General Electric laundry is back. Or so GE selling dealers hope as the manufacturer prepares to publicly launch a new high-end laundry set, aptly dubbed Harmony, sometime this spring.

The products, which sport a distinctive new look, are said to be compliant to all Energy Star ratings — perhaps through year 2007. The duo consists of a top-loading washer and a cable-connected matching dryer, both of king-size capacity. Noticeably different in appearance from earlier models, the dryer is easily recognized by its larger, windowed door. Electronics and interconnectivity play a major role. The washer communicates commands to the dryer to assure optimal drying for each load based on facts gathered by sensor measurements made during the wash cycle. This allows the user to transfer the load to the dryer and simply push one keypad without choosing a cycle or time.

The appearance of the washer is conspicuously different from other GE models— most noticeably in the bowed shape of its top. With the lid sloping smoothly downward from the center towards the front and back. Control panels sit on the back slope of the washer top as on the matching dryer.

Using electronically controlled, multispeed motor-drive technology clearly related to other recently developed high-end washers, such as the Maytag Neptune and the Whirlpool Calypso (and Duet), the Harmony’s main drive motor is of the AC variety, where frequency — not voltage — determines motor speed.

The washer has no agitator, accommodating large comforters and bed sheets within its unencumbered wash basket. But, don’t expect to see a Whirlpool Calypso clone since no nutate wash plate or other moving parts are found anywhere inside the basket. Wash action is achieved from slow basket rotation while relatively strong detergent and/or bleach solutions circulate continuously over the load. Maximum spin speed is 1100 r.p.m. The Harmony debuted during a meeting of GE Southeast Sales Managers last fall. Thanks to my friend Robert Yelverton (our local area sales manager in Alabama), who attended that event, for sharing this new product information.

Another reliable source indicates that LG Electronics of Korea (formerly Goldstar), under a business agreement with GE, is supplying new laundry and refrigeration products to GE. LG Electronics has been the known source of GE’s OTR and countertop microwave ovens for several years. Could the Harmony pair be part of this business arrangement? Given the outward description and advanced electronicsof the products, the answer appears to be yes. Some LG top-loaders (sold in Canada) have bowed tops with similar advanced electronics as well.

The LG brand top-loaders employ what is referred to as the Punch+3 wash system. According to service materials, this consists of a low-profile pulsator with a “punch” (the center activator, which employs an up and down wash action) plus three surrounding mini-pulsators located on the wash basket base. Although it is entirely possible that the Harmony will be different from other LG models and have no pulsator or other moving parts within the wash basket, it’s also possible that it will be identical. Given that Harmony was described only after viewing photos and that an actual physical model wasn’t available to inspect, one can wonder how far away an actual model was — perhaps Korea?

The “fuzzy logic” control system employed by LG top-loaders currently sold in Canada is similar to the electronic control system in the Harmony. According to LG service materials, fuzzy logic sensors control water temperature, load, and imbalance while choosing optimal cycle times based on the size and type of load. With a control system that “learns and adjusts” by continuously monitoring sensors for fresh readings, data is fed back to a computer to be interpreted and then to control everything that needs to be changed to achieve optimum performance in relation to energy, water requirements, and time.