Description
What the WM3555HWA is and where it fits
This is the smallest serious laundry appliance in this catalog. At 24 inches wide and 155 pounds, with a cabinet listed at 23 by 24 by 34 inches, it fits under a counter or into a closet where nothing else will go, and it washes and dries in one drum so no second machine is needed. LG’s own capacity figures disagree with each other: the product title says 2.3 cubic feet and the description says 2.4, and neither is large. That is roughly half the drum of a mainstream front loader, which is the honest trade for the footprint. Where it belongs is a studio apartment, a condominium, a boat, or a second laundry point in a large house.
Living with it day to day
The drying arrangement is the thing to understand before buying. LG describes ventless condensing drying, which is a different and older technology from the heat pump drying used by the LG WM6998HBA and the GE PFQ97HSPVDS. A condensing dryer cools the moist air to drop the water out of it rather than recycling the heat, which means no duct is needed but the process is slower and less efficient than a heat pump. LG’s own published figures reflect that: an Integrated Water Factor of 4.2 against the 2.9 published for its standalone WM3400CW washer, and an Integrated Modified Energy Factor of 2.07 against 2.92. Lower IMEF and higher IWF both mean worse, and LG states plainly that this model is not Energy Star qualified.
The specification lists one drying cycle against 14 wash cycles, which tells its own story about where the engineering attention went. Realistically the wash performance here is proper LG front loader work at 1400 rpm with a NeveRust stainless drum, an internal water heater and steam, and the drying is a convenience that removes the need for a second machine rather than a replacement for a real dryer. A combined wash and dry on a compact combo takes a long time, and the drying capacity is smaller than the wash capacity because clothes need air space to tumble.
Controls and connected features
ThinQ connectivity is included, with ThinQ Care sending usage, maintenance and early diagnosis alerts to a phone, and an AI Fabric Sensor that detects fabric texture and load size and sets the wash accordingly. The control panel is described as having hard buttons, touch buttons and LG’s Dial-A-Cycle selector, with no full touch display, which is a good arrangement: there is a mechanical fallback, so a screen failure does not take the appliance out of service.
The Allergiene cycle is AAFA certified, with LG stating removal of over 95 percent of pet dander and dust. As with every connected appliance, washing and drying run from the machine’s own control board and complete with no network, so losing the app costs notifications and remote start rather than function. On a machine that runs very long combined cycles, the notification is more useful here than on a fast standalone washer, because there is a real chance of forgetting a load that has been running for three hours.
Running cost and upkeep
No electrical specification is published. The fuel type is listed as electric and a power cord is among the included components, but no voltage, no amperage and no circuit requirement appears anywhere, and this is precisely the appliance where the answer cannot be assumed: compact ventless combination machines exist in both ordinary outlet and dedicated circuit forms depending on the heater. LG’s installation manual is the authority and the existing outlet should be checked against it before ordering. The included components list is explicit that there is no venting duct, which confirms the ventless design and means no exterior wall is needed.
Hot and cold water supply hoses are included, and both are required. That matters more than usual here: a condensing dryer uses water to cool the moist air, so the water connection is in use during the drying stage as well as the wash, which is part of why the published Integrated Water Factor is high. Anyone on metered water should factor that in. Upkeep is standard front loader practice plus a compact machine’s particular weakness: a small sealed drum that is used for both wet washing and warm drying needs the door left ajar between cycles, the gasket wiped, and a tub clean cycle run on schedule, or it will smell. The condenser path also collects lint and needs periodic cleaning. One listing contradiction worth naming: the description gives the color as Graphite Steel while the specification data records the finish as White, and the model suffix on this listing is the white one. Other machines in this format sit under all in one combination washers and dryers, including the full size Samsung WD53DBA900HZ.
Highlights
- Just 24 inches wide, so it fits where no other laundry appliance will.
- Washes and dries in one drum with no venting duct required at all.
- LG publishes real efficiency metrics, IMEF 2.07 and IWF 4.2, which allows honest comparison.
- Fourteen wash cycles, 1400 rpm spin, an internal water heater and steam.
- Hard buttons and a cycle dial alongside the touch controls, so there is a mechanical fallback.
- At 155 pounds it is light enough for a straightforward installation.
Things To Consider
- Capacity is 2.3 cubic feet in the title and 2.4 in the description, and both are small.
- LG states the model is not Energy Star qualified, and the published efficiency figures are worse than its standalone washers.
- Condensing drying uses water during the dry cycle, which shows in the 4.2 water factor.
- Only one drying cycle is listed against fourteen wash cycles.
- No electrical specification is published, which cannot be assumed on a compact combo.
- The description says Graphite Steel while the specification data says White.
Who it is not for
A family cannot run its laundry through a 2.4 cubic foot drum that also has to dry, and should not try. Anyone with space for a separate washer and dryer will get faster laundry, better drying and cheaper repairs from two machines. Households on metered water should note that condensing drying consumes water, which a heat pump combo does not. And anyone who needs laundry finished quickly should look elsewhere entirely, because a compact combination unit is the slowest way to do a load of washing that exists in a modern home.
