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What washer/dryer would you recommend, please?


Salopgal

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I'm seriously toying with the idea of getting a washer dryer - please don't howl just yet!!

 

I've never actually owned a dryer in my life, but suspect that living aboard a fully portholed boat with some limited ventilation, means that I might not want to be drying clothes inside all of the time using residual stove heat and possible condensation issues.

 

I'm pretty sure some of you will have installed either normal size or special small boaty ones - someone told me you might even be able to get a 12 volt special variety but I'm not at all sure. As usual, I am pretty clueless...

 

Any and all advice, and especially recommendations, would be most welcome indeed as I suspect I need to start saving pennies for this item, or organise selling a kidney...

 

Thank you so much in advance!

 

Forgot to add, I shall be based in a marina and they have only one machine which seems to be in constant use! Also, the local launderette is expensive - ours is £10 for full wash and dry of one load!


Many thanks - K smile.png

Edited by Salopgal
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Some modern washer dryers use water to condense the steam generated on the drying cycle - something to consider on a boat.

 

Personally I wouldn't recommend any combination 'washer/dryer' even at home, never mind the boat. One bit goes wrong and you can lose the lot while it gets fixed.

Edited by The Dog House
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We bought the smallest one available via John Lewis , as the published dimensions were very useful to ensure that it would fit. It does use a little water when drying but not enough to worry. So far no problems .

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We bought the smallest one available via John Lewis , as the published dimensions were very useful to ensure that it would fit. It does use a little water when drying but not enough to worry. So far no problems .

 

Yep, ours is also a J.L. and has been brilliant. As you say, size matters and this fits. Also good on energy and water usage. With these appliances you really do get what you pay for. The initial outlay is high but a good long term investmant.

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When we decided/conceded to buy a washer dryer for t'boat, we researched the subject to death (and back) - and eventually decided that quality & reliability would be essential, and eventually we sold a kidney, mortgaged my soul, and bought a Miele.

 

Extremely quiet running, superb laundry results = happy wife.

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Some modern washer dryers use water to condense the steam generated on the drying cycle - something to consider on a boat.

 

Personally I wouldn't recommend any combination 'washer/dryer' even at home, never mind the boat. One bit goes wrong and you can lose the lot while it gets fixed.

I am with you on this Martin. We had a good make and it was crap and one bit went wrong so we binned the lot, we have seperate washer and drier now and a much better arrangement. Before people shout space !! On our 57 foot n/b we had seperates and easily accomodated them.

 

Tim

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I have one of these I think. It's "full sized" and yet less deep than regular - it fit my space. I'm not sure that compact washer/dryers are available, only seperates, they were not when I was looking.

 

http://www.hoover.co.uk/large-appliances/products/18/laundry/21/washer-dryers/872/dynamic-65/

 

It works, it's quieter than any I have had before in a house or boat, it does not damage my clothes (including finer fabrics) and the dryer doesn't shrink my vest tops too much either (at 6', I get upset when they loose an inch.

 

Ultimately though, what ^^ say about washer dryers, it would not have been my first choice but I simply did not have the space for both.

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We have recently installed an Indesit washer/dryer IWDC6125 and so far we are very pleased with it. It is not as deep as some others and has a cold wash setting which can be used to save battery power when offline (it even works on this setting if hot water poured in manually). As for the dryer, it is a condenser type which does use a surprising amount of water but we very rarely use it, even when on shoreline, preferring to just air-dry the clothes (OH says they iron better this way).

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I've got one of these, it was given to me. http://www.reevoo.com/p/zanussi-electrolux-tc180 It miraculously fits into a space that used to be occupied by the most awkwardly placed cupboard on the boat. I did have a normal dryer in a shed on the bankside but there was something tragic about standing there balancing a brolly in the pouring rain whilst I tended to it.

Wouldn't be without it now.

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When we decided/conceded to buy a washer dryer for t'boat, we researched the subject to death (and back) - and eventually decided that quality & reliability would be essential, and eventually we sold a kidney, mortgaged my soul, and bought a Miele.

 

Extremely quiet running, superb laundry results = happy wife.

We have 5 Miele's, all have been faultless, even with our "stuff it all in" abuse smile.png

Washer / dryer on NB Earnest, powered by Travelpower. If you shut off engine, say for Thames lock it just carries or where it left off, once power restored. Very little water use, even in dryer mode, as evaporation done my fine mist of water, insead of the usual "waterfall".

Our old much thrashed home Miele separate washer and dryer have been replaced, the old ones are now on Barge Maurice A (I changed the brushes and drive belt as a precaution)

One reason we went for the Miele on NB Earnest is it would be a bugger to get out for replacement, so wanted something that would out last the fitout. Due to weight, they are also good for ballasting.

I dunno about happy wife...I do most of the washing around here and on the boats!

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If you're on shoreline and already have a washer, maybe also consider a mains powered dessicant dehumidifier for clothes drying, see if a neighbour has one you could borrow to try, cost about £130-150 new, eg

 

http://www.airconcentre.co.uk/ecoair+dd122fw+simple+desiccant+dehumidifier+%28dd122%29/4227856183

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited by smileypete
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Hi Salpgal,

Lyra has always had a washer/dryer. Presently it's a Hoover sensordry. We chose this because it was an 8Kg wash/5Kg dry, if you do go for a W/D just check what weight it will dry.

Yes they all use water in the drying process, so take that into consideration. Ours takes about 4 hours to wash and dry a full load, not a problem when on mains. When out cruising we use the Travelpower.

If you don't want wet washing hanging all over the boat this is a fair solution, specially in winter.

As mentioned by other posters one of the main downsides is that if it goes wrong you may lose both wash and dry. Our first machine lasted 5 years, but I had to replace the dryer heater twice in that time.

Bob

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