Combo Washer Dryer - Disadvantages

Disadvantages

Combo washer dryers generally (though not universally) have lower capacity than separate machines. Whereas some of the larger stand-alone washing machines can handle over 20 lbs (9 kg) in capacity, large combo units often can only take around 13 pounds (6 kg). Furthermore, the dryer cycle of many of these machines can only handle around one-half to three-quarters of the capacity that the washer cycle can handle. Modern redesigns, while costlier, exceed these limits. But with older washer/dryer combos, this means that users will not be able to wash and dry a full-capacity load in one go, instead, they will have to lessen the amount of clothes in the washer before going into the dryer cycle, while with separate machines no unloading and setting aside of wet fabrics would be necessary.

Another major drawback of washer dryer combos is that they take significantly longer to dry a batch of clothes in comparison to stand-alone dryers. Stand-alone dryers make use of hot air or other heating elements to dry the clothes in a fraction of the time that it takes the condensation-based drying system in combination units. This is a drawback that is innate to the washer dryer combo design, since the dryer has to work longer to dry the drum and its enclosure as well as the clothes inside the drum. A drying cycle in a typical combo washer dryer unit can take between 45 minutes and three hours.

Washer dryer combo units have also received criticism because they are not as efficient as some of the stand-alone machines. Because of the larger size and build of stand-alone machines, manufacturers are able to put more energy-saving features into the machine. Furthermore, washer dryer combination units are disadvantaged since the machine must perform both washing and drying functions, which makes it harder to design an efficient and effective machine. The longer drying times of washer dryer combos also make it difficult to increase efficiency, because the machine has to stay in operation for much longer than a stand-alone dryer does. Another contributing factor to the poor efficiency of some combo units is that they can only handle small loads, so users will have to run multiple small loads rather than fewer but larger loads, which a stand-alone machine can easily handle.

Considering the drawbacks of washer dryer combo units, some consumers may find these machines to be impractical. Small capacities, long drying times, poor efficiency ratings, and pricing all are disadvantages of using these combo machines, which must be weighed against their space saving and convenient hookup advantages.