So, I have been out sick for a week with an ear infection/inflammation. But right back where we left off...
Clothes washing.In the previous post I talked about toilet efficiency, because it is the number one water user in a home. Right behind it is clothes washers. On average a clothes washer will use 40 gallons of water per wash. It is also worth noting that the electrical/energy use of a clothes washer is directly related to how much water it uses. Therefore, more energy efficient clothes washers are typically lower water users as well. For this reason, the best place to go to find a clothing washer that uses less energy is the
Energy Star website. Here is my quick guide to help you know what to look for on the website to get the best performing washer for you.
There are three factors to consider; volume of machine, the modified energy factor, and the water factor.
The volume of the machine simply lets you know how much the actual tub capacity of the water is. Larger volumes
can use more water. Make sure you check the manufacturer's information to know if the machine feature controls for water level. Many good machines on the market can automatically adjust water level for the washer load. You need this feature!
The modified energy factor (MEF) replaces the old energy factor. Simply put, this tells you how energy effecient the washing machine is. The higher the MEF, the more efficient the washing machine. The reason why it is modified is to take into account the amount of energy saved in drying the load later. A washing machine with a faster spin speed will remove more water, reducing the amount of energy needed by the dryer to dry the load. Centrifugal drying uses less energy than conventional hot air drying. In the past if two machines used the same amount of energy per load the energy factor would have been identical, regardless of how wet they left the clothing load. So go for the highest MEF you can afford.
Finally, the water factor (WF) is is a the number of gallons per cycle per cubic foot that the clothes washer uses. The lower the water factor, the more efficient the washer is. So, if a clothes washer uses 30 gallons per cycle and has a tub volume of 3.0 cubic feet, then the water factor is 10.0.
Therefore, you want ot find the washing machine with the lowest water factor and the highest modified energy factor that you can afford keeping in mind the volume of clothes washer that you need. Typically a single large load uses less energy and water than two medium loads.
In Sonoma County, PG&E is offering the "
High-Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebate", if you recieve water from one of the following water agencies
If you purchase a new efficient clothes washer this year you can get a rebate of between $125-200. In order to qualify for the $125 rebate you washer must have an MEF of 2 or higher and a WF of 6 or less. For the $200 rebate the MEF must be 2.2 or greater and a WF of 4.5 or less.
