Washing Machine Water Consumption: How Many Liters Does An Automatic Machine Consume In One Wash? What Is The Average And Minimum Water Consumption Per Cycle?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

An economical housewife is always interested in water consumption for the needs of the household, including for the functioning of the washing machine. In a family with more than 3 people, about a quarter of all liquid consumed per month is spent on washing. If the numbers are multiplied by the growing tariffs, then inevitably you will think about what to do in this situation to reduce water consumption without reducing the number of washes.

You can understand the problem as follows:

• find out all the possible reasons leading to overspending, and check each of them with the operation of your own machine;
• ask what additional saving opportunities are there with the complete serviceability of the unit;
• find out which machines consume less water (information may be needed when choosing other equipment).

In the article, we will answer these questions in as much detail as possible.

What affects water consumption?

To save on utilities, you need to explore the possibilities of the largest household consumer of liquid - the washing machine.

Perhaps it was this unit that decided not to deny itself anything.

So, the reasons for overspending can be determined by the following factors:

• malfunction of the machine;
• wrong choice of the program;
• irrational loading of laundry into the drum;
• unsuitable brand of car;
• unreasonably regular use of additional rinsing.

Let's dwell on the most important points.

Selected programs

Each program performs its own function, consuming a different amount of liquid during the wash. Fast modes use the resource least of all. The most wasteful program can be considered a program with a high temperature load, a long cycle and an additional rinse. Water savings can be affected by:

• type of fabric;
• the degree of filling the drum (at full load, less water is used for washing each item);
• time of the whole process;
• the number of rinses.

Several programs can be called economical

1. Quick wash . It is performed at a temperature of 30ºC, and lasts from 15 to 40 minutes (depending on the type of machine). It is not intense and therefore suitable for lightly soiled laundry.
2. Delicate … The whole process takes 25-40 minutes. This mode is designed for washing fabrics that need special care.
3. Manual . Has short cycles with periodic stops.
4. Daily . The program is used to maintain synthetic fabrics that are easy to clean. The whole process takes no more than 40 minutes.
5. Economical . Some machines have this program. It has a mechanism for the minimum consumption of water and electricity resources, but at the same time the complete washing process takes a long time, during which it is possible to wash the laundry well with minimal resource costs.

An opposite example is programs with increased fluid intake

• " Baby clothes " assumes continuous multiple rinsing.
• " Caring for health " also requires a lot of water during intensive rinsing.
• Cotton Mode suggests prolonged washing at high temperatures.

It is quite understandable that such programs lead to resource overuse.

Machine brand

The more modern the car, the more economically resources are used, since the designers are constantly working on improving the models. For example, today many washing machines have a laundry weighing function that helps to automatically calculate the required fluid consumption in each case. Many brands of cars are trying to endow with economical modes.

Each brand has its own water consumption for washing in a tank with a capacity of, for example, 5 liters. When buying, you can study the data sheet of each model of interest to find out which of them consumes less fluid.

Loading the drum

If the family consists of up to 4 people, you should not take a car with a large tank, because it will require an impressive amount of water.

In addition to the size of the loading container, the resource consumption is affected by filling it with linen.

When fully loaded, each item consumes a little liquid. If you wash in small portions of laundry, but often, then the water consumption will increase significantly.

Equipment malfunction

Various types of breakdowns can lead to improper filling of the tank

• Failure of the liquid level sensor.
• If the inlet valve breaks down, water flows continuously even with the engine off.
• If the fluid flow regulator is faulty.
• If the machine was transported lying down (horizontally), then already at the first connection, problems may arise due to a failure in the operation of the relay.
• Incorrect connection of the machine also often causes underfilling or overflow of liquid into the tank.

How to check?

Different types of machines, when using all kinds of programs during washing, consume from 40 to 80 liters of water … That is, the average is 60 liters. More accurate data for each specific type of household appliances are indicated in technical documents.

The filling level of the tank with water depends on the selected mode … It is regulated by the "Water supply control system" or "Pressure system". The amount of liquid is determined using a pressure switch (relay) that reacts to the air pressure in the drum. If the volume of water during the next wash seemed unusual, you should observe the process.

Uncharacteristic clicks emitted by the machine will indicate a breakdown of the relay. In this case, it will become impossible to control the liquid level, and the part will have to be changed.

In the delivery of water to the machine, in addition to the relay, a fluid flow regulator is involved, the volume of which depends on the amount of rotational movement of the turbine. When the regulator reaches the required number of revolutions, it stops the water supply.

If you suspect that the fluid intake process is correct, draw water in Cottons mode without laundry . In a working machine, the water level should rise to a height of 2-2.5 cm above the visible surface of the drum.

We propose to consider the average indicators of water collection when loading 2.5 kg of linen, using the indicators of average power units:

• when washing, 12 liters of water are used;
• at the first rinse - 12 liters;
• during the second rinse - 15 liters;
• during the third - 15, 5 liters.

If we sum everything up, then the consumption of liquid per wash will be 54.5 liters . These numbers can be used to control the water supply in your own car, but do not forget about the averaging of the data.

Indicators for different models

As already noted, each manufacturer has its own boundaries that allow you to regulate the filling of water in the tank of the manufactured models. To see this, consider the washing machines of the most popular companies.

Lg

The range of water consumption of LG brand machines is quite wide - from 7.5 liters to 56 liters. This run-up of data corresponds to eight levels of filling the tanks with liquid.

The amount of water drawn depends on the programs . LG technology attaches great importance to sorting laundry, since different fabrics have their own absorption properties. Modes are calculated for cotton, synthetics, wool, tulle. In this case, there may be different recommended loading (for 2, 3 and 5 kg), and therefore the machine collects water unevenly, using a low, medium or high level.

For example, washing cotton with a load of 5 kg (with the boil-down function), the machine consumes the maximum amount of water - 50-56 liters.

To save money, you can select the Steam wash mode , in which water containing detergents is evenly sprayed over the entire surface of the laundry. And it is better to refuse the options of soaking, the function of pre-wash and additional rinses.

INDESIT

All Indesit machines are endowed with the function Eco Time , with the help of which the technique uses water resources economically. The level of fluid consumption depends on the selected program. The maximum - for 5 kg of loading - corresponds to a water consumption in the range of 42-52 liters.

Simple steps will help you save money: maximum drum filling, high-quality powders, rejection of additional functions related to water consumption.

The economy of the housewife can purchase the My time model: it saves water by 70% even with a low drum load.

In machines of the Indesit brand, all options are clearly marked both on the equipment itself and in the instructions . Each mode is numbered, fabrics are separated, temperatures and load weights are marked. In such conditions, it is easy to cope with the task of selecting an economical program.

SAMSUNG

The Samsung company produces its equipment with a high degree of economy . But the consumer should try and not make a mistake with the choice himself. For example, it is enough for a lonely person to purchase a narrow model with a depth of 35 cm. It consumes a maximum of 39 liters of water during the most expensive wash. But for a family of 3 or more people, such a technique can become unprofitable. To satisfy the need for washing, you will have to start the car several times, and this will double the consumption of water and electricity.

The company produces model SAMSUNG WF60F1R2F2W , which is considered full-size, but even with a load of 5 kg of laundry, it consumes no more than 39 liters of liquid. Unfortunately (as noted by consumers), the quality of washing while saving water resources is rather low.

BOSCH

Dosed water consumption, taking into account the amount of laundry, significantly saves fluid consumption by Bosch machines. The most active programs consume 40 to 50 liters per wash.

When choosing a washing technique, you should take into account the method of loading the laundry of a particular model.

Top-loaders consume 2-3 times more water than side-loaders. This feature also applies to Bosch technology.

Summing up, I would like to note the opportunity to save water during washing in normal household conditions, without changing the available machine for a less water-consuming one. One has only to follow simple recommendations:

• try to run the tank with a full load of laundry;
• if the clothes are not too dirty, cancel the presoak;
• use high-quality powders produced for automatic machines so that you do not have to rewash;
• do not use household chemicals intended for hand washing, as it has increased foaming and water will be required for additional rinsing;
• Preliminary manual removal of stains will help to protect from repeated washing;
• a quick wash program will significantly save water.

Using the above recommendations, you can achieve a significant reduction in water consumption at home.