Thread Number: 3498
the less common way of washing
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Post# 86450   10/1/2005 at 22:45 (6,752 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
more modern portables or twin tubbing on a grand scale

the maytags are hidden behind the haiers





Post# 86495 , Reply# 1   10/2/2005 at 09:50 (6,752 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hey Pete, great machines are these yours?

Post# 86541 , Reply# 2   10/2/2005 at 14:09 (6,752 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I started out with one and ended up with 6

my latest one I got are frontloaders

this is the washer


Post# 86542 , Reply# 3   10/2/2005 at 14:10 (6,752 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
this is the washer dryer combo



Post# 86576 , Reply# 4   10/2/2005 at 18:36 (6,751 days old) by acerone ()        

Here's a interesting model..

Post# 86591 , Reply# 5   10/2/2005 at 19:43 (6,751 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)        

pulsator's profile picture
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GIMME GIMME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post# 86595 , Reply# 6   10/2/2005 at 19:48 (6,751 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)        

pulsator's profile picture
Wait, what brand is that machine?

Post# 86621 , Reply# 7   10/2/2005 at 21:33 (6,751 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Kewl Machines

jetcone's profile picture
They're like a MinnieMe Convention happening in the basement!



Post# 86980 , Reply# 8   10/4/2005 at 14:56 (6,750 days old) by washerman8 ()        
Inside pics

Is it possible to show the inside of the Haier washers. Preferably the larger ones. I've never seen inside of one before.

Post# 86983 , Reply# 9   10/4/2005 at 15:18 (6,750 days old) by washerman8 ()        
Pics of the washtubs of the Haier washers

I meant to write could you post some pics of the washtubs of the larger Haier washers.

Post# 87000 , Reply# 10   10/4/2005 at 17:57 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
this is the Haier xqb60-91bf

the Haier website says xqb60-91af
but mine is a 91-bf

this is one I fixed by tightening the screws and bolts
on the bottom and sealed the worn spot on the top of the tub with
a 4.00 tube of caulk


Sorry the picture is dark the basement and tub will not cooperate


Post# 87004 , Reply# 11   10/4/2005 at 18:12 (6,749 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Looks very industrial. :-)

Post# 87007 , Reply# 12   10/4/2005 at 18:27 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
the gray bars on the sides of the tub are the waterfall chambers

Slits at the top shoot the water out


Looks like a three way GE Filter Flo


Post# 87010 , Reply# 13   10/4/2005 at 18:33 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
This is an xqj50-31

It has a pulsator shaped like a reg agitator

This one I thought looked and washed similar to Glenn`s

F&P washer



Post# 87013 , Reply# 14   10/4/2005 at 18:49 (6,749 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Hey, I'll post the videos you sent in the next day or so.

Post# 87017 , Reply# 15   10/4/2005 at 19:03 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
this is the xqb40-f

this one has a plain timer dial so u can adjust the cycle
to your liking


Post# 87018 , Reply# 16   10/4/2005 at 19:03 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
thank u for the videos Dadoes

Post# 87029 , Reply# 17   10/4/2005 at 20:15 (6,749 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
this is the smallest one


xqbm22-c




Post# 87047 , Reply# 18   10/4/2005 at 21:15 (6,749 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

The Haier with the full size aginator looks remarkably like a Simpson agitator!

Post# 87064 , Reply# 19   10/4/2005 at 21:38 (6,749 days old) by shanonabc ()        

it does doesn't it

Post# 87135 , Reply# 20   10/5/2005 at 08:20 (6,749 days old) by washerman8 ()        
Thanks

Thanks bpetersxx for the pics. I really do appreciate it.

Post# 87160 , Reply# 21   10/5/2005 at 09:48 (6,749 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

WOW! Thanks. Does the xqb60-91bf wash like a Calypso with the load being thrown around by the thing in the bottom and the water falling on the clothes? My answer is probably in the videos. Cool Collection. I have the little 22 which has a rated capacity of 4.5 lbs. Thanks again

Post# 87169 , Reply# 22   10/5/2005 at 11:27 (6,749 days old) by washerman8 ()        
Videos

Can someone email me the videos. I would love to see all of them. I, anxiously, await. Thanks in advance.

Post# 87170 , Reply# 23   10/5/2005 at 11:28 (6,749 days old) by washerman8 ()        
Email address

I forgot to add my email address: powrbruh@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Post# 87232 , Reply# 24   10/5/2005 at 17:13 (6,749 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Interesting machines! I like the waterfall feature - I'll bet that's fun to watch. Thanks for the pics - can't wait to see some video.

Post# 87253 , Reply# 25   10/5/2005 at 18:46 (6,748 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        
Haier Videos

dadoes's profile picture
Post# 87267 , Reply# 26   10/5/2005 at 19:46 (6,748 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

How great is that little Haier!

The agitator and wash action is just like a Simpson, and much more fun than watching a DAA.

Thanks for posting these :)


Post# 87270 , Reply# 27   10/5/2005 at 20:01 (6,748 days old) by cybrvanr ()        

That little Haier appears to work very similiar, and have similar mechanicals to my little Whirlpool "portable" washer. Agitation appears to come from reversing the electric motor. The thing I noticed about the Haier versus the Whirlpool is the size and duration of the strokes. The Whirlpool's strokes are about 1/2 second, and about 270 degrees. the Haier appears to make at least 2-3 full rotations of the agitator at 1 second intervals.

Not to knock the little guy, but I know Haier is a Chinese company, and they are known for copying American designs. I imagine the speed and frequency of the agitation were changed in the Haier do avoid a patent infrengement on Whirlpool's design!


Post# 87282 , Reply# 28   10/5/2005 at 21:30 (6,748 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I ordered parts to get my front loaders going but will be awhile as the parts are backordered

Post# 87283 , Reply# 29   10/5/2005 at 21:30 (6,748 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

I doubt Whirlpools portable design was the first of its kind.

Hitachi, Hoover and Simpson (In Aus) had medium and small machines that operate like the Haier since the mid 80's. By the late 80's the large full size machines were operating the same way too. The impeller machines also operate the same way. Before the mid 80s the small impeller machines used the spinning disc similar to Austins GE portable, then changed to the bigger sized impeller reversing about every 2 revolutions.

It would seem that Haier is just merely making a machine that is the typical standard in Asia/Australia. There is a FULL SIZE Haier though that seems to be very much like American designs.

I thought the Whirlpool portable design was called the World Washer, so that they could manufacter or sell similar machines in different parts of the world.


Post# 87327 , Reply# 30   10/6/2005 at 07:38 (6,748 days old) by cybrvanr ()        

That's right, Fischer & Paykel I believe were the originators of this design. I remember seeing their "transmission-less" washers on the market about 6-8 years before I bought my Whirlpool. My whirlpool has a designation on it that says "manufactured in the United States with parts sourced from the US and Mexico". I imagine that a compact washer design like that would have appeal in foreign markets too, facilitating selling the exact same design all over the world.


Post# 87369 , Reply# 31   10/6/2005 at 13:17 (6,748 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Just three words: FAB U LOUS. Thanks to both of you for these great videos.

Post# 87378 , Reply# 32   10/6/2005 at 15:56 (6,748 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
There are a couple more videos arrived last night. At least one was VERY large, left it downloading all night. Haven't yet had a chance to take a look at it. Stand by ....

Post# 87396 , Reply# 33   10/6/2005 at 19:38 (6,747 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
OMG!!! Wait 'til you all see the xqb60-91bf running! WWWWWEEEOOO!!!!

I'm too shredded to get the files up now. Been up since 7:30 AM, took the granny to a dr. appt and shopping. Now gotta go to the night job. UGH.

DADoES (who is grinning wickedly)


Post# 87415 , Reply# 34   10/6/2005 at 20:35 (6,747 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Glenn, you wicked, wicked man!! Just for that, I'm not going to watch it when you do post it.

Ok, maybe I will but with arms crossed in protest!


Post# 87446 , Reply# 35   10/7/2005 at 01:39 (6,747 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        
F&P vs Simpson/Hoover etc

I'm not sure which came first, but we had a Simpson Genesis machine in 1986. This had the reversing motor for agitation. I didnt think the F&P happened until 87 or 88? I thought the early F&P versions were based on the UK Hotpoint.

Chris, Aaaroooh, your thoughts?

Regards

Nathan


Post# 87454 , Reply# 36   10/7/2005 at 04:05 (6,747 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Early F & P

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Hi Nathan

We had a discussion on this ages ago and Chris confirmed the early F & P`s where based on the UK Hotpint Model the 1500 of which Keith in UK (Keymatic) has one.

When Tom Turbo saw the pics of my Simpson and motor etc he said it was very similar to the Whirlpool World Washer Series. Love those long swirly strokes.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO chestermikeuk's LINK


Post# 87472 , Reply# 37   10/7/2005 at 08:03 (6,747 days old) by washerman8 ()        

Thanks for all the videos. I am just watching them over and over. I, especially, love the XQB40-F video. I'm gonna order mine's today.

Post# 87540 , Reply# 38   10/7/2005 at 16:25 (6,747 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        
More Vids

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Post# 87696 , Reply# 39   10/8/2005 at 11:41 (6,746 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
No Drain? No Spin?

mrb627's profile picture
What, no drain and spin video? What is the top spin speed of the XQB60-91BF?

MRB


Post# 87734 , Reply# 40   10/8/2005 at 18:46 (6,745 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
Looked thru the video and relized there is not drain and spin here


Need to do more clothes so will make more videos


Still waiting for parts to fix the front loaders


Cannot find info on spin speed but clothes come out dry like being placed in a stand alone spinner





Post# 87735 , Reply# 41   10/8/2005 at 18:52 (6,745 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Research Indicates...

mrb627's profile picture
It appears that these machines, specifically the Haier brand, can only be purchased via an online resource. I can find no retailers that have them on the showroom floor to date. Further research leads me to believe that these machines, upon delivery, are almost always cosmetically damaged and online retailers resist returns and exchanges. Unfortunate for such an interesting line of machines.

MRB


Post# 87736 , Reply# 42   10/8/2005 at 18:59 (6,745 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Drain and Spin, GREAT!

mrb627's profile picture
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. And thanks, DaDoes for posting them. I wish appliance manufacturers would have operational videos readily available on their websites. A Drain & Spin video would be great. Have you ever taken any photos of the inner workings of these machines? I think their fascinating. I am partial to the compact portables as I don't have much room in my current house to collect. Wish I had a basement.

MRB


Post# 87936 , Reply# 43   10/9/2005 at 20:19 (6,744 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
pictures

according to the repair manual u can replace the bearing and seals from the back



Post# 88006 , Reply# 44   10/10/2005 at 01:06 (6,744 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Very interesting action with the spray up from the tub sides, thanks for posting these! Does the impeller in the bottom of the tub spin around as well? The action is different that I was expecting, just seeing inside the tub in the first pics. Do you think the spraying and twirling of the tub does anything for the cleaning process or is it more of a gimmick? Scores pretty high for drama no matter what the reason it's there so I'll take one!

Post# 88067 , Reply# 45   10/10/2005 at 09:28 (6,744 days old) by designgeek ()        


Very interesting! And thanks for posting in Quicktime format.

Haier got slagged in one of the forums on That Home Site, but part of it was someone complaining that their compact washer was too splashy (that's not a bug, it's a feature!:-). Seems to me all the Asian compacts are somewhat lightly built, but as with anything else, take care of it and it will last.

The units with the center-post agitators: these probably have a bag-style lint filter in the top of the center-post; if you don't have the user's manuals, see if it unscrews about 1/2-turn and pulls out. The lint bag needs to be cleaned out after every load.

The reversing motor / intermittent action agitator is the same action as used on the Danby twin tub. By the way, this will appear to be faster & a larger rotation arc when viewed in a computer video than it is in real life. That's an artifact of the video process.

The sound is different; the Haier sounds like a "wohh!" whereas the Danby sounds like a "whirr!" punctuated by the tick-tock of the reversing relay in the timer.

On the ones with pulsators, the little appendage hanging down in the tub is also a lint filter. This also needs to be cleaned regularly after every load.

The pulsator's moving tub is an interesting feature. I'm going to guess that the motion of the tub is deliberately lagged a half cycle behind the motion of the pulsator, to set up a counter-current in the water. The plastic ribs in the tub aid this process significantly. Very clever, and also probably reduces tangling compared to pulsator machines that don't have it.

The spin cycle appears to drain all the way before it starts to spin. Is that correct? Or does it start to spin when there is still some water in the tub? My guess is that if it drains completely, that's a feature to enable using a larger size inner tub relative to the outer tub.

Most interesting to me, it seems that the spin cycle in your first set of videos sounds as if the motor is switched on intermittently as the spin proceeds. That is, the video shows continuous motion, and the audio appears to have a continuous background noise, but the spin motor apparently sounds as if it's on intermittently. That feature probably saves a decent amount of power in the spin cycle. Very clever.

Question: How do these machines do with blue jeans? My impression is that denim is sufficiently stiff that you have to reduce the load size somewhat on the compact machines in order to accommodate jeans.

Re. ordering these things online: Try to find a place that's an appliance dealer with an actual store location, that also does online business. And more importantly, find one that's as close to you geographically as possible, to minimize the time the unit spends bumping around in a trailer truck. I got my Danby TT from Absolute Appliances in southern California; one day on the truck, and only a slight dent in the bottom front left which smoothed out completely via a little hand pressure applied from the inside of the cabinet. I think they also carry Haier.

In most cities and college towns, someone could probably earn decent money by setting up a small shop specializing in compact appliances, where people could come in & play with them on site, and either pick them up in person or have them delivered to their house or apartment. Danby, Haier, and a couple other Asian brands, plus whatever American compacts are still being made. Washers, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, microwaves, various countertop items, etc.

And of course there would have to be high-quality videos of the units going through their cycles. Danby has a compact dishwasher with a window in front, so you could even show a video of that one.

The sales angle would be "fits into your lifestyle" and "energy & water efficiency just got affordable." (Anyone here with some startup capital, want to start one of these in Oakland or Berkeley California, post here and we'll get in touch.)



Post# 88147 , Reply# 46   10/10/2005 at 18:17 (6,743 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Danby Bented

mrb627's profile picture
I agree. My Danby twin tub arrived dented as well. I don't thin the packing material is adequate for shipping. Plus, they way just little enough to allow them to be pushed over, bounced, and abused by shipping companies.

MRB


Post# 88231 , Reply# 47   10/11/2005 at 08:55 (6,743 days old) by designgeek ()        

In my case the dent was small and in an inconspicuous location, and it was easy to press out again so you can barely tell it ever happened.

Yes, all of these machines need to be packed more robustly. I wrote to Danby with a couple of suggestions and they seemed to go for one of 'em, so you could try writing to them about packaging.

In any case, it does a great job of cleaning, and it's efficient & fast, so I have no complaints.

---

Back to the Haiers here... bpetersxx, since you've got a bunch of 'em, you could run comparative tests and post results here. Load capacity, cleaning ability, water and power efficiency (get a "Kill A Watt" plug-in power meter for about $30; set it to measure KWH), suitability for various types of loads e.g. including tough stuff like denims, blankets, etc., total time for cycle, etc.



Post# 88343 , Reply# 48   10/11/2005 at 20:09 (6,742 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Winning Bid

mrb627's profile picture
Well, I won an Auction for an xqj50-31 on Ebay. It is being shipped via Fedex Freight. Hope to have it soon. I know it is dented but I got it for 61.00. Not bad for a semi-new toy. Once I get it, I can document cycle statistics and post some pix.

MRB


Post# 88378 , Reply# 49   10/11/2005 at 22:22 (6,742 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I am going to make more video and pictures to answer questions



Post# 88549 , Reply# 50   10/12/2005 at 19:44 (6,741 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Awesome

mrb627's profile picture
The videos are awesome. What did we do before the internet? How many deep rinse cycles does the XQB60 run through? Just one? Do you have any Service Manuals for your Haier machines?

MRB


Post# 88755 , Reply# 51   10/13/2005 at 17:42 (6,740 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
load size is critical in all of the Haier washers

If the clothes are heavy they can make the machine walk the floor when spinning

Blue Jeans can be washed if u wash 2 at a time in the bigger units
Watch it carefully they can walk like the stand alone spinners
discussed



Post# 88780 , Reply# 52   10/13/2005 at 19:36 (6,740 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        
They must be rediculously light weight

Our Simpson/Hoover/Westinghouse machines, are all that light weight and flimsy that you can wrap your arms around them and pick them up.

However they deal very well with overloads and have a good OOB sensor should they get a wobble up. They range in capacity from 4.5kg to 8 or 9kg which I think is 10 - 20 lbs.

Is there an OOB switch on the Haier stuff?


Post# 88790 , Reply# 53   10/13/2005 at 21:29 (6,740 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
see if I can answer more q

neutral drains to empty and then spins
The 2 computer console models have a sensor somewhere that
senses that they are drained and then spins slow and fast until it balances

Back in the rear left corner is an OOB that starts a balance rinse fills rinses drains then spins again

Also at the end of the spins the pump comes on and drain the machine again

The machines rinse twice a deep rinse for all 4 models I have except the xqb60-91bf

The 91bf has 2 deep rinses for the normal cycle

The synthetic is funny it uses a old fashioned cool down like rinse

The wash water is drained a short spin to rid the clothes of wash water and the cool down phase.

Cannot remember the saquence but I think it coasts down to a stop

The water valves open for 1-2 seconds and the motor comes on for 1-2 seconds and this is repeated for 1 minute

The drain pump comes on the water is expelled and it spins this water out

It does this 1-2 more times then it deep rinses once then drains spins and turns off

I will make a video as u have to see it to believe it as I was testing it on that cycle and thought it was busted










Post# 89234 , Reply# 54   10/17/2005 at 09:31 (6,737 days old) by designgeek ()        

Re. jeans and other large items made of stiff fabrics:

The trick is to mix them with other articles of various sizes and slightly lighter weight fabrics.

For example, one or two pairs of jeans, two or three T-shirts, two or three long-sleeved shirts, two or three pairs of socks. Adjust to suit size of machine but keep proportions the same.

Things to not put together in one load: More than one pair of jeans and more than one towel. more than one pair of jeans with more than one pair of sweats. towels and sheets (OOB! ouch!).

Generally, effective load size is about 60% of manufacturer's rated capacity by weight, or up to 75% if the load is just white stuff (underpants & undershirts & long underwear). Or just drop stuff in without packing, until the load comes up to about half the depth of the waterline.

All of this careful measuring of loads may seem inconvenient to folks in the suburbs with room for a 3.5 cubic foot machine, but for most of us in the cities with limited space, these smaller units are a God-send. And even if you have a large unit, a small unit is useful a) as a backup in case the large one is in need of repairs and b) for smaller loads using less water.


Post# 89431 , Reply# 55   10/18/2005 at 08:51 (6,736 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Delivery Today

mrb627's profile picture
My delivery is scheduled for today via FEDEX. Wish me luck.

MRB


Post# 89522 , Reply# 56   10/18/2005 at 17:29 (6,736 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        
XQB60-91BF Video Added

dadoes's profile picture
New video added, Load Sensing.

Post# 89537 , Reply# 57   10/18/2005 at 19:20 (6,735 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I also have another less common way of washing

Pictures and video of that will be forthcoming


Post# 89663 , Reply# 58   10/19/2005 at 09:07 (6,735 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
Got it!

mrb627's profile picture
I received my machine yesterday afternoon. Oddly, the cabinet damage is almost exactly like the one pictured at the top of this thread. It works, however, and its the most quiet machine I've seen. Once I got the pesky lid switch bypassed, the show got under way. I'll post some statistics once I have gathered some more operational data.

MRB


Post# 89859 , Reply# 59   10/20/2005 at 10:05 (6,734 days old) by designgeek ()        


If you can get your hands inside the cabinet, you can probably get that dent out by pressing carefully from the inside with your thumbs. The sheet steel housings on these machines are apparently fairly thin gauge since they aren't structural, so they can get dented easily but are also easy to un-dent.


Post# 96976 , Reply# 60   12/5/2005 at 20:29 (6,687 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I got the xqg50-11 working at least partially

Post# 104368 , Reply# 61   1/18/2006 at 02:09 (6,644 days old) by jsesanders ()        
Recommendation for compact washer/dryer

Hi,

You all seem to know quite a bit about these compact washers. Would you please offer advice as to which brand of a washer/dryer combo is best for a sink adapter - I will not have a water connection other than the kitchen sink in our apartment... unless, could you possibly place it where the dishwasher is and use those water lines?

Thank you in advance...


Post# 104621 , Reply# 62   1/19/2006 at 10:10 (6,643 days old) by designgeek ()        

Danby is excellent (three models), Haier reportedly had troubles but seems to be improving, and some of the folks here can advise on US brands.

A combined washer/dryer in one unit, in a compact size with sink hook-ups, is a difficult item to find.

The closest you're going to get to a compact combined washer/dryer might be the Danby Twin Tub, DTT-420, which is an excellent machine but is not fully automatic. You have to transfer the load manually from the wash tub to the highspeed spin-dryer and back again (once after wash, once after rinse). I have one, it does an excellent job and it's fast, and clothes come out almost completly dry (get a drying rack, they'll hang dry quickly, overnight in winter or in hours during summer). The mechanicals are quite simple so it should be reliable. Viable load capacity is about 7 lbs., not 10 (all compact washers seem to over-estimate capacity, I don't think it's a conspiracy:-). Cost ranges from $250 to $350 depending on where you get it.

Another option is the Danby front loader, DWM-5500, stacked with the matching dryer. This is a fully automatic front loader of the type that has started to become conventional in the US now. I have the manual around here somewhere but you can find it on www.danby.com... if you want to check about whether it can be used with a sink connection. It gets rave reviews, everyone who has this machine loves it, and it has a 200-degree wash option (useful in cold & flu season). If you mount the dryer on top of the washer, chances are you'll want to install it permanently near the sink so you don't have to move it around. Also note that front loaders cause a bit more vibration than top loaders (the other two models here), so if you need to worry about the neighbors hearing it, this might be an issue.

Last but not least, Danby DWM-99-W, is a compact top loader with normal automatic cycles. Does not have a separate spin-dryer or other built in drying funciton aside from the normal spin function at the end of the cycle, which is not a highspeed spin like the twin tub has. (Again, get a drying rack, and assume it'll take a bit longer for clothes to dry compared to the twin tub above). Price range is similar to the twin tub. Size is a little smaller, load capacity a little smaller also. The few reviews I've seen on this are very positive also.

All of these generally have to be ordered via internet unless you're lucky enough to have a dealer nearby (see also Absolute Appliances in Southern CA, which is where I got mine from, and had it shipped up north to me).

Note, all the Danby units have a conventional pump to discharge used water into the sink. Some other brands offer less expensive machines that use "gravity drain," which means there's no pump and you place the hose on the floor next to a floor-drain. This is fine in basement laundry rooms with floor drains, but in an apartment, you'd have to discharge the water into a bucket and empty it into the sink, which is a lot of effort. So if you're buying something other than Danby, check to be sure it has a drain pump and can drain into a sink.

If you need more info on any of these, feel free to ask.


Post# 104675 , Reply# 63   1/19/2006 at 16:25 (6,643 days old) by jsesanders ()        

{{{You have to transfer the load manually from the wash tub to the highspeed spin-dryer and back again (once after wash, once after rinse). }}}

So does this mean that you take the clothes out and put a different 'something' in the washer and then put the clothes back in? I guess I thought it would be completely automatic... no removing after washing, just right onto drying.

I thought when I stumbled accross this combo unit my laundry troubles were solved. I am such an every day laundry person and thats what makes being in an apartment w/o a washer & dryer so difficult.

Do you have any other ideas on how to incorporate a washer & dryer into a unit that doesn't have a w/d hook-up?

Thanks for your assistance... Stacy Sanders


Post# 104776 , Reply# 64   1/20/2006 at 10:01 (6,642 days old) by designgeek ()        

Stacy, here's the procedure for the Danby twin-tub:

There are two compartments, one looks like a conventional top-loader with an agitator but is rectangular rather than cylindrical (to get more stuff in). The other compartment is the spinner, which is a smaller cylinder that spins at 1400 to 1600 rpm.

Put clothes in wash tub. Turn on sink to fill with water. Add detergent. Set the timer from 0 to 15 minutes (I use the 9-minute setting). Let it run. When done, turn the drain switch to drain the water into the sink.

Now move the load into the spin tub and switch the drain control back to the wash position. For loads larger than 4.5 lbs. you need to divide the load into two equal smaller loads and spin one at a time. For example a 6# wash load is two 3# spin loads. Set the spin timer (0 to 5 minutes, I use 1 to 2 minutes at this point). The detergent gets spun out and discharged into the sink.

While the last spin-load is spinning, you can re-fill the wash tub with rinse water. Now move the clothes into the wash tub, keep the water running at a low level, and set the wash tub timer again (0 to 15 minutes, I use 9 minutes here also). The fresh incoming water floats away the detergent and so on, which drains out and gets pumped into the sink.

When done rinsing, do another spin, but this time set the spin timer to a full 5 minutes per spin load. Clothes come out clean & lightly damp. Hang 'em on the rack to dry. (After the spin is over, you can drain the wash tub so it's empty of water, or see the following paragraph.)

Note in times of water shortage, you can save the rinse water in the wash tub rather than draining it out, and re-use it for wash water in the next load. This is OK because rinse water is clean; and if your next load is a few days away, just add a teaspoon or two of bleach to keep the water sanitary.

Total time for the above, 20 to 40 minutes (it gets faster when you've learned the routine and can do it without thinking). In the meantime, while the timers are ticking and the machine is doing its thing, you can talk on the phone, write email, do other household tasks, etc.

Another thing you can do to enhance the rinse process: when a spin load has stopped spinning, open the spin tub lid and take the water inlet hose and use it to pour water on the load in the spinner to saturate it again. When it's good and wet, close the lid, and spin for another minute or two. Do this a couple of times, and then do the regular washtub rinse procedure above, you'll notice far less detergent remains to come out. Result: clothes so clean they smell like fresh water, not like detergent perfumes. Extra time required: less than 10 minutes for a divided load (two spinner loads from a larger wash load).

This machine uses half the power per pound of laundry compared to a conventional top loader, and about half the water if you re-use the final rinse water. If you have a tumble dryer, the drying time is about half as well, which is a major energy savings. It also lets you customize cycles as needed, i.e. take more time to wash out ground-in dirt or rinse out excess detergent, or use a quicker wash for lightly soiled stuff (e.g. 3 minute wash). You can do a pre-soak by just letting a load sit in the washtub for as long as you like (typically 10-15 minutes) before turning on the agitator. The tradeoff is you have to keep an eye on it and do the above steps manually. Machines like this were common in the UK and Europe in the 50s through the 70s, and are currently popular in Asia; it's oldschool technology with a long track record. Those of us who use these machines today prefer them to other types and find that the manual interventions aren't inconvenient compared to the efficiency and fast cycle times.


Post# 104849 , Reply# 65   1/20/2006 at 22:11 (6,641 days old) by jsesanders ()        
To: Designgeek

Wow!!! Thanks for all the info. I guess it's not that complicated.

Do you know anything about the LG All-in-one WM3431?

Thanks again, Stacy



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