Virtually waterless washing machine edges closer to production

[dukebound85]

Don't consider me stupid, but I really don't see the point in 'saving water'? There's tonnes of the stuff about and it's pretty, no, very easy to make usable...

tons? you arent familiar with the western US where we are regulated to times to run hoses and such

plus droughts are a huge concern

also, lake mead (which supplies water to most of the south western area near vegas and such is expected to run out of water in the next 15 years or so

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0213lakemead01213.html

just one of many examples

i fear you are fairly ignorant of the issue

 

[flyfish29]

You are right that water is the one thing we have the most of. But transporting it is expensive, You need pumps and pipes. But also after it is used you have to transport it back through a sewage system, more pumps and pipes. It needs to be treated at each end which costs energry.


Where I live, in So Calif. (Redondo Beach) we have water mains for re-cycled water. this is sewage that has been treated. It is clean enough for many uses. In theory one could drink it but it is marked as non-potable. We see it used here for watering puplic parks, schools and roadway medians. This water then finds it's way back to the water table or the ocean.

The Earth has many rocks too. Maybe even more rock than seawater. But have you ever had to buy rock delived to the house? It goes for about $100 per cubic yard. You don't really pay for the rock yu pay for delivery of the rock. Same with water.

Very well put!

 

[iJohnHenry]

Washers 50+ years ago, like this one...

had 2 hoses, one to discharge dirty water into a plugged laundry tub, and the other to draw it back in again for another load.

Worked very well, unless you were digging ditches for a living.

 

[localoid]

Washers 50+ years ago, like this one...
...

You can still buy new wringer washers, but they cost a bit more than they used too..

 

[velocityg4]

I saw a photo of a toilet with a sink built into the top of the toilet tank. When you flush the toilet, you wash your hands in the little sink -- and that water drains down and fills the toilet tank for the next flush. Brilliant!

At least it does not work the other way around.

Another concern with the Plastic chips is how reusable would they be. Think about all that would fill your pockets, having them floating around in your undergarments, hundreds of the little suckers in your socks, they would also get all over the floor.

They would just get all over your house. Just think of the headaches hotels and aircraft carriers would have to deal with.

 

[true777]

While I am all for water conservation this sounds like a bad idea. The plastic chips would most definitely take a toll on your clothes, probably to the point of ruining fine garments. The hygienic aspects are also unclear: How could plastic chips actually get microscopic particles out from deep within the fiber (such as dried sweat, urine in baby clothes, etc.)? Sounds unlikely to me. I think it's pretty safe to say that this product's success will be marginal at best.

 

[Pani]

Cool Invention

Cool Invention. What is really sad is that from famine, to water shortage, to the oil "crisis," we can find solutions. Only we haven't been applying ourselves. Our entire society is based on making short term profits for those already in power. It is NOT that the world has insurmountable problems. It is that we haven't even seriously tried to find workable solutions!!!