We all know there are a plethora of appliances out there, but until trying to narrow down the options it appeared as a distant sea of white, stainless steel and the new “Black”.
Now… reality hit! Options became tormentors. Energy Star ratings helped limit our field slightly. But with every company wanting an excellent “Star” rating, the field of appliance dreams has swelled beyond belief.
To top it off we aren’t looking for one appliance, but a house full of appliances. Let’s start with the laundry room and narrow our search even further to just a washing machine.
Should we choose top or front loading? Top is easier to load, not much bending involved. Front loading requires a lot of bending unless you buy a washer and a pedestal for it to stand on. Once on a pedestal it is much more manageable. No longer are (option here) deep knee bends or back stretches necessary.
Then, we must consider water usage. The upfront cost of the machine is one thing, but the monthly cost of operating the machine is another. Did you know that your average top loading machine that is more than ten years old uses forty (40) gallons of water per load? That is a real hit on our water bill and a total drag on the environment. Modern top loaders use about twenty-seven (27) gallons. But, front loaders drop the water usage per load to seventeen (17) gallons. But there are several front loaders which have dropped the amount of water used preload to a mere thirteen (13) gallons per load.
And this front loading washer sits on top of a miniature washing unit, called a sidekick, that will take care of our dainties or small loads by weighing each load and using the appropriate amount of water per load.
Needless to say these new water saving Energy Star rated appliances cost more. So which is best? A higher initial outlay and savings down the road, or the dribble, dribble, dribble of higher water and electricity bills… not even thinking about the impact on the environment. We decided on the higher initial outlay. Yes, it will lower our monthly outlay, but the real determining factor was the impact own the environment. With an Energy Star rated washer we are saving at least 3,000 gallons of water, per year.
We ended up choosing the front loading LG Signature washer with the sidekick and dryer on a pedestal. Whew! We have our washer and dryer elevated to save bending over too far. Two down… many to go…
