THE MACHINE BOTH WASHES AND DRIES

Jonas Bødker, product trainer for white goods at Hisense Nordics, presents the Hisense 5i washer-dryer during the Power Up gathering at Gardermoen in the last week of March.

– It has a built-in heat pump, so you have a tumble dryer and washing machine in one, which works exactly as if you had a tumble dryer and a washing machine next to each other. The advantage is that you get better energy ratings, faster drying times and faster washing times, but we have managed to do it in a machine that fits into kitchen fittings, as it is 59.5 cm deep and 84.5 cm high, Bødker tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

6 kilos in 39 minutes

He says most washer-dryers on the market are five centimetres taller, and therefore do not fit everywhere.

– The 5i machine fits straight in where a normal washing machine would usually stand, says Bødker.

The capacity is 12 kilos of washing and 8 kilos of drying, with a drum volume of 75 litres. The Power Wash programme washes up to 6 kilos in 39 minutes, and you can wash and dry 3 kilos in 96 minutes.

Humid indoor climate

– People live in smaller spaces, and may not have the option to dry their clothes. Unfortunately, increasingly well-insulated homes lead to damp if you air-dry your laundry, but with this machine you avoid this problem, says Bødker.

Hisense 5i is available in white and black, with the model numbers WD5I1245BWRH (white) and WD5I1245BBRH (black).

– What is cool about this product is that we are challenging the market in a new way, and that is what I find really exciting, says Bødtker.

Top marks

– How difficult is it here on the course to explain what a combination machine with heat pump technology actually does?

– The shop sales staff pick it up quickly. The challenge is to explain to end customers why they should pay a little more, so we just have to keep repeating that this product actually works better than an ordinary washing machine, and more as if you had two machines, says Bødker to the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

The machine is rated A for washing performance, A for drying performance, A for noise level and A for energy. Bødker points out that the drying rating on washer-dryers normally ends up at D or lower, and that four As are unusual for this type of product.