What is washer/dryer combination?

My 17 year old son is an exchange student and just arrived in Yokohama. He said his host family has a washer/dryer combination. What is this and how does it work? Thanks

It is a machine that double-functions as washing machine and clothes dryer, so you don't need the space for two large machines as usual in Western countries.

It is Japan's technology.

Recommend that he check to see laundry tag.

"It is a machine that double-functions as washing machine and clothes dryer, so you don't need the space for two large machines as usual in Western countries."

And look forward to double electric bills for that double function..

Huh? How do you figure it is double electric bills? A separate washer and dryer would use about the same amount of electricity that a washer/dryer combo would use.

We have had these combination
dryers in Europe for 20 years at least. One trick is to remove 1/2 of the washed clothes if one want them to dry properly (especially if one has crammed clothes to the max in the washing function.). it also depends on the items. A full load of towels wouldn't dry properly while a full load of cotton /polyester shirts might.
Ask your son if his host family has a combination microwave oven (it microwave, bake, broil and now some steam cook as well). they have been used in Japan and Europe for about 30 years now...
Hope he doesn't flood the toilet area when using the combination toilet -bidet...

Japan's technology? They have been around in other countries for years. The majority of people in Japan don't use a dryer though, clothes are dried on the line, the same as in New Zealand where I grew up. Better for the environment and your clothes will last longer.

we have one, it's a very inefficient way to dry clothed in my opinion. we stopped using the dry cycle after a few tries, takes forever to dry heavy items and shirts and pants end up a wrinkled mess. we have a dry cycle on our bath vent that works much better.

I think people in many areas across Japan have to get over a season when it's not easy to dry home clothes in a way most ideal for the environment, such as a rainy season and a snowy season.
And, not every family has a large yard or balcony in Japan for drying all the home laundry.

: He said his host family has a washer/dryer combination. What is this and how does it work?

If that is of a model in recent 5 years (2004 -), presumably it has one upright barrel or one leaning / lying drum for washing and spin-drying, also has drying heater, and its washing capacity is larger than its drying capacity.

I recommend his host family's checking these recalls offered for fear of troubles or accidents.
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20090819_1.html
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20090722_1.html
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20090819_2.html
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20090609_1.html
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20081216_2.html
http://www.kokusen.go.jp/recall/data/s-20030225.html

Japan's first, probably the world's first washer-dryer combination model made its debut in 1960. That had two upright barrels and drying heater. I guess two-barrel models without heater were more common in Japan before one-barrel models (with / without heater) became popular in 1970s or later.
Non-upright-drum models appeared in Japan in recent 10 years (1999- ) or so, and I assume they are not yet so popular.

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I hated mine. It took 3 hours to finish one load of clothes. :(

I bought a combo washer/dryer thinking it sounded like a great idea, but found drying a *small* load of simple things (i.e. T-shirts) took hours and forget about drying towels or heavy things. I used the dry function maybe 3 times. Useless IMO.