What is the difference between drum type washing machine and vertical washing machine? Why is it good for washing stylish clothes?

Equipped with a powerful drying function

One of the major features of drum-type washing machines is that they have a powerful drying function. After putting in the laundry, it is convenient to leave it to drying fully automatically.

Taking Panasonic as an example, there are two drying methods used in drum-type dryers: heat pump drying and low-temperature wind powerful drying.

heat pump drying. Low-temperature wind powerful drying equipped with a heat pump unit like an air conditioner. The heat pump method, which dries clothes with a low-temperature wind of about 15°C above room temperature heated by a heater, is particularly good at drying. It can be said that drum-type washer-dryers are said to have excellent drying functions because they are models that use this heat pump method.

Furthermore, the refrigerant passes through the "expansion valve" in the upper part of the figure and is decompressed. By reducing the pressure, the refrigerant cools at once and advances to the heat exchanger on the right side of the figure. The moist air in the washing tub comes into contact with this heat exchanger for cooling. As a result, the air is cooled before it is released to the outside of the washer/dryer, and dehumidification is achieved by condensing and draining the air. In other words, the warm, moist air in the wash tub is dehumidified and the cool air is vented over the machine before being vented over the machine. In other words, warm and moist air is not exhausted as it is.

On the other hand, in the case of the heater method, which is often used in vertical washing machines, the air warmed by the heater is applied to the clothes in the washing tub. It's like blowing hot air onto your clothes with a big dryer. Naturally, the air warmed in the washer/dryer must be exhausted to the outside. At this time, if it is discharged as it is, the room will be warmed and the humidity will increase. Therefore, in the heater method, water (cooling water) is used even during drying to cool and dehumidify the discharged air. This means that more water is needed not only for washing, but also for drying.

The figure is an image diagram of Panasonic's VX series. (1) and (4) are heat exchangers. (1) First, dehumidified air is warmed by a heater (heat exchanger for heating) to make dry warm air. (2) Send hot air into the drum tub (washing tub). (3) Absorbs moisture from clothes and sends humid air to the heat pump unit. (4) When comparing the 2 methods, which use a cooler to cool the air containing moisture and cause condensation to dehumidify

, the heat pump method costs less electricity to warm the air and clothes in the washer/dryer, Since there is no need for water to cool and dehumidify the warm and humid air, it has a great energy-saving advantage. Disadvantages are that using the heat pump method increases the product price and that the heat pump unit (mechanism) is large.

Tell me! Fujiyama-san

Heat pumps are capable of powerful drying. If so, I think it would be nice to adopt the heat pump method for the vertical washing machine. However, since the heat pump unit is large, it is difficult to install it in a vertical washing machine. If it were to be installed, it would probably be installed under the washing tub, but then it would be necessary to install the washing tub at a higher position than before. In other words, clothes become difficult to take out. On the other hand, in the case of drum-type washing machines that are installed horizontally, there is enough space under the washing tub, so it is easy to install.

Image of Sharp's heat pump unit At the bottom of the image is the heat pump unit (Photo: Toshiba Lifestyle "ZABOON TW-127XP1")