Product review (5 stars): LG WM3488HW Washer/Dryer - Smart, Efficient, Quiet!
We ordered our LG WM3488HW washer/dryer at a great price without sales tax on Amazon.com's website and selected a friendly vendor, Specialized Appliances (FJS Distributors in Duluth, MN). Proprietors Jenny and Richard Mertz called us back to set up free delivery with shipping carrier, Old Dominium Freight, who delivered our LG WM3488HW promptly in perfect condition.

In December, 2016 we purchased this compact all-in-one washer/dryer LG WM3488HW (white 2016 model) in order to replace our old trustworthy LG WM3431HS (silver 2005 model) that lasted for more than 11 years. Like the 2005 model, this 2016 model is designed to be VENTLESS, so it doesn't require an exhaust hood/duct.

This new 2016 model has many very useful, modern high-technology features (listed on the LG website). As an engineer living in a NYC apartment with my family, I appreciate efficient, well-designed products, and this high-tech product is environmentally-friendly, compact and extremely quiet. It offers many advanced features, including "label-on" and impressive "smart" sensors that automatically monitor clothing and wash/dry processes, offering real performance and convenience to families.

Upon arrival of the LG WM3488HW, you FIRST must personally examine the unit carefully to ensure that it is in brand-new condition in a factory-sealed box so it can be installed properly. SECOND, this LG washer/dryer is fairly easy to install but it MUST be carefully LEVELED on your floor by a good professional who has had real previous LG installation experience and is not in a hurry. Since we had experience with our previous 2005 model, we did the delivery truck LG inspection and installation. It took about two hours and we had no problems at all.

The modern LG WM3488HW  high-technology features are useful and the washer/dryer is quiet and performs flawlessly. Drying in high-tech ventless washer/dryers like this one can actually take up to 4 hours, but all our delicate clothes finish perfectly soft and dry, and we are still able to do 3 loads of laundry daily. We can first load the machine in the morning so laundry is ready when we come home from work. We can load the unit again when we come home from work so laundry is ready before we go to bed. We can also load the unit again before bed so laundry is ready in the morning.

My wife and I experimented with many high-efficiency detergents or fabric softeners. It is best to use only high-efficiency laundry detergents and fabric softeners with this LG washer/dryer, and we use a variety, mostly from Costco. We find that there are many high-technology settings, options and sensors to ensure that clothes come out soft and dry, so we have discovered that it isn't necessary to use fabric softener. As an engineer, I noticed that some common commercial high-efficiency detergents and fabric softener products have complex organic compounds which actually can cause strong laundry room "burning smells" attributed by users on websites to rubber seals used within LG's high-tech washer/dryer. Such bad smells, presumed by users to fade over time, can be caused by artifacts of high-efficiency laundry detergents and fabric softeners, and results vary depending upon manufacturer. LG washer/dryer seals are made of materials that DON'T cause this issue. To eliminate this issue as we did, try switching to other high-efficiency detergents and other fabric softeners, carefully read the labels on clothing for laundering suggestions (particularly on acrylic wash and wear items sports clothing), and carefully read the LG WM3488HW User Guide to become more familiar with its many advanced features which let you easily customize the washer/dryer to meet particular needs automatically for your clothes. In particular, closely follow simple suggestions in the User Guide about NOT trying to unnecessarily heat-dry clothing with a high "plastic" content (acrylics like nylon, rayon and drip-dry sports wear materials). Modern high-tech sports wear does NOT need to be dried with heat because it naturally drip dries and should be removed slightly damp to air dry. You can certainly choose to run a WASH and DRY cycle on any clothing with a high plastic content, but it is unnecessary and can cause the strong laundry room "burning smells" attributed by some users. After we closely followed these suggestions in the LG User Guide, any such issues disappeared and clothes came out perfectly.

You don't need to read the LG WM3488HW User Guide to use this great washer/dryer because it's really simply "plug-and-play" and completely automatic. However, this washer/dryer has amazing advanced features that are optional. Such advanced optional features allow adventurous users to program the LG WM3488HW for special needs, and it even has self-diagnostic features that can be used to troubleshoot potential problems.

After over 11 years as users of our trustworthy 2005 LG WM3431HS, we had responsive technical support and helpful customer service from LG, which offers toll-free telephone and internet support. We are confident that our new 2016 LG WM3488HW, with its smart sensors and self-diagnostic features, will serve us very well.