Fagor 24-Inch Washer/Dryer Combination with 16 Program Settings/13-Pound Capacity

by Fagor America, Inc.

Product Features

• Ultimate 2 in 1 laundry solution
• 16 Wash programs
• Advance balance system
• Anti-crease reversing system
• Product specification: 33-1/2-Inch H by 23.62-Inch W by 23.62-Inch D, 220Volt

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Product Description

Fagor's FAS3612 White Washer-Dryer Combination units feature the benefits of two appliances in one space saving unit. These smart front loading units perfectly accommodate apartments and small spaces with impressive results. Many great feature to this unit includes: variable Spin speed up to 1200 rpm, Turbo-Time, interactive LCD, and 180 Degree door opening.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

124 of 124 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfactory replacement for GE Spacemaker February 5, 2011

By Michael Trachtenberg

Color Name:White

I replaced a stacked GE Spacemaker laundry center with a Fagor FAS-3612 after the town cited me for improper venting. As I'm moving shortly and either selling or renting, I wasn't interested in doing extensive remodeling to meet code. Luckily, the Fagor became available around the time I began my search. I ordered it from AJ Madison and was satisfied with them.

There was an existing 240V circuit for the old unit that figured heavily in my buying decision. Most of the new combination units run on 120V, which seems wimpy given the physics involved in washing and drying clothes. The Fagor requires a 240V NEMA 6-15R receptacle and draws 10 amps. If not for the modest changes to the existing wiring, particularly if I only had 120V, I would have gone with an LG.

Installation
The machine heats its own water and needs just a cold water hookup, so I capped off the hot. The included hose leaked like a sieve from the connector no matter how hard I tightened it. I reused a Watts anti-flood hose. Installation was otherwise uneventful.

A mounting bolt cover on the back of the machine was broken on arrival. It's hidden, so no big deal.

My only other note is the machine fits in approximately the same footprint as the GE but is half the height. The old machine hid all kinds of nastiness behind it. Since it's in finished space, I'm trying to get it presentable. The door opening is very low; the top of the machine is counter height and can be removed to mount under a counter.

Washing
The Fagor washes very well and has a lot of features, too many to list. Because it has no agitator, it holds markedly more than the GE. I didn't appreciate this until I washed bedding.

There are no settings for temperature and water level, per se.... Instead, you select a program from a dial and then modify it as you need. The program is a template that works like a Chinese restaurant menu: #5 gets you a normal 140şF wash; push some buttons to get an intensive wash, easy iron, extra rinse, etc. I've settled on one setting for whites and another for colors. It will heat up to 194°F should the need arise.

Detergent goes in one of three troughs depending on whether it's pre-wash, wash, or fabric softener. The manual says you need an optional accessory to use liquid detergent but tech support disputed that and I've used liquid since.

The manufacturer recommends a mixture of small and large items. I had one incident where the machine could not balance the load, but then washed identical loads several times after with no problem. It goes through its business unobtrusively, except when it spins up like a turbine to dry. It has a clear door and I like watching it work.

Total cycle time, including "drying," ranges between 1:10 and 1:30. There is no need to transfer clothes from washer to dryer because it all happens in the same drum, but there is also no way to wash one load while drying another.

Drying
This is in no way, shape, or form a dryer. The best I can call it is a water extractor, or high-tech wringer that spins clothes at 1200 RPM. The clothes come out damp, albeit markedly dryer than from a conventional washing machine. This is just how this type of machine works. After the town cited me, I was forced to use a clothes rack and hoped to be rid of it. Oh well. In response to my inquiry, the manufacturer advised me not to overload the drum. No question that smaller loads dry better. Anyhow, I've had the machine a couple of months as of this writing and have gotten used to it. You should be able to hang things in your closet straight from the Fagor, with everything else going on a rack. Panasonic's NA-VR1000 is a similar unit but with an efficient heat pump dryer. If it ever comes stateside and isn't exorbitant, the Fagor may be a tough sell.

One feature I use often is delayed drying. The machine runs the wash cycle and soaks the clothes until you push a button to start the 10-minute drying cycle.

Other comments
Maintenance is fussy. You're supposed to leave the door open a while after you're done so the machine can dry out. My main complaint is a lint filter at the bottom of the machine, which requires periodic cleaning. Once you open it you will have water spewing as if from a garden hose. The manual suggests catching it with a plate, but there is no clearance between the filter and the floor. Not sure what they were thinking.

These combination units are markedly more efficient and sophisticated than the old-style stacked ones, like comparing a '79 Ford and '10 BMW. I like the controls and display. Electric usage is pegged at 115 KWH per year and water usage is also light. Downside is the old units have a good track record and the new ones will have to establish themselves. I know that front-loaders are typically less reliable.

Overall
The acid test is whether I'd buy it again? The answer is, yes. Read more ›

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars love it, quiet, efficient and sleek all around December 4, 2011

By S. Clay

Color Name:White|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just love this machine it is the best buy in a machine I have invested in. Now I can wash and dry my clothes whenever...

I have heard some people say it doesn't dry I say...stop being lazy. If you open the hatch as soon as it allows you to from its safety feature... and leave it open until the clothes are cooled off enough to take out of the dryer (because yes they get scalding hot!)then they will definitely be dry sometimes I don't even do that and they are dry it just depends how many clothes you put in. If you put the full weight limit I would say try and leave the hatch open for 10-15 min and you should be fine or run it one more time on dry for 20 min and you should be good.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the plug is so awkward and it took a lot just to convince my uncle (my landlord) to switch the only 220v outlet I had in the house to the plug I needed which thankfully was in the kitchen but unfortunately meant I could not use my stove. Also if I ever move how in the world will I be able to get my unit hooked up??? THAT plug is where the headache lies...

I have even washed my bed covers in there however I don't know how it would have come out if the cover was heavier...hmmm...But I believe that my cover is a comforter its just the outside of the material is silky to the touch sort of. This unit is more than worth buying some cheap washer and dryer on craigslist and having to do the laundry in a dark creepy basement.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars IDEAL WASHER/DRYER September 11, 2011

By Thomas H. Freeman

Color Name:White|Amazon Verified Purchase

HAVE HAD THIS UNIT FOR TWO WEEKS, AND FOR TWO PEOPLE THIS UNIT IS EXCELLENT. JUST SET AND LEAVE ALONE. ITEMS WILL DRY COMPLETELY IF NOT OVER LOADED. BECAUSE OF THE CONDENSATION DRYING THERE IS NO STATIC.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very sleek. Feels very heavy duty. So far I am very pleased. September 28, 2012

By Robynn

Color Name:White

I found an awesome video that is Fagor's own DVD that someone uploaded on You Tube that shows the basic how to instructions for this exact Fagor washer/dryer combo machine FAS3612 and FAS3612X. (X- is the same exact model in stainless.)This DVD does not come with your new washer but you will want to have this video to watch when you are first learning to use this washer. The washer is complicated until you know the machine then it is easy. The manual is not completely clear. I did not have this video when I first tried out the machine. (Oh how I wish I had found this video first.)
[...]
This little 7 minute video will save you HOURS of trial and error trying figure out how to use the dryer component. It is so simple but not clearly explained in the manual.

I just got my washer but I have only been able to use my washer for 2 days because of issues which I will go into later after the dust has settled. I have washed approximately 10 loads including a queen size quilt, a double bedspread, and a twin blanket. I love that I can wash blankets and comforters in this machine and they are coming out very nice and clean. I could not do that in my old machine. I have not dried 10 loads (thankfully I have the backup of my old Maytag dryer. which is on a stacking wrack over my new Fagor machine. While I am catching up on lots of laundry and learning HOW the dryer function is going to work best for me. I could NOT have done 10 loads in such a short time period 2- days if I was using the drier component of the washer 100 percent. (maybe once i understand it but not yet) I am doing trial and error trying to figure out how long it takes to dry various loads so having the back up of a dryer has been wonderful. I call it the best of both worlds....

Now that my new Fagor washer dryer combo is up and running-- I must say that I am very impressed. I have been using the laundry mat and a friend's fancy Fisher Paykel washer for 3-4 months after my 30 year old Maytag finally bit the dust. I loved my Maytag. It was the top of the line in it's day and it gave me very little problems so I used it until it was pronounced dead and I was very sad to say goodbye. The Fisher Paykel machine that my friend owns, I had helped to research and pick out-- and it was the nicest washer that I had ever used (I admit that I was slightly jealous.) I the Fisher Paykel is a slow washer and that drove me nuts since I was in someone else's house waiting for a load to finish for what seemed like forever, but it got the clothes very bright and clean and I understand that slow is the new modern way of washers and I was going to have to accept that. (Thank goodness, I had a taste of slow washing already because yes this Fagor machine is slow.) Using mostly the old laundry mat for 3 months as I did, my clothes were getting extremely dingy. Stains were NOT coming out and then every now and then I would use the Fisher Paykel machine at my friend's house and my clothes would be noticeably much cleaner with one wash but it could only do so much even with bleach.

My first load in the Fagor Washer Dryer Combo was with bated breath, I had spent so much $$ on this machine and I had waited so long for it to arrive. I had run into issues with the wrong hoses being shipped, not fitting, and water squirting everywhere (I will explain that more later) so my first wash load (It took forever to figure out the little manual) I had to go back on line and read what the others here had typed about using the dryer program and it took me a few loads to get the dryer mostly figured out. So when the first load washed on PROGRAM-4 (Which is normal wash- warm- 104 degrees)came out of the washer, the clothes were steaming hot, wet, and they were SO CLEAN. WOW, Oh my gosh, stains were mostly all gone (without using bleach) I have a pair of off white cotton pants that I have worn in the garden and muck all summer which had ground in dirt stains. I had gotten them as clean as I thought was humanly possible with several bleach washings. Oh my word, the Fagor got most of the stains out (they have only a few light spots left),I bet that those stains WILL come out with a more intense wash program on this machine.

I spent a long time trying to figure out the manual, face it, it is written in English but for people who are used to these type of machines. There are missing pieces of key information for Americans-- thank goodness for this sight where we can share our experiences. And the above video.

Someone mentioned (I don't know if it was at this site or another site) that their clothes don't shrink. (I think that they must be using the gentle dry cycle. I have not tested that Program for shrinkage yet.) I tested the Normal Hot Program with a pair of Jeans that were a size too big and had been dryed on HOT in 5 different gas and electric dryers since I bought them (I could not shrink them). I was trying to shrink them all summer. Well one trip through the FAGOR Normal Hot Dryer Program, (@170 degrees per a phone call to Fagor Tech support.) I got the clothes bone dry and shrunk those pants in legnth and girth. Maybe I over dried them I am not used to this machine yet and it is hard to guess how long to set the machine to dry. I did something like this with the load that had the jeans (Drier time-- 20 minutes, walk away come back 2 hours later, no not dry yet still very wet, 30 more minutes walk away for 2 hours, no not dry yet, hmm I will try 70 minutes this time or I will never get this load finished.)

Something that you CANNOT do with this dryer is dry a little then open the door and pull something out or add another item. I like to dry that way. This machine LOCKS and will not open the door until the inside has cooled to a certain degree before you can open the door. Hence the walking away and forgetting to come back and check on the dryer again for hours. It would be much easier if you could open the door and test for dryness. I guess 170 degrees probably would scald you checking the laundry. But you waste all that heat inside the drum waiting for the load to cool off to pull something out or add something. I will have to learn how long through trial and error that it takes to dry different weights of fabric. Sheets vs towels for example then set the dryer accordingly to pull things out at the point I want to hang them up.

There is a Delicate Dry Program which I will try next to determine shrinkage. That may be the way to go with clothes. I don't know how hot the Delicate Dry Program gets that is not in the manual. It is recommended for synthetics. (And these jeans do have a stretch to the material so they probably should have been on the delicate heat because of the strech fabric) I am happy to have shrunk them- but be warned!

I have learned that it is well worth adding the extra 10 minutes to have a gentler spin using the Anti Crease Option. Otherwise the clothes are seriously wrinkled and the wrinkles don't hang out when the clothes are hung up wet. Even sheets I will use that Anti Crease option every time from now on. There is also a NO SPIN option for very delicate fabrics and clothes. I have not tested that one.

Prior to buying this machine I had asked everyone if they use H.E soap and or bleach and everyone told me NO to both. I asked my trusted repairman and he told me that Bleach wears out the rubber gaskets and things deep in the inner workings of the machines. (He is not familiar with Fagor yet but we did get him signed up to be THE Fagor Repair Specialist because there were none in my state.) He told me use bleach only very sparingly and remember that I need a lot less bleach than with a traditional washer because there is so much less water. He recommends not ever using bleach. Because there is a thin peice of metal (generic washer information) that is part of the spider mechanism that bleach eats. I am using H.E. soap I bought the little measured packs that you toss in the washer with the load of clothes. I am very pleased with H.E. soap (I bought these packets for the laundry mat and it helped get the clothes the cleanest possible in those crappy machines. My repairman told me also that he sees the non H.E. soaps are hard on the inner parts of the front loaders and actually causes them to wear out faster. The dirt floats on top of the old fashioned detergents and therefore float the dirt and soap debri up into areas where it can do damage when it is left behind. He said that the enzymes in those soaps continue to eat at the bearings and that thin piece of metal in the spider of these machines. Amounting to expensive repairs. He recommended using only H.E. soaps in all the front loaders. The Fagor mamual does not mention pros or cons of H.E soap. The repairman told me that also vinegar, and borax are perfectly fine to use in top loader machines-- in general they should do no harm. The same with bleach substitutes.

I really like that this machine is very quiet and smooth. It rather purrs like a little cat. This is the quietest washing machine I have ever used. I have it located it my bathroom which is just off my bedroom and in the center of my house. Normally I do not feel the vibration of the machine. But when it is unbalanced then the vibrations increase increase increase. I was sitting on my bed talking on the phone when the load went unbalanced. The machine is new so I didn't know what was happening. (User error I am sure) I laughed so hard as my bed began to vibrate,more and more and more, remember motels with the 25 cent bed vibrators? It was just like that. We used to love those when we were kids. Anyway that is not the regular experience with this washer. And while it was loud it wasn't obnoxiously loud. In fact the old washer made more noise every time I ran it. But I never had a mechanical vibrating bed outside of a cheap motel before. It was hysterical.

I will keep coming back to add to this as I am learning more about this machine. Read more ›