after many years and things are MUCH cleaner. Just have to remember to turn it off at the wall because they now use standby power. So much for my first statement...

PigletJohn · 26/12/2013 15:30

standby power will be tiny.

stargirl1701 · 26/12/2013 15:35

My UK dishwasher has 25 minute cycle. It's a Bosch.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 26/12/2013 15:55

My dishwasher takes 30 mins and my washing machine about 35-40 minutes. Both Bosch.

trinity0097 · 26/12/2013 17:12

My Bosch dishwasher does it's normal Eco wash in 29min for me, 33min if it doesn't have rinse aid. Think you might be using the wrong settings at home!

I can do a 30degree half size wash in 55min, full load 1hr 28min, other options on the machine migh be even quicker too!

Weelady77 · 26/12/2013 17:19

My Bosch washing machine can do a 60c wash in 60 mins infact the power wash on all temps is 60 mins, and has a super quick wash it only takes 15 mins Smile

SofiaAmes · 26/12/2013 17:23

I am an american. When I lived in the UK, I purchased American appliances for my UK home as I preferred them. I wasn't so worried about the dishwasher (as we generally ran that at night), but I hate the front loader washing machines (which are becoming popular here in the usa too as they save water) and bought an american top loader and american dryer. I also bought an American style fridge/freezer (huge with ice dispenser on door). I got an american style water heater too. (I even brought the innards of an american toilet over).

specialsubject · 26/12/2013 18:34

ah yes, top loader machines - remember those from NZ. Clothes chewers and use GALLONS of water.

PJ - it may be a tiny amount of power wasted but it is still a waste. Why does a washing machine need standby?

Ruggles · 26/12/2013 22:54

Thanks - I am going to check my settings when I get home. A quick wash in the dishwasher is great as a) I can never figure out why it needs so long and b) I love having my chores done before heading out in the morning.

Our washing machine is another matter. We have a Meile and it takes 2h to do a cotton wash at 60 - more if you add stain wash etc. The quick wash is just that, very quick and not too hygenic. Will have a look at the standby too.

OP posts:
e1y1 · 27/12/2013 19:35

I have got an american top load washer that is in the garage. I use a large American-type front loader.

I bough a new washer last week, and asked about the American top loaders, I was told they're actually being banned from import to UK as they're so inefficient. There are still some available but you're talking £1000+ for them.

So I am keeping my toploader and getting it fixed!!! Tbh most reviews say they don't wash nearly as well as a front loader?

I agree with a previous poster - unless you need your crockery on an 1 hourly basis - cycle length shouldn't matter - after the novelty has worn off - I wouldn't unload my dw every 40 minutes Grin

AnneEyhtMeyer · 27/12/2013 23:16

My dishwasher was on 6 times on Christmas day. I was very glad it has a 30 minute cycle.

Toploaders are inefficient and ruin clothes. They don't even get clothes very clean - that's why they have bleach in American washing powders.

darksparrow · 27/12/2013 23:24

Top loaders are rubbish - I tried to get a stain out by washing a jacket at least 3 times in the us - one wash in my Bosch front loader at home and it was gone!

My current machine, a Vanussi does a 60 was in and hour and 40 wash in 50 mins.

timidviper · 27/12/2013 23:30

The eco cycle on my dishwasher takes 2hrs 55 (Siemens)

I cannot understand how anything using electricity for that long can be eco-anything

MinnesotaNice · 27/12/2013 23:48

Top loaders are, IMO, just awful. Can't stand how clothes get wrapped up on the agitator.

Had a front loader back in the US. It did have a much larger capacity than our current front loader here in the UK. Really miss being able to stuff a king-sized duvet in the washer with room to spare.

Why don't any of the ovens here have a proper self-cleaning feature? The ovens in the US get super hot and basically incinerate anything in the oven. Takes about 3-4 hours but once the oven is cool, you just open it and wipe out the ash. Never heard of hiring someone to clean an oven until we moved to the UK.

I do, however, really like the water heater we have here. Water is instantly hot and it never seems to run cold. Much better than the tank-style water heaters I've always had in the US.

nooka · 27/12/2013 23:49

We live in Canada and have a top loader, it's quick which I like but dh (who is the washing expert in our family) thinks it's rubbish and wants to buy European style machines. The most significant difference between English and US machines otherwise is size. Our dryer is huge and dries far more stuff at once. When we visit my mum washing takes ages in comparison.

I haven't noticed any great difference in the dishwashers.

nooka · 27/12/2013 23:51

Oh and as I see someone talking about ovens, our oven here is really rubbish. The heating elements are exposed and can't really be cleaned at all. The last place we lived had a lovely gas oven, so that's another thing we are saving for!

PigletJohn · 28/12/2013 00:07

timid

most of the electricity used by a dishwasher or washing machine is used to make the water hot. The less water, or the less hot, the less energy required. Electricity used to run the pump motor and controls is trifling.

Your eco wash may use less water at a lower temperature. This is not so effective at cleaning so it scrubs for longer.

your instruction book probably lists the water and energy used for each of the various programmes available.

SofiaAmes · 28/12/2013 00:50

But my top loader washing machine has a hot water feed coming in (completely standard here in USA), so no electricity is used heating water for my machine as my water is heated (quite efficiently) by gas.
I find that the front loaders are much harder on the clothes than the top loaders. Since I machine wash everything (including things labeled "dry clean only") it's important to me to have a machine that doesn't beat the clothes to death. Perhaps if I produced lots of muddy clothing, I'd be more interested in a machine that got washed them a lot longer. Although my personal experience was that the clothes didn't come out any cleaner in the front loader than in the top loader.

timidviper · 28/12/2013 00:50

That makes sense PigletJohn Thanks

Have to confess I too lust after American appliances after our holidays Blush

SofiaAmes · 28/12/2013 00:51

And my dryer is heated by gas as well and super large, so my clothes come out nice and dry and soft and don't need to be ironed afterwards (using lots of electricity).

PigletJohn · 28/12/2013 01:30

how many kWh of gas and electricity does your house use in a year?

what do you pay per kWh of gas? and electricity?

SofiaAmes · 28/12/2013 06:43

This is for my property in Los Angeles which has two houses (total of about 5000sf) and two families (1 washer, 1 gas dryer, 3 gas water heaters, 2 gas house heaters, 1 swimming pool pump and 2 pond pumps + 2 american fridge/freezers and 5 dvrs (these are huge electricity sinks, by the way))

Electricity: average cost of 17 cents per kWh
41kWh per day
Gas: average cost of 3 cents per kWh
Winter: 167kWh per day (December, January, February)
Summer: Gas 59kWh per day (the other 9 months)

I never actually did this calculation and compared it to what I was paying in England. Obviously heating is not a huge issue in our climate (it was 80 today) - and I don't have AC because I have designed the house to not need it.
I would be curious to know how this usage/cost compares to a household in the UK.

PigletJohn · 28/12/2013 22:30

I like to think I have a slightly larger than average single-family UK house. Gas heating and hot water. Gas usage was 1355 cu metres in 12 months to end Nov, about 15,180kWh, which was more than usual due to last winter being long and cold. Previous year was 1083 cu m, 12,130kWh. Of which summer usage (hot water and cooker) is about 0.5 cu m per day, about 6kWh. I pay 3.6p per kWh for gas (a good price, though it varies)

For electricity I use about 6,000 kWh per year, currently about 15kWh per day, slightly higher in winter due to electric bedroom heater at night when CH is off. Lighting is exclusively energy-saving lamps which use about 20% the electricity of incandescent bulbs. I currently pay 11.24p per kWh for electricity.

There is also a standing charge to cover the cost of the infrastructure (pipes, pylons, cables, meters, substations, maintenance) regardless of usage. I pay 14p per day for electricity and 22p per day for gas standing charge. My supplier estimates that my annual electricity cost will be £735 including tax and discounts.

Other users will have different tariffs, depending on location and whether they are on a variable rate or a fixed one, and when the fixed-rate period started. Some customers are on a Pay as You Go meter which is a more expensive tariff.

Usual European electric washer, dryer, dishwasher, 2 x large FFs.

Euro FFs use trivial amounts of electricity, a typical modern one might cost £42 p.a. to run. A modern Euro dryer might cost 30p to 60p of electricity per load depending on synthetic or cotton. Heat pump driers much less but cost much more to buy. A modern Euro washer might cost £31 electricity a year assuming four cotton washes a week. Synthetic or cool washes less. 15p per wash is I think trivial.

Euro washers are now almost all cold fill only. This is because they use so little water that a lot of heat would be wasted in the pipes.

PigletJohn · 28/12/2013 22:37

p.s.

My winter gas usage is between 3cu m and 7.5 cu m per day, averaged over a month, depending on how cold it is. There will be some very cold 24 hour periods when it is exceptionally cold and usage is higher, but it does not usually stay exceptionally cold for more than a week or two at a time.

7.5 cu m is about 85kWh per day (cold winter).

I am amazed that your daily summer gas usage is about ten times mine, and your daily electricity usage is nearly three times.

SofiaAmes · 29/12/2013 17:59

Don't forget that the usage I listed is for two houses and households. The summer gas usage is for heating 3 water heaters in addition to a gas dryer and stove. For a period I was line drying sheets and found that we saved a little in gas, but not enough to make up for the extra labor of hanging up the sheets. Anyway, I think that if one added up the extra costs involved in a front loader (time and labor in ironing all the clothes and replacing clothes that are worn out), I think that it would all add up about the same. And frankly I think that one should also be allowed to make choices that suit one's lifestyle. I like quick, large washes and hate ironing.

Swipe left for the next trending thread