If you’re on the lookout to buy a new washing machine, this article is for you. We’ve all heard of inverters in air conditioners and refrigerators, but not so much about inverters in washing machines. With the help of this article, we hope to guide you to make a better, more informed decision before purchasing a brand new washing machine.
Non-Inverter Washing Machines
These washing machines are also known as conventional washing machines since they don’t come equipped with an inverter. Washing machines work by agitating, tossing and tumbling the clothes with detergent to loosen the dirt and stains. The rotating drum walls act as the washing board against which the clothes are rubbed.
When a fresh load of clothes is put inside the washing machine, the in-built sensors will determine how much the clothes weigh and use the appropriate amount of water accordingly.
The spin speed is a different ball game altogether, as these machines are designed to assume that when you’re putting in a fresh load of clothes, it’s going to be the maximum capacity for which the device is rated.
It won’t matter if you load 2kg or 7kg of clothes in a machine rated for 7kgs; the motor will always spin at the same speed, leading to a lot of power wastage.
So you use the gentler setting to wash the 2kg load, but the cleaning will not be the same.
Advantages of a Conventional Washing Machine
- Inexpensive: Non-inverter washing machines are usually much cheaper when compared to inverter washing machines.
- Maintenance: With conventional machines, the price of repair and maintenance is not high, and its parts can be found easily.
Disadvantages of a Conventional Washing Machine
- Efficiency: Conventional washing machines are not energy efficient and consume much power, even when the workload is less.
- Noisy: Due to the constant speed of the motor, conventional washing machines are usually much louder and vibrate a lot compared to inverter washing machines.
- Lifespan: As the motor runs at a constant speed, its lifespan is much shorter due to the wear and tear caused when suddenly brought to a stop from its maximum speed.
Inverter Washing Machines
Washing machines with inverters modulate the frequency of the electrical current coming in, allowing the motor to function at variable speeds depending on the weight of the load you put in.
This leads to less power being used without sacrificing the quality of cleaning.
This means that the inverter motor will run slower when the load is less and at a higher rate when the load is more.
Advantages of Inverter Washing Machines
- Power Efficient: Due to the inverter technology, the washing machine consumes much less power and still cleans the clothes effectively.
- Low Noise: Due to the brushless DC motor present in inverter washing machines, it produces far less noise compared to conventional washing machines and minimal vibrations while washing clothes.
- Longer Lifespan: As the motor can spin at variable speeds, the wear and tear are reduced significantly, leading to a longer lifespan.
- Warranty period: Most inverter washing machines come with a 10-year warranty on the motor, which is quite good.
Disadvantages of Inverter Washing Machines
- Expensive: Washing machines with inverter technology are usually much more expensive than conventional machines.
- Costly Maintenance: The repairs and maintenance costs can be pretty high in inverter washing machines.