Monthly Archives: November 2013

Limited Laundry Space? Consider a Stackable Washer and Dryer

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Limited Laundry Space? Consider a Stackable Washer and Dryer

You may have space considerations any time you downsize to a smaller home, apartment, or condo. In your previous home, you might have had plenty of room for a full size conventional washer and dryer. However, your new home might not have the same amount of room in the laundry area. Luckily, there are space-saving solutions available from LG which will allow you to still have in-home laundry.

One option is to look at a stackable washer and dryer. It is important to point out that these are separate appliances and not a combination stacked unit, like some other brands offer. The dryer is securely attached and placed on top of the washer. Both appliances are only 24 inches wide and 33.5 inches tall. When stacked, the combined height is approximately 67 to 68 inches.

You will need to have access to a 220 V electrical outlet for the dryer and a regular three-prong outlet for the washer. The dryer does require either a three-prong or four-prong special cord, depending upon the age of your new home. In addition to these electrical outlet requirements, your new LG stackable washer and dryer require access to hot and cold water lines and a discharge drain. You do not need to connect the dryer to a vent, because it uses ventless drying technologies. Ventless drying commonly uses air-to-air condensation. In this method the unit uses two different air circulation systems in order to extract moisture from your clothes. As the water is removed from the clothes, it is pumped out of the machine and down the discharge drain.

Offer Tenants In-Unit LG Washer and Dryer Appliances

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There are clear advantages to offering your tenants in-unit laundry, over providing a shared laundry facility onsite at your apartments. First, you are able to increase your rental rates to offset the costs associated with supplying individual LG washer and dryer appliances in each of your units. The rate increase also makes up for any money you were previously earning from the shared facilities. In addition, you reduce the amount of maintenance and repairs needed to keep shared laundry facilities operational, because fewer loads are being run through each of your appliances.

Another advantage is being able to attract new potential renters. Apartment communities which include in-unit laundry as part of their amenities have an easier time maintaining occupancy rates and filling available units. Further, your existing tenants are more likely to renew their leases and remain residents of your community, because they like that you are providing them with the amenities they desire.

When selecting the LG washer and dryer models to install in your units, you have several options. If your complex is older, or was built without washer and dryer connections, you do not have to worry about this added expense. LG offers a washer dryer combo that is able to be converted into a portable appliance. Once converted, your tenants can easily connect it to their kitchen sink and plug it into a regular 3-prong outlet. The dryer does not require a separate vent, as it relies upon ventless drying technologies.

If you have laundry connections, or the available space, other options are stackables and side-by-sides. These are separate washers and dryers that can either be placed on top of one another, or set next to each other. The only connections required for stackables and side-by-sides are special dryer plugs, access to hot and cold water supplies, and discharge drains. Again, no dryer venting is necessary, as the LG dryers use ventless drying technologies.

Learning How to Use Your New LG Washer Dryer Combo

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Learning How to Use Your New LG Washer Dryer Combo

Learning how to use your new LG washer dryer combo requires adjusting how you have previously completed your laundry. Your new appliance is designed to combine both washing and drying functions into a single unit. What this means is that each load of laundry will require a longer time to complete, because both are finished in the same appliance. On average, it takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours to complete a single wash and dry cycle. It is worth mentioning this amount of time is about the same as it is with conventional laundry pairs, except you do not have to remove clothes from the washer and place them in the dryer.

One mistake some people make as they first start using their new LG washer dryer combo is attempting to complete all of their laundry in a single day. Because the cycle times are longer, it is recommended you break up your loads and spread them out over several days. Because you do not have to worry about forgetting and leaving clothes in the washer overnight, you could run a load during the week before going to bed, and the clothes will be dry when you get up in the morning.

Other differences from conventional laundry pairs you notice are the amount of water and electricity the combo appliance uses. Because it is an energy-efficient appliance, it requires less water and electricity per cycle. You also require less detergent and fabric softener, as this model is designed to be used with high-efficiency brands.  

Compare Reviews: Stackable, Conventional or Combo Washer/Dryers

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Any time you are shopping for a new laundry pair, it is worth your time to consider all of your available options. Most of the time, washers and dryers are built to last on average around 10 years. As a result, there could have been advances in technologies which are now featured on new models that were not available the last time you purchased a washer or dryer. Making sense of the options and features you desire is important. One way to learn more about new technologies available on laundry pairs is to read reviews about stackable washer and dryer models, conventional models, and combination models.

Reading reviews provides insight about the available features, options, and durability of stackable washer dryer, conventional, and combination models. It is a good idea to keep a notebook handy when going through the reviews. Any time you like a model, write it down, along with all of its options and features. You may also want to include details about how much energy is required to operate the appliances. Once you have your list completed, you can complete a side-by-side comparison of all the new models you discovered.

Further, you may want to spend some time conducting additional research about each model to see how other customers rated the appliance and the feedback they left. Getting first-hand accounts from others can be useful. Just remember, in certain cases, the information is not always accurate, such as if the customer did not fully understand the appliance, or if they had a bad experience with the place from where they purchased it. Their feedback could be directed at the supplier and have nothing to do with their appliance.

Reduce Your Water and Electricity Bills with a Washer and Dryer Combo

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Reduce Your Water and Electricity Bills with a Washer and Dryer Combo

When you are looking for a way to cut back on the amount of electricity and water required to complete laundry in your home, you are able to find energy-efficient options on the market today. One widely popular option used in several countries around the world is a washer and dryer combo. This new style of laundry appliance combines both the washing and drying features into a single space-saving design. Not only are you able to free up extra space in your home, you also are able to cut down on the amount of water and electricity required to complete a load of laundry.

Exactly how much water and electricity can you save by switching to a washer and dryer combo? It depends upon how many loads you typically wash throughout the course of a year. However, regardless of your volume of laundry, this combination appliance only requires between 12 and 15 gallons of water for each wash cycle, compared to 30 gallons for a conventional front loader and the 40 to 60 gallons used by a conventional top loader. Because the washer is using less water, you also save money used to heat hot water for cycles where you use warm or hot water. In addition to these savings, you also reduce the amount of electricity required to dry a load of clothes. The combination unit uses 1.4 kilowatts of power per hour of drying, compared to the 5 or 6 kilowatts used by a conventional dryer.

For example, if you washed and dried 3 loads of clothes per week, that translates into 156 loads per year. The amount of water you could save is at least 2,340 gallons, upwards to 7,020 gallons, depending upon your current conventional washer. Your electricity savings for an hour and a half of drying time per cycle would amount to at least 842.4 kilowatt hours. This does not include the added savings you gained from reducing the electricity costs to heat water for warm and hot cycles.

Increase Occupancy Rates by Adding Washer and Dryer Sets to Your Apartments

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Increase Occupancy Rates by Adding Washer and Dryer Sets to Your Apartments

When you take over the management of an apartment community, one of your first tasks should be to evaluate your occupancy rates and rate of turnover. If you discover many people are not renewing their leases, you have to determine the cause of this problem and take action to remedy the issue. One common reason for people not renewing their leases is due to the number of current onsite amenities offered. Any time there is a limited amount, and your tenants are able to find many more from a competitor, they often move to the new community.

For example, if you do not currently provide in-home laundry and only have onsite laundry rooms, this could be an issue. People do not like taking time out of their busy schedules to sit in a laundry room doing multiple loads all at once. Instead, they like the flexibility of being able to do laundry at home whenever they have a little free time. By adding washer and dryer sets to your apartment units, you are often able to attract new renters, as well as increase the number of lease renewals from your existing tenants.

Another benefit to adding washer and dryer sets in your units is the ability to increase your rental rates. Most people do not mind paying a bit more monthly to have the convenience to do laundry in their own homes. Installing new sets does not have to involve major construction costs. LG offers several different solutions, including stackable and combination models which have ventless drying systems.

What Are Portable Washing Machines?

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You may have heard of portable washing machines and want more information because you are considering purchasing one. The first thing you should know about these appliances is that many models are a combination washer and dryer. Instead of having to worry about purchasing a separate appliance to dry your clothes, a combo model incorporates both washing and drying functions into a single appliance. You also do not require any sort of dryer venting or connections because the appliance has a ventless condensing drying system. This allows your clothes to be dried using water vapor and a condenser. As water is extracted from the clothes, it is simply pumped out of the washer discharge hose and right down the drain.

The types of connections required with portable washing machines are access to a standard three prong outlet, a kitchen sink conversion kit which includes wheels. The kitchen sink conversion kit is connected to your Kitchen faucet. You simply slide it onto your kitchen faucet any time you want to do a load of laundry, and turn on the water. The washer draws the water directly from the faucet and pumps discharge water right down your kitchen sink. The wheel kit is required, because it makes it easier to roll your combo washer and dryer from its storage location up to the kitchen sink.

Because both washing and drying functions are completed in the single appliance, you need to be aware that total cycle times can take around 2 ½ hours to complete. Since both functions are completed by a single appliance, it is recommended you break your laundry schedule over several days, rather than attempting to do all of your laundry in a single day. While this might seem like a large amount of time, it is only slightly longer to dry in these machines than a conventional dryer.   Conventional dryers need vent runs and 220 Volt electricity.