Inverter motor
Washing machine with an
inverter electric motor.
Such motors are also called brushless because they do not have commutator brushes. Thanks to this feature, the noise level, heating and wear are significantly reduced, which has a positive impact on efficiency, reliability and durability. In addition, the accuracy of rotation speed control is increased. The reverse side of the coin is the rather high price of such machines.
Controls
The type of controls provided in the washing machine.
— Rotary knobs. Operation through one or more rotary knobs only, without buttons or other additional elements. This option is found exclusively in semi-automatic (activator) washing machines with minimal functionality. In the simplest of these models, there is only one knob (it sets the duration of the wash) in more advanced ones — two or three (wash timer, spin timer, programme selection). At the same time, the timer knob simultaneously works as a switch, turning on the unit when turning.
—
Rotary knob + buttons. Type of control used in most automatic washing machines. The main rotary knob in such models is responsible for selecting the programme. It can be supplemented by auxiliary knobs for setting individual parameters: for example, water temperature and spin speed. And other parameters and additional functions are controlled by buttons. Such controls are quite functional and inexpensive, which led to their popularity.
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Rotary knob + touch controls. Controls, providing a combination of a rotary knob with touch controls. The first is responsible for choosing the main programme; the second is for additional functions and parameters. Such control is somewhat more expensive than the "rotary knob + buttons" combination (see above), but this moment is not fundamental. At the same time, the touch panel gives the device a sty
...lish and technological appearance, and on the practical side, it is more convenient for some users since it does not require effort to press. In addition, it is much easier to clean the touch controls from dirt than the buttons.
— Touch controls. Control, carried out only through the touch panel, is much more expensive than the “rotary knob + touch controls” combination and therefore is used mainly in advanced level machines. Units with such controls do not have unnecessary protruding parts on the front panel, which provides not only a neat and pleasant appearance but also ease of cleaning from dirt. And in some models, the touch panel can be placed on the lid of the drum, which allows you to increase its diameter and capacity without increasing the height of the machine itself. At the same time, in some cases (for example, when choosing a programme), the touch controls are less visual and intuitive than the rotary knob, so this option is used relatively rarely.
— Buttons. Button-only controls are fully functional but generally less user-friendly and visual than a combination of buttons with a rotary knob. Therefore, this option is not popular in modern washing machines.Noise level (spin)
The maximum noise level produced by the machine during operation. Most often indicated for spinning — this is the noisiest mode of operation; for units without spinning (such as semiautomatic devices), this paragraph indicates the overall volume or the volume in the noisiest mode.
The
quieter the machine works, the more comfortable it is for others. This moment is especially critical if there are small children in the house. However, the decibel used to measure loudness is a non-linear unit, and the actual noise level is best estimated from comparative tables in special sources.
Country of origin
The country in which the washing machine was manufactured (according to the manufacturer's statement). Despite the fact that production facilities in
China are often used to assemble household appliances, specifically among washing machines there are many products assembled in Europe (
Germany,
Italy,
Poland,
Romania,
Slovakia,
Slovenia, Turkey) or in the post-Soviet space (
Belarus,
Russia,
Ukraine).
There are many stereotypes about how the build quality depends on the specific "homeland" of the device. However, most of them are not justified: the thoroughness of quality control does not depend directly on the location of production. And within individual brands, the situations in this regard can be completely opposite: relatively speaking, for one company, Polish-assembled machines can be considered more reliable than Romanian ones, and for another, vice versa. In addition, such information (about which plant a given brand has is better) often turns out to be unconfirmed rumours. In light of all this, it makes sense to pay attention to the country of production. Especially if you fundamentally want (or do
...not want) to support a certain state by purchasing products manufactured in it.
