A washing machine is one appliance you will be using very often. (Unless you only changes your clothes once a week) There are a number of things to note when picking out this big appliance.
Take note on what is the biggest item you plan to wash. There is a variety of options in terms of what washing machine to choose. The key concern I constantly had on my mind, is how much can it wash. They are rated by the weight of the loads they can support, so those families with heavy woollen blankets, you will need a one that supports at least 10 kg. The largest machines I have seen in Singapore stores supports 12 kg. Most families should be able to get away with 9 to 10 kg washing machines.
Top Load or Front Load. Top loading means you dump your clothes from the top, but also means you cannot stack anything on top of your washing machine, e.g. a dryer, washing detergents. Front loading means you open it from the front and throw your clothes in that way, note that you're going to do a lot of bending over to do your washing. I personally have no preference for either, but my wife and I are more familiar with using a top loading washing machine so that's what we bought. If you need to think more about this, read it up at About.com
Water Efficiency saves money. Singapore washing machines also have a water efficiency label to help you decide which one is more environmentally friendly. Introduced in 2006, picking one with more ticks means saving more on your water bill.
Inverter or Motor. Using inverter technology means its more energy efficient and there is less wear and tear. It will last longer than your typical motor-based washing machines so some companies actually provide a longer warranty period. It will cost more, so do keep that in mind. It is supposed to be quieter, but honestly, I still think it's quite noisy.
Raising the Machine off the floor. New machines usually allow you to adjust the height so that they do not rest on the floor. This is to avoid water damage from flooding in the service yard. If you can, go get those blocks used by our earlier generation under their washing machines and refrigerators. Look for them at Toyogo.
Know where the water will come and go. HDB provided me with one corner that have a tap, a power point, and a covered pipe on the floor. So that is where my washing machine will be placed. Also note how much space is available, cause the pipes in the service yard might limit the size of your washing machine.
Raising the Machine off the floor. New machines usually allow you to adjust the height so that they do not rest on the floor. This is to avoid water damage from flooding in the service yard. If you can, go get those blocks used by our earlier generation under their washing machines and refrigerators. Look for them at Toyogo.
Know where the water will come and go. HDB provided me with one corner that have a tap, a power point, and a covered pipe on the floor. So that is where my washing machine will be placed. Also note how much space is available, cause the pipes in the service yard might limit the size of your washing machine.
The pipe opening on the floor is for you to drop your washing machine's waste water into. It has a screw-on cover for you to use. My wife always puts the cover back after washing, to prevent creepy crawlies coming back up the pipe. I am still on the look out for any methods to avoid the need to keep replacing the cover.
Check out the rest of my Renovation Blog
Master Bedroom | Bedroom 2 | Bedroom 3 | Bathrooms | Dining Room | Living Room | Shelter | Service Yard | Kitchen
Hi Thomas,
ReplyDeleteNeed some advice, the connector type from the tap to washing machine, does water leak?
The tube comes together with the washing machine. Part of the tube, has screws for you to tighten one end around the tap, so that it will not leak.
ReplyDeleteI did not do anything special to get this to connect together. Tap from HDB, tube from LG.