High Efficiency Washer: What Is That? How Does It Work?

High efficiency washer have been the latest standard especially in Europe for many years due to its water efficiency and energy saving capabilities.

This one type of washing machine is the byproduct of the mid-1990s regulation by the United States Department of Energy for most household appliances, including the washing machines.

So, what is a high efficiency washer? Let’s find all about it in today’s article!

What is a High Efficiency Washer?

The high efficiency washer or also known as HE washer is one of the types of washing machines that is designed to be able to wash clothes with less water, thus providing you more efficiency and lower energy consumption.

The HE washer uses a specific high-efficiency detergent that is also specifically designed to work with less water yet still providing a powerful clean.

With that being said the HE washing machine, compared to older models, is able to save 6,000 gallons of water per year for an average family (that’s around 22,712 liters per year, give or take) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

However, if adding more water gives you extra cleaning confidence, there are some HE washers that let you add more water if you want it.

The HE washing machines also come with different models, sizes, and features. Some of them are top loading, or front loading according to the brands and models. 

But, one characteristic that is certain about HE washers is they usually come without an agitator, so the drums look completely empty thus giving you more room for more laundry per load.

Water Usage and Consumption

So, the HE washer uses 20 to up to 66 percent less water compared to the traditional agitator washer.

Other than that, nearly 80 percent of the operating cost of a washer goes to heating water. So with lower water use, it means less water to heat thus giving you 20 to 50 percent less energy consumption.

It is true that a high efficiency washer is more expensive than a regular washer. But, because of its low energy consumption, it’ll save you more money in the long run.

Other than that, the HE washer also comes in a variety of models that have different features. You can save money by choosing models that have fewer options like steam cycles.

How High Efficiency Washer Work?

HE washers, whether it’s the front loading or top loading, use a tumbling system rather than an agitator to move clothes through the water.

In the front loading one, the tub will rotate clockwise and then counterclockwise to achieve tumbling motion, whereas in a top-loading version, clothes are still cleaned with water and the washer uses rotating plates or disk that is in the bottom of the tub to achieve tumbling action thus cleans your laundry.

So, because the high efficiency washer is designed to not have a center agitator, the cleaning action is more gentle thus preventing your clothes from being stretched and pulled during the washing cycle that can distort your clothes.

The HE washer works differently than regular washer, rather than refilling the washer drum with water during rinse cycle, HE washers will spray your clothes with a high pressure stream of recirculated water.

This might cause your clothes to seem dryer after removing it from a high efficiency machine because more water is removed during high-speed spin cycle.

But, this method will greatly reduce the amount of water rather than regular washing machines.

Other than that most high efficiency washers on the market have a sensor system that can detect the size of the load of laundry, this automatic adjustment helps save natural resources and money.

What is High Efficiency Detergents

The most critical step to operating a high efficiency washer successfully is to buy yourself a special detergent that is specifically designed and formulated for these washers.

The high efficiency detergents can compliment the low water usage nature of HE washer due to its low-sudsing and quick-dispersing characteristics.

On top of that, high efficiency detergents can also hold the dirt so it’s not going to be redeposited onto your clean clothes even in the low volume of water.

Using a regular detergent in a high efficiency washer can also be disastrous, as the regular detergent will create too many suds that can disrupt the tumbling action needed for cleaning.

Other than that, the excessive suds of regular detergent can also overflow the washer and can cause permanent damage to washer’s electronic controls.

In using a high efficiency detergent, it is best not to use too much of the detergents (never use more than two teaspoons per load), as it can cause musty odors or mildew growth in a high efficiency washer.

And in addition to that, high efficiency washers usually have a cleaning cycle to clean off the residue accumulated from the cleaning cycle. Run this feature at least once per month to maintain your washer.

Leaving the door open after each load is finished is great too to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate thus preventing any foul odors and mildew growing in your washer.

In conclusion, always spot the “HE” symbol on the detergent box or bottle if you’re going to use it for your high efficiency washer.

So there you have it! Everything you need to know about the high efficiency washer, from the definition of it, up to how this thing works!

Well, one thing to keep in mind is to always choose a high quality washing machine, to ensure the safety and quality of your washing machine.

A quality washing machine will ensure your cleaning cycle runs smoothly and prevent any accidents or dangerous hazards that might happen during the cleaning cycle.

But how do you spot high quality washers? Well, in Indonesia, it’s quite easy, just spot the SNI logo on the washer, or the washer’s packaging.

The SNI logo on it means that the washing machine has already been tested for its quality, and its overall safety.

But what does SNI actually mean? The SNI stands for Standar Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian National Standard) which is the type of product approval that applied for most if not all of the products, services or any professional methods in Indonesia.

The existence of SNI will help consumers be free from products that are harmful to life safety, health, or the environment.

But it’s not going to stop there, if you’re a business owner, the SNI has also proven to be a strong marketing tool to gain trust from the Indonesian market.

Aside from that, some of the products, including washing machines, are mandatory to be certified by the SNI certification.

With that being said, the SNI can also further improve your business’ access to the Indonesian market, and also being a testament that your business is complied with Indonesian laws and regulations.

Back to the washing machine, the standard and regulation about it is clearly stated in:

• SNI IEC 60335-1:2009
• SNI IEC 60335-2-24:2009