What is a horizontal axis washing machine?

Unlike standard vertical axis washing machines, which immerse clothes in water and scrub them clean by agitation, horizontal axis (h-axis) machines use a tumbling action to clean clothes. Clothes are gently lifted and plunged through the detergent and water. Several companies, such as Maytag, Frigidaire, and Westinghouse, now manufacture h-axis washing machines.

Image credit: EPRI

What are the advantages of h-axis washing machines?

Water Efficiency:   By using tumble-action washing, the h-axis washing machine uses just over half the water required for the average top-load washer. With increasing demand on water supplies and rising water prices, that benefits everyone.

Savings on Detergent and Bleach:   You'll use only about a third of the detergent and bleach with the h-axis washer. That saves money for you, and protects water quality.

Energy Efficiency:   H-axis machines use considerably less water, which means less water needs to be heated, pumped, and sent to water treatment facilities. More energy is saved during drying, because h-axis machines extract up to 10% more water during the spin cycle.

Gentler on Clothes, Better Cleaning:   Clothes are gently lifted and tumbled through the water and detergent in an h-axis machine. This is much easier on clothes than the twisting action they experience in a top-load agitator machine. Studies have found that h-axis machines consistently clean better than vertical axis machines. Your clothes will be cleaner and last longer.

Maytag "Neptune" Horizontal Axis Washing Machine, with matching dryer (Image Credit: Maytag Corporation)

Frigidaire "Gallery" Horizontal Axis Washing Machine (Image Credit: Frigidaire Corporation)

What is the water savings potential?

Americans wash 55 billion loads of laundry annually, using about 2.2 trillion gallons of water. About half of this water could be saved by using water-efficient h-axis machines!

For More Information:

EPRI Article: Horizontal Axis Washing Machines

Rocky Mountain Institute, Home Energy Brief: #6 Washers, Dryers, and Misc. Appliances