The washing machine is perhaps the only household appliance whose dimensions so affect the decision to purchase. In fact, no matter how much you like this model, no matter how attractive functions it may have, however much the consultant praises it, if it does not fit in the chosen place, the person will not acquire it.
Knowing this, manufacturers took care of the convenience of consumers and diversified the
sizes of automatic washing machines as much as possible
. There are very narrow, very wide, small, medium, with a large and small load.
How loading depends on sizes
It seems to be obvious - the larger the machine, the more laundry will enter it. However, this is not quite true. The loading of the washing machine depends on the size of the drum. You can increase the load only by increasing the drum itself. You can lengthen it - manufacturers used to go this way, increasing the size of automatic washing machines. And you can change the diameter, which, accordingly, will lead to an increase in its volume.
What are the size of washing machines
An unofficial classification divides them into 5 categories: narrow, standard, full-sized, vertical, compact. Non-standard models exist, such as the LG WD-1069FDS with a load of 13 kg, but such household appliances are of little interest to the ordinary consumer. Hotels with high load are more often purchased by hotels, cafes, hotels and similar institutions, in which you have to regularly tidy a large amount of laundry.
Narrow
A narrow washing machine is in great demand in stores . The sizes of such models range from 33 to 38 cm in depth. Their height and width are standard: 85 and 60 cm, respectively. They cannot boast of a big load, they include 3-4 kg of laundry.
You can’t wash a large jacket, a duvet in it, but bedding, T-shirts, underwear will enter without any problems. It should be clarified that the weight of one duvet cover is approximately 800 grams, sheets - 400 grams, pillowcases about 200 grams. Thus, a narrow automatic washing machine, the dimensions of which do not exceed 33 cm, will completely accommodate one set of linen. Such models are mainly bought by single people, couples without children or owners of small apartments, which are very limited by the amount of free space in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Such washing machines have a number of significant disadvantages. In addition to a small load, they are characterized by great instability due to their small size and light weight. Such machines vibrate violently, budge, shake and rattle.
Standard washing machines
They are heavier, more massive, and also more stable. The standard sizes of the automatic washing machine can vary in the range: width 60, height 85, depth 39-49 cm. Such laundry units will include much more: from 4.5 to 6 kg.
In such models, you can wash not one, but 2 sets of linen, an autumn jacket or a small pillow. Of course, if you wish, you can compact and put more dimensional things into the drum. But the quality of washing and rinsing will fall, because water with detergent will not be able to circulate freely. Such models are suitable for a family of 3-4 people and are in most Russian apartments.
Full size
If the dimensions of the automatic washing machines in depth exceed 50 cm, they are considered full-size. Such units take up a lot of space and are suitable only for those houses where free space is not limited. Of course, if buyers are not limited in money or in size and choose between a standard and a full-size model, the choice should be stopped on the latter. If a small-sized washing machine can move, vibrate violently, then the wide one is like a glove. You can even put shampoos and jars of creams on it, without fear that they fall on the floor during the spin cycle. This model will include a winter down jacket and a double blanket from holofiber.
Is it possible to wash a little in a full-size model?
Many do not want to buy a wide automatic machine, thinking that it can be washed only in large quantities. And if the family does not accumulate lingerie, then it is better to limit yourself to a more compact option.
In fact, this opinion is not entirely true. A large model, like a small-sized automatic washing machine, can refresh 1-2 shirts. Moreover, in modern models, the amount of water and energy consumed will be recalculated in proportion to the weight of the laundry.
Compact models
On sale you can see small-sized washing machines. Their sizes differ from the generally accepted ones. For example, the height of the Daewoo Electronics DWD-CV701 PC model does not exceed 60 cm, and the depth is 29 cm. Such a non-standard option can be built into the sink or used as a bedside table. The only thing that small-sized automatic washing machines differ from ordinary models is the size. Functions, washing classes and energy consumption, as a rule, remain the same. Well, and, of course, the loading of such units is small, does not exceed 3-3.5 kg.
Top Loading Machines
Recently, top-loading models have begun to gain popularity. Their sizes are the same as the dimensions of front-loading washing machines: 85 * 60 * 40. True, in this case 60 is not the width, but the depth. Such a model can be squeezed into a narrow space, for example, between a bathtub and a sink.
Front-loading washing machine is not enough just to place, you need to provide a place for opening the hatch.
If the model opens from above, such a problem disappears by itself. At the moment, all top-loading cars are of European assembly, which means that their price is above average. There is also an opinion that their design is more reliable, due to the fact that the drum is mounted on 2 bearings. On the one hand, this is indeed so, and on the other hand, failure of a bearing is far from the only possible breakdown of this equipment.
Also, the advantages of top-loading machines include the versatility of their location. In fact, such a model can be placed on the wall with the narrow side and opened in front, or it can be placed on the wide side like a frontal and opened from the side. When you change your place of residence, when moving, it is much easier for her to find free space.
The minus is the fact that the top-loading machine cover is constantly opening, which means that the unit cannot be used as a bedside table for creams and lotions.
The dimensions of the vertical-loading automatic washing machines are always the same; they are not divided into narrow and full-size ones like the front ones.
How to install the car
As a rule, now stores do not insist on the installation of household appliances by representatives of a service center. If at home there is a minimal set of tools and a person who knows how to hold them in their hands, installation will not take much time. With each model there is an instruction in which the sequence of operations is indicated, how and at what height the drain hoses are attached.
By the way, usually the sizes of automatic washing machines are indicated without them, therefore, before buying, a couple of centimeters should be added to the specified width. The main thing during installation is to remember to remove the transport bolts that secure the tank, preventing it from dropping onto the shock absorbers.
In models with front and top loading, the transport bolts are mounted on the rear wall, but in compact machines they are hidden under the top cover. To remove them, the cover must be removed.
Also, to reduce vibration, be sure to level the machine. If the overall dimensions of the washing machine are small, during the spin cycle it will begin to “skip” around the bathroom. Most stable of these units on the ceramic and concrete floors, on wooden vibration is amplified. Also, some buyers place rubberized rugs or special supports under their legs to reduce vibrations.
Is it possible to integrate a free-standing washing machine
Very often, the owners of small apartments built back in the time of Khrushchev, the question arises: "Where to put the washing machine?".
There is no space in the bathroom, and if there is, it is only for the narrowest, most compact model. There is no free space in the 6-7 meter kitchen. Of course, the machine can be put in place of one desktop cabinet, but for this it needs to be hidden in the headset or removed under the countertop.
Built-in cars can easily be found on sale, but they cost significantly more than low-cost stand-alone models. However, not all buyers know that ordinary washing machines can also be hidden under the table.
Of course, their design does not provide for fastening the facade on top of the door, but if desired, the machine can be put closer to the rear wall and covered with a sash in front. To do this, simply unscrew the bolts that hold the top cover and remove it. The overall dimensions of the automatic washing machines are 85 cm high, 60 cm wide, 30 and more deep, and the standard height of the headset is exactly 85 cm. Thus, a model with a cover will stand flush with the tabletop, and without a cover, it will decrease by 2 cm and how Once it goes under the working surface of the headset.
It should be clarified that the cover is not removed in all models. For example, in the Ariston Aqualtis series, the hatch has non-standard dimensions and is at its upper point flush with the working surface of the washer. Even if you remove the cover, the machine cannot be integrated under the headsets.