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Washing machine on a narrowboat

i love my narrowboat

By i love my narrowboat
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I wish mine was a washer dryer. I don't understand why the previous owners went through all the expense of sorting it out yet didn't put one in.

 

Because washer dryers (some models) use water to condense the steam generated when the drying function ii in use. I discovered this when asking about installing one on here.

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I seem to be the minority on the marina here and have a washing machine on my Narrowboat, is this the norm? only asking as I would like to know what people think of having to go to the launderette every week?

 

We have a washer and tend to use it in the marina and while out. The marina doesn't have a laundry and we only use the washer when under way. We did have a tumble dryer in the front cratch but brought it home as it tended to be in the way - we now dry clothes 'the natural way'

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calamity507 Collaborator

calamity507

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I have a full size twintub..managed with one of the small portable ones for a couple of years. Dont like automatics..and doing it with a twintub is so much quicker..uses less water and power also.Even if we go back to a land base I would still not want an automatic. Rotary line on the stern..sorted.

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Which makes them 'thirsty'?

 

As I say they use water during the wash cycle obviously but then continue to use cold water in the condensing system to turn the steam generated when the clothes are drying back into water to be pumped out.

 

It's not all washer dryers that have this system seemingly.

 

Also size is a consideration of space I don't think you can buy a compact washer/dryer - this would have been a requirement for us -they are all full size, or at least they were when I looked.

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mrsmelly Veteran II

mrsmellyDonate to Canal World

Posted
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I seem to be the minority on the marina here and have a washing machine on my Narrowboat, is this the norm? only asking as I would like to know what people think of having to go to the launderette every week?

 

Everyone is different. A hobby boater probably doesnt need one but as a liveaboard after the wife its the most important bit of kit on my boat :)

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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I don't understand the love of tumble dryers. In the winter my clothes dry in a couple of hours by the stove. In the summer out in the sun or under the cratch and they are dry pretty quick. My little clippy dryer packs down real small when not in use too.

 

I'm often too busy to do the laundry more then once a fortnight, imagine drying two weeks laundry on a boat - then there's the damp. I have a machine on the bankside (which runs from the boat water due to poor pressure on the bankside supply), but half the time I either drive it all to a relatives house or go to the launderette - two weeks washing takes an hour and a half in the launderette, on the boat, using the tiny dryer, it takes me all day and night, then I have to fill up with water - the pressure is so low here that can take all day as well.

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mrsmelly Veteran II

mrsmellyDonate to Canal World

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I'm often too busy to do the laundry more then once a fortnight, imagine drying two weeks laundry on a boat - then there's the damp. I have a machine on the bankside (which runs from the boat water due to poor pressure on the bankside supply), but half the time I either drive it all to a relatives house or go to the launderette - two weeks washing takes an hour and a half in the launderette, on the boat, using the tiny dryer, it takes me all day and night, then I have to fill up with water - the pressure is so low here that can take all day as well.

 

Methinks you need to find somewhere nicer to live.........it wouldnt be hard.......what about Knottingley ? :)

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Chickadee Proficient

Chickadee

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I'm often too busy to do the laundry more then once a fortnight, imagine drying two weeks laundry on a boat - then there's the damp.

 

Two weeks!? I've still got washing not done from my holiday a month ago. :P But then there are two of us on a 42ft so its hard to get anything done. I'd still rather have a dryer that i can fold away and have out when needed than a dryer machine that takes up space and uses my lecy. Never had a damp problem from drying. I'd have thought the condensation created by a dyer could be worse?

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Two weeks!? I've still got washing not done from my holiday a month ago. :P But then there are two of us on a 42ft so its hard to get anything done. I'd still rather have a dryer that i can fold away and have out when needed than a dryer machine that takes up space and uses my lecy. Never had a damp problem from drying. I'd have thought the condensation created by a dyer could be worse?

 

Not if it's vented externally or as it was in our case in the cratch

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Grace and Favour Veteran II

Grace and Favour

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Yes, very thirsty. I believe they can use twice as much in the drying process as they do in the wash cycle.

 

Best of all on a boat are the longitudinal convection dryers which pack away into a small space.

 

We saved up for (a number of) years and bought a Miele washer-dryer. - - it only uses 11 litres of water in a full drying cycle

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nicknorman Veteran II

nicknormanDonate to Canal World

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We have a Zanussi 1300W washer (3.5 kg load) and an equal sized vented tumble drier in the "lost" corner of the galley, vented overboard. Both work great!

 

If you dry your clothes on a line inside the boat, where do you think the water goes (answer, into making your boat damp!). Drying outside is fine if the weather is suitable, but it looks horrid.

 

We are leisure boaters but travel to the boat by air, so don't want to take luggage, hence "boaty clothes" that stay on the boat and get washed there, along with the bedding, towels etc. You just load up, turn on and forget (so long as you keep cruising until it is done!) and spin is good so only about 40 mins in the tumble drier. Definitely beats a half-day wasted in a damp and dirty laundrette or airline luggage costs!

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Chickadee Proficient

Chickadee

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I'd still rather have nice line or stove dried clothes. I've never had a problem with damp on the boat. Maybe becuase if i'm drying by the stove I have the door open to. 11 liters of water to dry clothes sounds nuts to me.

I guess atleast if your drying while cruising your not wasting electric on it.

 

As for line drying clothes looking horrid. Really? Its just some clothes drying! A dead fox looks horrid. Poo on the bottom of your shoe is horrid. Line drying clothes are just someone drying there clothes!

 

Probably a bad day to come on this site when i'm in an arugmentative mood lol.

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hvdb Contributor

hvdb

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......

 

We are leisure boaters but travel to the boat by air, so don't want to take luggage, hence "boaty clothes" that stay on the boat and get washed there, along with the bedding, towels etc. You just load up, turn on and forget (so long as you keep cruising until it is done!) and spin is good so only about 40 mins in the tumble drier. Definitely beats a half-day wasted in a damp and dirty laundrette or airline luggage costs!

 

We are in the same situation, though we don't travel by air but in our car, using the Eurotunnel. We also have clothes and stuff like bedding and towels that stay on the boat. When we were searching for a (second hand) boat, a washing machine or plumbing for one allready in place was a must. When we hired, I washed some things by hand, but I did not see me doing that to sheets and duvetcovers, and as we only use the boat for holidays (4-5 times a year, mostly 2 weeks each time with at least 4 weeks in summer), sitting in a laundrette, and 'wasting time' there, is not appealing. We have a fullsized Hoover washer/dryer, most of the time the washing dries in the cratch area, but I'm very pleased with the dyer part, it takes care of the big pieces of cotton and makes it possible for us to travel 'light' and not have a pile of washing to tend to once we are back home.

Edited by hvdb
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markb Engager

markb

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I liveaboard and don't have a washer or drier. Go to the laundrette once a week after work which takes ~1 1/2 hours. All done in one go.

 

Personally I'm quite happy without a washer. I don't mind going to the laundrette, just take a book and some headphones :)

 

I live alone though, so others' situations may be different; I wouldn't want to be going every other day ;)

 

just to note: everything goes in one machine: £3 drying usually costs £2.50 assuming I've got jeans/hoodies to wash.

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nicknorman Veteran II

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As for line drying clothes looking horrid. Really? Its just some clothes drying! A dead fox looks horrid. Poo on the bottom of your shoe is horrid. Line drying clothes are just someone drying there clothes!

 

All a matter of personal taste of course, but to me it looks fairly horrid and not something to show off proudly if it can be avoided. Maybe it depends on how kinky the undergarments are? That is perhaps why most land people dry their clothes in the back garden, not the front garden - but a boat of course does not have a back garden. Anyway, what happens when they blow away? (answer, they get wrapped around my prop and I have to spend 1/2 hr removing the leopard skin underwear, as we did on BCN old main line!)

 

Edited to clarify that said knickers did not originate from our boat!

Edited by nicknorman
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