Why Does America Have Top Loading Washing Machines?

ManAtHome

In Spain I've come across loads of 'hybrids' (?) - you load from the top, but the drum is aligned like a front-loader.

Norman_Castle

springdreams wrote: »

It uses less energy that the standard front loader as it has shorter wash cycles.

The vast majority of energy used by washing machines is to heat the water. Longer wash cycles are used to match higher temperature washes at lower temperatures and often use less energy.

anotheruser

Thanks for the input
Some interesting ideas.

teddysmum

My mum had a Hotpoint twin-tub, back in the 1960s and I remember how it had to be held down when on spin, because the vibrations made it dance across the kitchen floor. It was messy top transfer wet washing to the dryer and the tubs didn't hold much washing, either.

vivatifosi

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

However, if a top loader fails, the water can very easily be syphoned out of the top using a hose and bucket (or straight into a drain), something that would be very difficult, if not impossible to do with a front loader.
My one has a door that locks when in use but it unlocks after 2 minutes if power is removed so if the machine did fail, emptying it wouldn't really be a problem.

I can release the water from mine using the lint trap at the bottom if it fails to drain. Very easy to do.

EssexExile

vivatifosi wrote: »

I can release the water from mine using the lint trap at the bottom if it fails to drain. Very easy to do.

For some reason customers often don't want the contents of their washing machine spread evenly over their kitchen floor.

Bogof_Babe

Rinsing was a pain with a twin tub. If I remember correctly you had to heave the wet washing out of the wash side and into the spin side, spin it, then dump it back across again and re-fill the tub with clean water. Repeat until the water was not an unpleasant shade of grey!

We don't know we're born these days .

EssexExile

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Rinsing was a pain with a twin tub. If I remember correctly you had to heave the wet washing out of the wash side and into the spin side, spin it, then dump it back across again and re-fill the tub with clean water. Repeat until the water was not an unpleasant shade of grey!

We don't know we're born these days .

No, you can feed clean water direct into the spinner, it's all automatic.
I worked for Hotpoint for many years, they made front loaders, twin tubs, traditional top loaders & what someone here described as "hybrids", basically the same as a front loader but with the door in the top. I can't imagine why anyone would want anything other than a front loader nowadays.

getmore4less

Although most have front loaders under standard worktops you can get base units to raise them and make them a bit easier to use, some come with drawer units to store stuff.

Magenta

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Rinsing was a pain with a twin tub. If I remember correctly you had to heave the wet washing out of the wash side and into the spin side, spin it, then dump it back across again and re-fill the tub with clean water. Repeat until the water was not an unpleasant shade of grey!

We don't know we're born these days .

We used to put the 'dirty water' pipe out of the back door and it would then go into the outside drain. Those were the days!