Thread Number: 1455
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Post# 59126   3/5/2005 at 17:55 (6,963 days old) by compwhiz ()   |   | |
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Why did some old automatic washers not have a cold water setting? |
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Post# 59135 , Reply# 2   3/5/2005 at 18:24 (6,963 days old) by cehalstead (Charleston, WV)   |   | |
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Another reason for warm only rinses was the low cost of energy to heat the water in the 50's and 60's. |
Post# 59138 , Reply# 3   3/5/2005 at 18:37 (6,963 days old) by laundramatt (Youngstown, Ohio)   |   | |
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Probably the best reason was that there were no fabrics that demanded cold water for the wash cycle, at least early on. |
Post# 59139 , Reply# 4   3/5/2005 at 18:39 (6,963 days old) by kenmore1978 ()   |   | |
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Cottons and woolens shrink in warm/hot water, non-colorfast clothes fade and run |
Post# 59226 , Reply# 6   3/6/2005 at 10:49 (6,962 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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Sorry,turning the hot water down on my 56 WP just shuts the water flow off altogether. The valve has thermostat in it to prevent any cold water wash. I really don't wash anything much in cold water in any of my machines anyway.I wear bright colors most of the time,and have not noticed any fading. I think the type of detergent used is more important than the wash temp. Of course I would not wash colors in HOT water though. The machine has: HOT MED WARM settings. The rinses are all the same temp. I would consider the rinse temp. to be cool. Rick |
Post# 59229 , Reply# 7   3/6/2005 at 10:54 (6,962 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 59233 , Reply# 8   3/6/2005 at 12:14 (6,962 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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Post# 59248 , Reply# 13   3/6/2005 at 16:34 (6,962 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 59249 , Reply# 14   3/6/2005 at 17:15 (6,962 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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The water valve could be replaced. I think Robert puts the later style in his early WP machines. They can be adapted easily. Then you can have HOT/MED/COLD,instead of HOT/MED/WARM like the original design.(I don't know what the rinse temp ends up like in this case,Robert could tell us).Since I don't have a use for a cold wash on this machine,I used the original valve. I use the 65 KM for any COLD wash I might have.(a silk tablecloth I have,thats about it)The 65 KM even has a COLD wash COLD rinse setting. Rick |
Post# 59264 , Reply# 16   3/6/2005 at 19:48 (6,961 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)   |   | |
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Early detergents were made from soap which had a base usually of animals fats. The warm water was to aid in the removal of these soaps to stop the soap scum buidling up. |
Post# 59292 , Reply# 17   3/6/2005 at 22:15 (6,961 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Sorry but Whirlpool was not "ahead of its time" by using a thermostatic water valve. Bendix first did it in 1938 and almost all vintage washers had these valves until the late 50's. You couldn't just turn the hot water off because as Rick said the valve would call for hot water and shut off the cold to try and regulate the temperature. These vintage thermostatic valves usually work really well too. The warm is a perfect 100 degrees. Rick, you are right in my '52 Whirlpool I placed a modern valve in there for a hot, warm, or cold wash with a cold rinse. |
Post# 59304 , Reply# 18   3/7/2005 at 00:00 (6,961 days old) by kenmore1978 ()   |   | |
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I stand corrected. As usual, it amazes me how they'll bring some old idea back that used to be common and tout it as NEW, in this ATC water valves in newer machines. |
Post# 60932 , Reply# 20   3/22/2005 at 15:22 (6,946 days old) by agitatethis ()   |   | |
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The truth of the matter is, with lots of debate going on over this, hot water didn't come along till the early 1970's. Before then, it was merely warm water.LOL. |