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Comparative Product Testing
- Snapshot of Product Testing
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Testing OutCome
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| Product Testing OutCome |
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| How much water and electricity your washing machine consumes |
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| Most energy efficient washing machines |
| Front loading |
Siemens WMA 1016(0.931 KWH) |
| Top loading |
Samsung WA80HA :0162 KWH only |
| Semi-automatic |
Samsung WT-8202 : 0.192 KWH |
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| Front loading versus top-loading |
If you're in the market to buy a new washer, one of the first decisions you'll want to make is whether to buy a top-loading or a front-loading washing machine. Front-loading automatic washing machines are fully automatic and are most expensive to buy. One of the greatest advantages of the front-loading machines is supposed to be their water and energy efficiency. In an increasingly environmentally-aware marketplace, this is an important aspect. However, Consumer VOICE laboratory tests show that while front-loading machines are indeed true to their water-efficiency promise, the same cannot be said about their energy consumption .
While a top-loading machine requires enough water to cover all the clothes in its drum, a front-loading washer needs only a third of that amount because its drum is set vertically in the machine. As the drum turns, it uses gravity to drop the clothes back into the water. And while a top-loading machine will empty the soapy water and refill for a rinse agitation cycle, a front-loading machine just sprays clean water through the scoops in the drums on the load as the drum continues to turn, saving gallons.
Clothing life: There's no question that agitators are tough on your clothes. Because only gravity is at work in a front-loading machine, you'll save a lot of wear and tear on your laundry, extending the life of your clothes and linens.
Cost: In this department, the front-loading washer is at a significant disadvantage. Typically, they upwards of twenty thousand rupees as compared to between ten to fifteen thousands rupees of cost of top-loaders and just about seven thousand rupees for semi-automatic washing machines.
Ease of use: If bending or kneeling is difficult for you, stay with a top-loading machine. You'll need to kneel or bend to load the clothes as well as remove the wet load from a front-loading washer.
Last-minute lid-flipping: We have all run back to the washing machine to toss in a just-found pair of socks or T-shirt after the machine has started. But with most front-loading machine, there's no turning back ('delayed start' feature) once you push the start button. The door locks until the cycle has ended. There are however, a few models that allow a few seconds to add a garment, but once that light or time has elapsed, your clothing has to wait for the next load.
Heavy and shifty: Front-loading machines are heavy and weigh more than 70 kgs as compared to top-loaders |
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| How we test |
The washing machine test was a challenging one for the Consumer VOICE technical team and it involved 6 months of rigorous laboratory testing to arrive at the final results. After 12 most popular brands of washing machines were chosen through a nation-wide market survey, Consumer VOICE sent the coded washing machine samples to an NABL-accredited laboratory. The Indian Standard IS 14155: 1994 was referred to for testing purposes.
The first point of detailed preparation came when a standard cloth had to be chosen to test the cleaning efficiency of the machines. As per Indian Standards’ specifications, a pure cotton cloth was selected and soiled. Its reflectance was measured with laboratory test apparatus before the washing cycle and after it.
When the cleaning cycles were in operation, different loads of clothes with varying weights were kept ready so that the exact load instructions as given in the manufacturers’ manuals could be followed. The machines tested were of the capacity: 5.5-6.5 kgs.
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