Topic: Need Washer Advice

[DockMan]

Alright Ladies and Gents,

It appears that my washing machine may have given up the Christmas Spirit. It was a good unit that has served us well....there will be a short service this evening . It is/was a Whirlpool Duet Front Loading Washer about 5.5 years old. An I am looking for suggestions on what to replace it with and where to buy the replacement from.

A couple of concerns:

1. I think that I will require an internal water heater. We have young kids and a disabled child so we keep our hot water well below scalding level. (You can wash your hands at our house with little discomfort with only the hot water tap on) This is not near ideal washing temp for whites and think that this would be a great thing to have.

2. I would also like a delay timer to do laundry late at night while everyone sleeps and electricity is cheap.

Advice?

[tpl]

Water heater.   You could have a small demand heater installed just to run the washer and maybe dishwasher...might be easier. I am sure there are NA washing machines with internal heaters but I have never seen one. ( of course a lot of EUland washers have heaters but that is not much help)

Delay timers seem to be getting more common now.

[DockMan]

I thought the front loaders would last longer than 5.5 yrs. Is major failure at that age considered normal?

I would have hoped for longer life, but what is......is. I know that the old top load battle tank that my folks had lasted better than 15 years and was thoroughly abused daily.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Re: Need Washer Advice
It appears that my washing machine may have given up the Christmas Spirit. It was a good unit that has served us well"We have young kids and a disabled child "

Stop putting the kids in the machine use a bath, and the machine may last long

Check to see if they are still give pst rebates on energy star machine

here one on sale at Leons ( not sure if it is energy star) http://www.leons.ca/shared/product/product.aspx?ItemId=0&ChildItemId=204921

[inco]

But, but all of those energy conscious people say you don't need hot water to wash clothes. Cold water is the new in. Can they be wrong? Well around this house whites still get the hot water and I'm never going to win that argument.

As to the heater why not just dial down the temperature of your water heater? One less complication and great idea for doing it during the night and as Tpl suggested, a wall timer would work best. Keep it simple and maybe the next one will last longer because 5.5 years does seem awfully short.

[wing]

I have never washed clothes in hot water.

[johngenx]

I have never washed clothes in hot water.

Me neither.  Always cold water.

[tpl]

Inco old buddy I think you misread my post.... all of it. But a wall time for the washing machine IS a good idea for an old technology machine  If the machine has an internal heater then it will have to be a heavy duty one but thats no problem.

BUT modern washing machines can't run on a timer unless its built in.

Example: our 2 year old front loader.   If there is no power and you press "start"   and then later apply power it won't start. Cos the computer has not seen a "start" command  as it was not powered up.   Also if our machine gets a power cut after it has started it requires the start button to be pressed when power returns but I am 80% sure that it will restart at the place it left off.

So You need an old fashioned machine with a mechanical clock to use a timer on the wall.

[dr_spock]

I have never washed clothes in hot water.

Me neither.  Always cold water.

Always cold in the washing machine.   I did use warm water when I used to wash clothes by hand as a poor university student.

Our Kenmore front loader gets daily use for the last several years.  Can't until the kids move out. 

[Ex-airbalancer]

How many manufactures are out there
Whirlpool I believe own Inglis, and Maytag
I have seen Maytag that are built in Korean
Kenmore machine are outsourced also

Have you tried to get a service guy in , could be just a bad board

[inco]

Inco old buddy I think you misread my post.... all of it. But a wall time for the washing machine IS a good idea for an old technology machine  If the machine has an internal heater then it will have to be a heavy duty one but thats no problem.

BUT modern washing machines can't run on a timer unless its built in.

Example: our 2 year old front loader.   If there is no power and you press "start"   and then later apply power it won't start. Cos the computer has not seen a "start" command  as it was not powered up.   Also if our machine gets a power cut after it has started it requires the start button to be pressed when power returns but I am 80% sure that it will restart at the place it left off.

So You need an old fashioned machine with a mechanical clock to use a timer on the wall.

Whatever.. I was relating the 'delay timer' to a wall timer, but I understand the difficulties.

[DockMan]

Got a second opinion by a different service guy this morning. Looks like the old girl is back in action.

He took the thing apart and found some interesting items in a secondary drainage filter that the manual does not speak of.

• 2 stones, driveway gravel size (presumably from my youngest son who is a stone kleptomaniac/aficionado)
• a clothing label (long thin plastic one that speaks of the size on shirts or pants)
• a steel ring (like a binder ring for a notebook)

The service guys assumption is that this crap was conspiring to limit the drainage speed of the unit and it was timing out before a sensor could tell that the machine had drained properly. Well dodged the bullet on that one.

@AB - We only use the washing machine for the kids when absolutely necessary. They have trouble with dizziness after the spin cycle.

[safristi]

..maybe a $4 padlock would be an devestmentInvestment.............".eveyrbodies gotta get stoned.".........man that's hard work doing those silk sheets onna ROCK.....Maytaga Whirltata..............

[dr_spock]

Probably wouldn't hurt to check all pockets before putting in the washer.  

[barrie1]

The latest Consumer Magazine has a article about how much to spend on repairing your broken appliances before you replace them. Quite often its cheaper to repair the one you have instead of replacing it as they have suggested amounts to spend and stop spending at when you reach that point. Inglis- Whirlpool are generally 2 of the better brands on the market as we have used both brands in our home for many years. Even tho Maytag advertises as being the Best they are not according to the ratings given by Consumers any more. In Canada Canco builds for many brands and I believe Westhouse,General Electric,Inglis,Sears,Brentwood McClary Easy and possibly more are covered as well as some of the Woods brand products and SpeedQueen as well. Many are identicle except for the label on the outside so parts should be easy to obtain. 

[ktm525]

With front loaders the delay wash is not always ideal. If wet clothes are left in the washer too long they can become "musty". Our Kenmore HE3 has been solid for 5 years being used daily. A common complaint with front loaders is the musty smell that can develop. With proper steps (wiping the seal and opening the door and detergent tray this can be avoided.). The amount of enrergy, detergent and water saved by a front-loader makes these steps worth it.

My Kenmore HE3 says "made in Germany". Bosch?

[safristi]

Can anyone here explain (with a straighT face!!!)...why washing machines that were $400- TO $600 tops ARE NOW IN red AND FRONT LOADED!!! ( ..AND BACK loaded TOO PROLLY!!!) FER $1,200 TO $2,400......IS OUR crap THAT more dirty   TO REMOVE,,,,,OR OUR dollars THAT MORE EASY TO remove FROM OUR DIRTY POCKETS........



 .....AND LESS THAN A DOZEN Years FROM A SIMPLE APPLIANCE LIKE A WASHER IS A dirty sin..THEY SHOULD go to hell INNA WASHBASKET FER THAT....................

[tpl]

I'd like to know.    What legally available  HE detergents will get curry stains and bacon grease marks out of Polyester and cotton blend shirts in cold or warm water.

I think none.... bring back phosphates.

[rrocket]

Pre-treat with something before hand, like Oxy-Clean. 

[Ex-airbalancer]

I'd like to know.    What legally available  HE detergents will get curry stains and bacon grease marks out of Polyester and cotton blend shirts in cold or warm water.

I think none.... bring back phosphates.

I have some bibs I could let you use