|
|
Doug Bechtel
|
|
Well, our Annual Meeting is over. The new board officers for next year are: Joe Gruber, San Juan Island, President; Ed Peterson, Orcas Island, Vice President; and Roger Crosby, Orcas Island, Secretary-Treasurer.
At the Annual Meeting, I reported on a new, high efficiency clothes washer that has recently come to market. These washers are called horizontal axis, or tumble action, machines. I was really surprised at how much interest there was from our members but, thinking back on it, it shouldn't surprise me that a clothes washer that uses 65% less electricity, 40% less water and is 25% more effective in cleaning clothes would be attractive to our members.
A conventional washing machine has a vertical tub with an agitator; this type of machine requires the tub to be filled with enough water to cover your clothes. With a tumble action washer, you only need enough water to fill the first few inches of the tub, since the tub moves your clothes through the water rather than moving the water through your clothes. Because there is no agitator pulling at your laundry, your clothes will have less wear and tear. They will also be cleaner. Plus, the spin cycle runs at about 100 mph, which removes more moisture, lets your clothes dry faster, and reduces the energy needed by the dryer.
A couple of members came up to me at the meeting and pointed out the scarcity of water in their area and problems with their wells, especially during the summertime. They felt this washing machine might be important to them in helping to solve these problems. In fact, many felt that the water issue alone justifies the higher cost of these machines.
Most people remember these washers as front loading machines similar to what some laundromats use or (if you have been around as long as I have) the washing machines that were available when I was a kid. Amana, Maytag and Gibson have these for sale with a sticker price of $999, and Frigidaire has one for $799. The good news is that a program called Washwise, which is sponsored by both BPA and OPALCO, is offering assistance with the cost. Northwest residents who purchase these machines at authorized dealers will receive $130 off at the cash register if they fill out a rebate form. Members of OPALCO can then send us a copy of this rebate form, and we will send you a check for an additional $20.
These washing machines are only available at specific dealers who have received training on them. We hope to get some local dealers added to the list.
If you are interested in these tumble action washing machines, Washwise has a toll-free hotline number at 1-888-3REBATE. They will send you more information (including an article from the Wall Street Journal, manufacturers? information, and some press releases) as well as a list of authorized dealers.
I would encourage you to learn more about these machines.
Doug Bechtel
|