Define the water factor for a washing machine.

• A. The energy consumption per cycle
• B. The time per cycle
• C. The maximum water pressure allowed
• D. The number of gallons per cycle per cubic foot that the clothes washer uses.

Answer: (D)

Water factor shows how much water a clothes washer uses relative to its size. It’s defined as the gallons used per cycle divided by the interior drum capacity in cubic feet, so WF = gallons per cycle / cubic feet of capacity. A smaller number means less water per unit of laundry, indicating greater water efficiency. This is about water use, not how long a cycle runs or the water pressure, and it lets you compare different machines on an equal basis. For example, a washer that uses 12 gallons per cycle with 3.0 cubic feet of capacity has a water factor of 4 gallons per cycle per cubic foot.