Clothes Washers (Commercial)

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Introduction

There are approximately 1.6 million commercial clothes washers in use throughout the United States, located in laundromats, multifamily buildings and institutions, according to the Multi-Housing Laundry Association. "Residential-style" commercial clothes washers are very similar to their residential counterparts, with a coin box or smart card to allow for per-use payment.

While there is no federal standard that regulates commercial washers, many units are similar in design to residential models meeting that federal standard. The ENERGY STAR label can be found on commercial washers that meet the same criteria as for residential models.

The use patterns, and therefore energy savings potential, of residential and commercial machines are quite different. Most commercial machines in laundromats or multifamily buildings are used for a much greater number of wash cycles each week, consuming more water and energy than in a typical household machine. For example, a typical household washes 392 loads per year, compared to a commercial washer, which typically washes 950 loads per year.

A typical commercial clothes washer can cost up to $2,700 to operate over its lifetime. Almost 90% of all energy used in operating it goes towards heating the water. By investing in a new, efficient front- or top-loading washer, a facility owner can dramatically cut energy and water use, saving $1,365 over the lifetime of the machine. For a multifamily building with 10 clothes washers, replacing standard commercial washers with ENERGY STAR qualified models would save $1,700 and 171,000 gallons of water each year.

Technology Options

Clothes washers consist of a basket for clothes, which typically is turned by a variety of mechanisms first in water and detergent and then in rinse water, and then is spun at high speeds to remove excess water. Washers operate either on a horizontal axis or on a vertical axis. Horizontal-axis washers, also known as tumble-action or front-loading machines, typically have a door on the front of the washer and use a basket that rotates horizontally to wash, rinse and spin the clothes. The rotation of the basket turns the clothes in and out of a small amount of water that collects at the bottom of the basket. Because the clothes tumble through the water, these machines typically need to fill to only about one-third the water level of conventional top-loading machines. In addition, no agitator is required with this technology, so many users find these washers to be gentler on clothes, as snagging on a central agitator is one of the causes of wash-related wear and tear on clothing.

In a conventional-top loading, vertical-axis washer, the basket must be filled to a water level that will cover the clothes. The agitator then moves the water and clothes around to wash them. High-efficiency top-loading clothes washers tend to use modified technology, and reduce the size or eliminate the agitator, tumble the clothes in a manner more similar to front-loading washers, and rely on multiple-spray wash and rinse cycles rather than a single wash cycle with a tub of water.

High-efficiency models are available in both front- and top-loading configurations, and manufacturers continue to introduce more-efficient models of both styles that continue to provide superior washing and clothes handling performance. High-efficiency washers also tend to spin at faster cycles than conventional machines, removing more water from the clothes which reduces the amount of time and energy required to dry them.

Efficiency Ratings

While federal standards have not been set for commercial washers, some manufacturers test and rate their commercial models with the same tests used in verifying residential clothes washer compliance with the federal standard.

The current federal efficiency standard requires all clothes washers to meet an Energy Factor (EF) of at least 1.18. EF is the capacity of the washer (in cubic feet) divided by the energy required to operate the washer and heat water for a cycle. The higher the value, the more efficient the washer will be.

On Jan. 1, 2004, the federal standard will change its metric from EF to Modified Energy Factor (MEF). MEF is similar to EF, but also takes into consideration the energy required to remove the remaining moisture after a wash cycle. Effectively, MEF also considers the energy for drying the clothes. The new federal standard will set a minimum MEF of 1.04, although this will not have a major impact on washers that may be sold. The federal standard will change again in 2007, increasing to MEF of at least 1.26

ENERGY STAR qualified high-efficiency commercial clothes washers meet a minimum MEF of 1.26. On Jan. 1, 2004, the ENERGY STAR minimum requirement for both residential and commercial clothes washers will increase to an MEF of at least 1.42.

Standard or Criterion Current Requirement Jan. 1, 2004 Jan. 1, 2007
Federal standard
(residential washers only;
not applicable to commercial models)
EF >= 1.18 MEF >= 1.04 MEF >= 1.26
ENERGY STAR MEF >= 1.26 MEF >= 1.42 TBD

Efficiency Benefits

An ENERGY STAR qualified commercial clothes washer can save up to $1,365 in energy and water costs over the life of the machine.

  • Save Energy: ENERGY STAR qualified commercial washers can save 1,290 kWh each year, and 10,315 kWh over the life of each machine.
  • Save Money: Replacing a conventional commercial washer with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model will save $170 each year in energy and water bills.
  • Save Water: ENERGY STAR qualified commercial washers use 18 to 25 gallons of water per load, compared to more than 40 gallons used by a standard machine. This typically equates to 17,100 gallons of water saved every year.
  • Improve Performance: ENERGY STAR qualified commercial washers provide the same high performance as qualified residential washers, which receive high ratings for cleaning performance and gentle treatment of clothes by consumer ratings organizations.
  • Increase Capacity: High-efficiency washers without agitators allow more clothes to fit into each load.
  • Reduce Drying Time: Fast spinning of the clothes removes more moisture so that drying times are quicker, saving energy on the dry cycle.

If you own or operate a multifamily building with common laundry areas, the Multifamily Laundry Association (MLA) provides tips to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these facilities at Laundrywise.

Manufacturers

Major manufacturers of residential style commercial clothes washers include Alliance, Electrolux, General Electric, Maytag and Whirlpool.

ENERGY STAR has a complete list of qualified commercial washers including their energy and water consumption data.