Plastic, stainless steel, ceramics - everyone is familiar with these materials used for the manufacture of household appliances. Describing the benefits of washers, consultants often mention polynox, a little-known material among consumers. Polynox in the washing machine - what is it and why do sellers focus on it.
Polynox, carboran and silitek - what is it?
All of the materials listed are polymers. They are very similar, but differ in some operational characteristics.
Polynox
In the name “polynox” the customers hear the “smack” of plastic. And intuition does not deceive them, it is really one of the polymers - polypropylene. After making some additives in it, he slightly changes his characteristics and transforms into polynox. This material contains additives that help to reduce the vibration of the drum and increase its thermal insulation properties.
In automatic washing machines (CMA), this polymer is used to make the most important structural element - the tank. Today, plastic tanks are widespread, the reason is the winning properties of the material. It is cheap, easy to process, and parts made from it have excellent performance characteristics.
There are other polymers used in the production of SMA. Each manufacturer includes various additives in the composition of the plastic, so the names of the polymers may differ. So, polynox has a similar analogue - polyplex. He is not afraid of high temperature, corrosion, water, provides noiseless apparatus. Polyplex conducts heat well - this saves energy. But like all plastics, this material is quite fragile.
Carboran
This composite material is proprietary to Electrolux. It is more reliable than polyplex. Compared to the latter, carboran is less fragile. 1.5 times more expensive than other polymers.
Carboran Benefits:
- practically does not absorb odors;
- is dielectric, therefore safe;
- withstands mechanical and chemical loads;
- saves electricity due to high thermal insulation properties;
- good sound insulator - noise is reduced during the work of SMA.
Silitek
This composite material is almost similar to polynox. It is developed by the Candy Hoover Group. Its properties are similar to basalt - a natural stone of volcanic origin, resistant to alkalis and acids, and dolomite - a natural mineral, moisture resistant, but fragile. Silitek resistant to heat, has good sound absorption. It has excellent heat-insulating properties.
Which is better - plastic or stainless steel?
One of the criteria for choosing an AGR is the material of the tank. This element is considered the most important element in the AGR. If problems arise with the tank, they can lead to malfunction of other parts. To find out what this element is made of, is simple - you just need to slightly bend the gum of the hatch.
All washers can be divided into two groups, with tanks from:
- polymers;
- of stainless steel.
Metal
Once enameled metal tanks were considered very reliable. Now they are not released. They are durable and not subject to corrosion, but make the machine very heavy. In addition, during prolonged use, chips appear on the enameled surface - they are created by small solid objects falling into the drum. The enamel begins to crumble, the corrosion process starts, you have to either change the rotten part or throw away the washer. This state of affairs has forced manufacturers to focus on plastic and stainless steel.
Stainless steel
This is the most durable and durable material that is completely not afraid of water. But this option is not without drawbacks. Choosing reliability and long-term operation, you have to give way in some ways. Stainless steel tanks are expensive and also increase the noise level of the device. For many, the quiet operation of the washer is more important than other parameters, so consumers today are not particularly keen on the durability that stainless steel promises.
The metal has high heat transfer, so hot water in a steel tank cools faster than in plastic.
The main plus of stainless steel tanks is durability. To install them, the manufacturer must have good reason, the most important of which is the highest quality washing machines. Stainless steel is used only in washing machines designed for many years of work. Stainless steel is often found in Eurosoba, Miele and other leading manufacturers. But most brands use plastic in their models.
Plastic
Cheapness is not the only advantage of plastic. Although this factor is taken into account by manufacturers. Advantages of plastic tanks:
- Reduce vibration.
- Water cools more slowly.
- Do not rust, do not rot - this extends their life.
- They are cheaper than steel. SMA cost about 8% cheaper than machines with a steel counterpart.
Disadvantages of plastic elements also have:
- Less resistant to mechanical damage. Service wizards often face the fact that plastic elements are cracked due to shock. This happens most often during self-repair, for which users undertake. The most common damage is holes made with a screwdriver, or the fall of a heavy object.
Manufacturers do not stop improving their washing machines, and one of the ways is to improve the performance of plastic. Modern polymers are much stronger than their predecessors.
Conclusions
- There is no definite answer which material is better. Each buyer chooses a more suitable option. If you need an inexpensive machine, you need to look for an option with plastic. But the price range is very large - among models with plastic tanks there are a lot of both budget and expensive. If the buyer wants to purchase a premium CMA, counts on the long-term operation of the device and just prefers metal to plastic, then he should look for a washer with a stainless steel tank.
- None of the materials does not guarantee high-quality and uninterrupted operation. A metal tank is not a guarantee - cars with them can also break, and this is doubly offensive, since the cost of such models is quite high.
- Different types of plastic differ in their characteristics - strength, ductility, heat transfer and others.
The main problem of plastic is fragility and insufficient strength. It is in this that he is inferior to steel counterparts. Of the three materials examined, carboran looks the most reliable.