A washing machine drum resembles a rotating tub that moves throughout the washing cycle and has small holes to let water enter and exit. These drums are

 

The amount of dry clothes that can be washed in one cycle, or their net weight, is used to determine a washing machine’s drum capacity. Typically, this is a little fewer than the volume of clothing that will fit in the washing machine when it is not in use.

Typically, washing machine drum capacities range from 5 kg to approximately 12 kg, and the size you purchase depends entirely on your specific needs based on the volume of laundry, how frequently you wash it, etc.

Which Size Do You Require?

In our earlier buying guide for washing machines, we briefly discussed capacity. But let’s revisit it in more detail. Your washing requirements and habits will determine the size of the washing machine drum you require. How many people make up your family? A family of two will obviously have different needs than a family of eight or more. You typically run how many loads of laundry per week? Some people wash their clothes every day, while others only do it once a week. Which types of loads do you usually wash? Are they primarily filthy sportswear or delicate baby clothes?

Typically, a 7 kg drum is sufficient for a medium-sized household. In addition to having programs designed specifically for smaller loads, washing machines with a 7 kg drum can comfortably wash a standard load. For instance, the Quick Wash (or a program with a similar name) feature found on the majority of 7 kg washing machines allows for the washing of smaller loads of everyday clothing while handling larger loads on the weekend.

A larger drum, however, might be more appropriate for a large family that typically does their laundry more frequently than once per week. The larger drum can handle bedsheets and towels in addition to regular clothes and can wash more items in a single cycle. A smaller washing machine drum capacity will be fine for a small family or a single person because their weekly load will be lower.

How Much Actually Gets Washed?

The type and fabric of your load will determine how much washing you can fit into the machine. Two silk curtains, a satin bedsheet, and 12 cotton t-shirts, for instance, cannot all be washed in most 6 kg washing machines. However, a 6 kg washing machine is best suited for couples and will typically wash about 30 T-shirts and one bedsheet in a single wash.

The best option for a medium family is an 8 kg washing machine, which can easily wash 40 t-shirts and a queen-size bedsheet. It can hold more items, even bulky ones, if you cut back on the number of t-shirts. You can use the following table to determine the capacity your washing machine can handle based on the size of the drum.

Types Of Drums

Different types of drums, with variations in materials, positioning, patterns, and other aspects, may be found in washing machines.

The more affordable washing machines still come with plastic drums, which are still widely used. They can also be found in fully automatic and semi-automatic top-loading washers. The biggest benefit of using plastic drums is that they are simpler to clean and resistant to corrosion from hard water.

Both front load and top load washing machines have steel drums, which are a more upscale feature. For your clothes to be thoroughly cleaned during the wash and spin cycles without being harmed, the majority of manufacturers have developed their own technology for steel drum design.

For instance, Samsung’s drums feature a Diamond pattern. In addition to the usual advantages, like being gentle on your fabrics, Samsung asserts that its tests show a remarkable 79% reduction in the textile area exposed to the damaging effects of washing by conventional washing machine drums.

The inner surface of the washing drum in IFB has a cast lined crescent moon shape. This design softens the blows received during the tossing process while still giving the clothing a thorough but gentle wash. The way that this design prevents clothing from damagingly rubbing against the steel drum’s wall is by curving the water up in a swoosh pattern.

A drum for a washing machine can also be positioned either horizontally or vertically. You would find a horizontal drum in a front-loading washing machine, which is a clearer explanation of the situation. In top-load washing machines, a vertical drum is present. As we have mentioned in previous articles, they both have their own unique set of benefits and drawbacks.

Is Larger Really Preferable?

It is untrue to believe that larger items will provide better cleaning results and value for money. While owning a larger washing machine does have some benefits, there are also some serious drawbacks.

The primary benefit of a large washing machine drum is that it can hold more laundry, allowing you to wash larger loads more frequently. Long-term, larger washes are preferable to smaller ones that are performed more frequently. In other words, you save money on water and electricity if you use a larger washing machine than you need.

A larger washing machine is better suited to handling larger loads, so it might have some programs that are better suited for bulkier items like curtains and bedsheets. This is another benefit that is frequently disregarded. These programs might not be available on a smaller washing machine, which would be better suited for frequently washing small loads.

For heavy loads of laundry like washable blankets and thick bedsheets, Samsung washing machines have a special Blanket program. On the other hand, a Videocon 5.5 kg washing machine has no programs for very bulky loads like bedsheets but one for heavily soiled clothes (Strong).

Because the drum has a larger capacity and there are more programs for larger loads, one of the main drawbacks of larger washing machines is that they cost more to purchase. Additionally, they contribute to higher expenses for water and electricity in each cycle if you frequently run them at half capacity.

Loading The Drum

Your washing machine’s drum may be loaded incorrectly or excessively, depending on the situation.

When a drum is filled past its ideal bearing capacity, overloading may result in performance problems. The clothes inside the drum may group together and rotate as a single mass when it is overstuffed. This would imply that the detergent is not evenly distributed to cover all items, and it will also result in improper rinsing. As a result, no dirt will be removed from any of the items, and none of them will have enough space to move around. Additionally, due to such overloading, the clothes will become extremely tangled and possibly even wrinkled.

So that clothes have enough room to move during a wash cycle, a general rule of thumb is to load the drum to no more than 80% of its capacity. Another rule to remember is that if the washing machine drum, for example, has a capacity of 7 kg, you can load 7 kg of cotton items in it. The metrics change when you include other fabrics, like denim or a wool sweater. Only loads less than 7 kg can be carried by some cycles. For instance, delicates such as woollens, silks, and other fabrics must be loaded in smaller sizes to prevent damage. This means that you cannot fill the drum to the brim when washing a load of silks.

Underloading is the additional issue. When you fill a drum below its capacity, you could be wasting a lot of water and energy. When you are washing only two pairs of socks and a t-shirt, you are essentially using the same program you would use in a regular wash, and you are utilizing the same quantity of water and electricity in the process.

Parts Of The Washer

Some of the parts will differ between your machine and another because every washing machine has a unique design and set of features. But familiarize yourself with your washer by looking at some of the common components you can find in it.

Water pump. As a result, the water rotates in two directions throughout the device. It is used to drain the water during the spin cycle as well as to circulate the water throughout the wash cycle.

control valve for water inlet. This is close to the water inlet point, which automatically opens and shuts depending on how much water is needed when you load the clothes.

Drum. Have you ever noticed that washing machines have two tubs? The inner drum, which moves around the washing machine and has holes punched in it to let water in and out, is the one you can see where the clothes are loaded. In order to prevent water from leaking into other parts of the machine and to support the inner drum, the outer tub holds both the inner drum and the water.

Agitator or paddles. This aids in cleaning the clothes and is found inside the washing machine’s tub. The majority of fully automatic washing machines have these paddles on the inner drum that rotates and is controlled by a rotating disc, while semi-automatic washing machines use an agitator that rotates inside the machine to create a current in the machine. In either case, they are made to help the clothes rub against each other while washing, allowing the detergent to work and remove dirt and soiling from your clothes.

motor for a washing machine. When combined with the drum’s turning agitator or disc, this creates a rotator motion. The mechanism that starts your machine running is basically this.

Drain pipe. Your washing machine’s drain pipe allows all of the dirty water to be removed.

(PCB): printed circuit board. Here you’ll primarily find the electronics—electrical parts and circuits—that power the machine. These can be programmed to assist in machine operation and serve as the washing machine’s artificial intelligence, sometimes even choosing how long to spend washing or rinsing.

Timer. This aids in determining the wash cycle for your clothes, which can be set manually or automatically.

Heating element. This raises the temperature of the water in the washing machine to the desired level.

A Washing Machine’s Operation Is Described.

The drum, valves, pump, motor, and heating are just a few of the many washing machine operations that are electrically controlled. This is how a typical wash would go:

You put your laundry in the machine, put Ariel in it, and choose the program you want.

The hot and cold water are let into the machine by the programmer in your machine, which then fills both drums with water. If your machine has a detergent tray, some water also goes into it to wash any detergent into the main body of the machine.

As soon as water enters the machine, the valves are turned off.

Your washing machine’s thermostat gauges the water entering it and may heat the water using the heating element to the appropriate temperature.

As soon as the water reaches the desired temperature, the inner drum starts to rotate back and forth, agitating the clothes and combining them with the warm, soapy water to help remove stains and soiling.

By drawing the dirt into the water, the detergent assists in cleaning the clothes.

The valve reopens, allowing the contaminated water to drain from the drums. To assist in removing the water, the pump operates.

The valve allows clean water to enter the drums once more.

Revolving once more, the inner drum removes any last traces of detergent or soiled water from the clothes.

After being rinsed, the inner drum starts to spin rapidly to expunge any remaining water. Before the pump removes any remaining water and your clothes are ready to be taken outside to dry, this water exits through tiny holes in the inner drum into the outer drum.

Identifying The Root Source Of A Problem You Can Have In Your Machine

Because the washing machine has so many intricate parts, there are many potential problems. Incorrect water supply connections could cause issues during washing machine installation, and failing motors or malfunctioning valves could lead to the need for washing machine repair. It’s best to call a professional if you don’t know what you’re doing with your machine otherwise you run the risk of voiding your warranty.

However, if you discover that your fully automatic washer is failing to remove the stains you want it to, it’s possible that the issue is with your detergent. It may be more difficult to get stains out of clothing and to get rid of hand washing detergent if there are too many suds in your washing machine during the wash. For this reason, you should use a detergent made for fully automatic washing machines like Ariel.

Ariel is uniquely formulated to ensure the best performance inside your washing machine and is specially designed to meet your needs. Ariel offers a variety of detergents, from regular Ariel (for semi-automatic washers) to Ariel Matic Front Load (for fully-automatic front load washers) and Ariel Matic Top Load (for fully-automatic top load washers), to ensure that you get the best stain removal in just one wash.