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There are a lot of decisions to make while shopping around for a new washer and dryer, not least because there’s so much choice. One of the major decisions you’ll have to make is whether you want an individual washer and dryer, or if you want to invest in a combination unit. As tempting as the latter might be in more ways than one, there are a handful of shortcomings these two-in-one models have that prospective buyers should keep in mind.
Before diving into the bad, there are good reasons to opt for a combination washer and dryer. The biggest is the matter of their footprint, since an all-in-one model will save you on floor space. This makes them especially enticing for those renting an apartment or a small house where there’s not room for one of each. More often than not, you don’t have to account for an external vent for drying, and with these machines handling washing and drying, you don’t have to wait around for the wash cycle to end and move your clothes elsewhere to dry. It all gets done in one go.
With all of that said, these machines are far from perfect. As solid as they may seem, their flaws could lead those interested to pass in favor of other clothes-cleaning options.
Drying will likely take longer than usual
On the whole, washer-dryer combo units are a fine choice for those desiring energy efficiency. Generally speaking, they use similar amounts of energy as traditional washers and dryers, so while they aren’t likely to drop your energy bill much, they at least won’t raise it much, either. At the same time, this sustained level of energy use doesn’t do a whole lot in the performance department. When ranking the washing machine types by their efficiency, washer-dryer combos don’t stack up that well against their laundry machine contemporaries, particularly when it comes to drying.
Yes, a combination washer and dryer will get your clothes wear-ready, eventually. The problem lies in just how long these models can take to dry loads of clothes via methods like condenser drying, which condenses the moisture within the machine’s drum, and then either sends it to a designated drawer or a drain hose for removal. Depending on the size and weight of the load in question, drying times can range multiple hours, with some models taking as long as six hours to get a single laundry load dried. Thus, if that’s a deal-breaker for you, then maybe a traditional washer and dryer setup is the way to go.
Combo units tend to cost more
At first glance, investing in a combination washer and dryer could seem like a fine way to save some money on up-front costs. After all, it’s just one appliance rather than two, so it should cost less, right? Not always, as sometimes combo units can actually cost you more than a designated washer and dryer set would. For example, a Hamilton Beach 2.7 cubic foot front-loading washer-dryer combo runs a steep $899.00 through Home Depot. Meanwhile, you could invest in a similar capacity Hamilton Beach washing machine for $448.00 and a compact dryer for $240.00, totaling $688.00 for the pair.
Another example comes from Black and Decker, which isn’t one of the major washing machine brands out there, but the company as a whole has a lot of prestige in the tool and appliance world. A Black and Decker washer and dryer combo unit costs $1,084.99 at Home Depot, though you can get a compact washer and dryer on their own for $459.99 and $289.99, respectively. That’s $749.98 for individual units of similar capacity to the combo unit, saving you some serious money, while also allowing you to get your laundry done, albeit at the cost of space in your potentially limited living area. Still, it may outweigh the pain of dropping potentially multiple thousands of dollars on a high-end, name-brand combo unit.
They can extend laundry day significantly
For a single person, or a family home that doesn’t go through a ton of laundry, a combination washer and dryer can prove beneficial on saving time and space. With that said, if you’re up against a mountain of laundry at the end of the week, such a unit likely isn’t right for you. While it’s great that they’re so compact, at the end of the day, they can only perform one task at a time. As a consequence, an intensive laundry day will take a lot longer than it would with two separate units, where one is drying a load while the other is washing one.
As if washing and drying entire laundry loads wouldn’t eat up enough time on laundry day with a combination unit, things get even worse when you toss in more specific, specialized items. Think dog or cat beds, pillowcases and sheets, or delicate clothing articles that demand certain washing and drying conditions.
These all tend to demand their own separate time in the wash, either due to machine space, cleanliness, or the nature of their material. If you save all of this for one day, you’ll not only drown in clothes to fold and things to put away afterward, but you’ll lose out on most of the day while likely driving up your electric bill. You may even overwork it, and you might start seeing signs your washing machine is about to break.
Repairs can become an even bigger hassle
It’s never fun when an appliance suddenly fails, forcing you to either seek out repairs or buy a replacement outright. Washers and dryers on their own have been around for decades, so by this point, it’s not a challenge finding someone who can service them, if possible, when they break down.
A combination unit presents new challenges, however, since both machines are merged into a single package. Unfortunately, they can end up being more difficult to repair as a result, even for those with experience in appliance maintenance. For those in need of said repairs, they can be more expensive to have professionally fixed up. Though it’s not to say traditional washer and dryers aren’t complicated, combination units are even more so. In most instances, at the center is a sealed drum, which autonomously switches back and forth from washing to drying functions on its own.
As covered, heated air within pulls moisture from the drum and clothes after washing, dispensing the collected water. To accomplish all of these, there’s a ton of moving parts and machinery within, and in some cases, single parts can fail and impact both actions, making the machine entirely useless until repaired. Between high repair costs and even higher replacement costs, it may be more cost-effective to go the old-school one dryer, one washer route.