How to Buy a Washing Machine

A washing machine is an important electronic in every household. It is one of the first requirements when starting with a new home, as it makes the whole process of washing clothes so much easier. But nowadays, the influxes of a large number of brands have reduced the costs significantly, and have provided more options than ever before for the consumer.

1. Determine the Load of the Washing Machine that You Require

Gone are the days when a person used to wash clothes by hand, under the sun, during the days when washing machines were not so prevalent or were too expensive to buy. Washing machines come in a variety of sizes; some are big enough for only the clothes of two people at a time, whereas some can even take in one round of the family’s clothes at once.

• When you go for purchasing the washing machine, there will be the capacity of the machine written in the manual. Check that out. They are typically represented in the units of kilograms.
• If you also have to wash duvets, and pillows, then you will require washing machines that are bigger in size.
• To put it in perspective, if it is a family of 4 people, then the washing machine of around 4 cubic feet will be more than enough for the usage.
• Do ask the shop – keeper if it is okay to put in bed-sheets, rugs, and al before buying because they are, the heavier materials and can spoil the interior if the washing machine is not designed for such form of a load.
• Lastly, compare the prices of the smaller and bigger washing machines; if there is not much difference, then you can go for the bigger sized one because it will always involve lesser effort to take in all of your clothes at once rather than doing more than one round of washing with the smaller machines.

2. Decide if the Loading of the Washing Machine is Going to be from the Front or from the Top

There are two types of washing machines which are available in the market. They are the front loaders and the top loaders. Both are available in almost all the brands and all sizes, so for a beginner, it becomes slightly determined what to go with.

• The major difference between the two is how the clothes go into the machine. In the front-loading, there will be a latch at the top which you open and put the clothes in. In the front-loading, the latch is placed in the front, and you open and thrust your clothes inside it.
• Front loading has more capacity to carry the clothes than the top loading for the washing machine of the same size. This is because there is no agitator instrument in this configuration.
• The front-loading washing machine is more expensive than the top loaded one, but sometimes it is worth spending the extra buck because you can save forever on the electricity bills because they are more energy efficient.
• Do note that the detergent used in the front loading and the top loading washing machine will be different. Once you buy a pack of the detergent, it will be clearly mentioned on the pack about the configuration it must be used for. Do not mix it up while usage.
• The front-loading washing machines also occupy the smaller size as compared to the top loading one. So, if you have a space in which you have to be efficient with the things you are keeping, and then going with the front loading could perhaps be the better option.

3. Do Research about the Brand of Washing Machine You are Going to Buy

This might commonly apply for almost all electronics out there. You need to buy a brand whose spare parts can be available easily for you when it comes to repairing, and their spare parts must be cheap as well.

• Do not be spoilt for choice because of the large number of brands which are available in the market. Even if the better brand is a slightly expensive one, always go with that, because it would have been in the market for a long time and having a repair done with the same might be so much easier.
• Also, do research about the brand. If you are ordering online, read the reviews about the people who have bought the machine and see what the good is and the bad thing they find about a particular product. You can even follow the same when you buy the products offline as well.
• Secondly, do the price check. If the rates vary a lot in the offline and the online domain, then always prefer to go with the online one provided the reviews of the seller and the product there is better. It is not always necessary that the electronics have to be bought offline, especially the home appliances.

4. Go to the Energy Star Rating of the Machine

The ratings of a washing machine are an important parameter which one needs to consider before buying it. They are typically rated out of 5 and most of the washing machines have a rating between 4 and 5.

• There are separate rating standards and parameters which are followed in different countries. Do read about the standard which is followed in your country before you buy the washing machine.
• Next, always prefer to go with the washing machine that has a 5 – star rating because in that case, you can almost save 25% of the power consumption and although it can be a little expensive up front, you can save a lot of money later hand.
• The rating of the washing machine will also determine how long the machine can last. It is somehow even related to, the warranty period as well. Buy the machines which have a longer warranty period so that if any major issue arises within this umbrella of the period, you can have it repaired at almost no cost.
• Some outlets will also provide you an option to purchase the extra warranty for a little higher price, go with it because it can save you a lot of money in case some major defect arises in the machine.
• Read through the rating card and the warranty card of the machine thoroughly before you buy and ask for any doubts with the outlet seller or the customer care of the manufacturer.

5. See the Level of Noise and Vibration

Some outlets will even allow you to test the washing machine on the spot, and some of them will have working models displayed for the customers to see.

• Apart from the price, the rating and the brand, which is more important to see is if the machine makes a lot of noise and produces vibrations.
• This can get particularly annoying if the levels are high and you are living in a highly enclosed space.
• Also, it may be a social issue when you have a machine with high noise generating apparatus.
• Read through the technology that drives the machine. Some of the common technologies that enable the machine to be extremely quiet are the Direct – Drive technology and this is now most commonly found in all the newer models. Check if your machine has this technology embedded into it.
• Another factor of the machines with lesser noise and vibration levels is that they do not have belts attached inside them, usually. Take a note of this while selecting the machine as well.
• Alternatively, you can also check for online videos of the functioning of the machines also to determine if they really make noise or not. This is particularly useful if you do not understand the technologies behind the machines.

6. Check how Much Space You have in Your Home

Having a washing machine that fits into the space you have in your home is extremely vital. It is because we usually live in the cramped spaces in cities in apartments or homes where it becomes difficult to have the luxury of size for us.

• For choosing the best machine, make sure you take the measurement of the space you have in your home by a measuring tape. Then you will roughly get an idea of the size of the washing machine you need.
• You can then, also ask the person at the shop by giving your space measurements and ask him to show the washing machine that would fit in this space.
• Further, you can also check online for the dimensions of the washing machine that you are interested in and see if it is compatible with the size measurements you have got.
• Another important consideration in the case of having the machine is the position of the correct duct. The water in the washing machine needs to be let out, and you need a proper duct to be placed near the machine so that the tube can be redirected towards the same. So ensure that the place you are choosing for your machine has the duct placed beside it and the duct is clean as well.
• If you do not have a lot of space in the front, then a washing machine that takes in the clothes on the top, that is a top – loader washing machine is so much preferred.

7. Note Down the List of Features that You See in Washing Machines

Different brands have different technologies associated with the washing machines that they sell. For instance, the Samsung machines have the Silver Wash technology that uses the silver molecules in the clean – up that provides the antibacterial properties. This is highly important because they can provide extra features compared to other brands.

• You can Google up the models of the different brands and go through their websites to see what technology they use. You can note down the important points related to each technology and also see if the benefits that they are offering can make a difference for you in your wash.
• Next, compare the prices of these washing machines that provide the specific technology those others that do not provide that technology. Some of the companies or brands may fool the customers by providing the name of a technology that might be existing in all other brands as well, but is never addressed and many times, this technology will be something basic required for each machine. So, read through the technology in brief detail and see if there can be a machine even without that technology as well.
• If there will be, then the chances are that the technology, which the brand is claiming for being genuine.
• So, these are the different steps you must consider when buying a washing machine. Make sure that you buy the same from the trusted dealer and not from any local shop that may sell the pre-owned washing machines as new.
• If you want to use washing machines from your side, make sure that the condition of the same is good and it has some kind of a guarantee from the seller, also the brand must be well – known. Make sure that you do the regular servicing of the machine and keep in mind about the requirements mentioned in the manual from time to time.
• If there is anything that goes wrong with the machine, ensure that you call up the technician of the specific brand so that they can repair it nicely as compared to any local technician. It is important because the same can prove costly later.

TIPS

Before setting up the washing machine that you have bought, read through the instruction manual in great detail to understand how the machine works. Do not miss out on any instruction or tip that the manufacturer may have placed in the manual, because that can be vital to the functioning of the machine.

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