Thread Number: 4501
Gas heated Washer |
[Down to Last] |
|
Post# 102001 , Reply# 1   1/6/2006 at 09:48 (6,656 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Spee_man, In the past Whirlpool made a combo for the American market that was both available in gas and electric. The gas heater heated both in the wash cycle and in the dry cycle IIRC. I think some members here told about huge problems with corrosion due to the moisture that is released during burning gas. Ofcourse there is in theory no problem because many American households have a 220V available, so the 110V doesn't have to be a problem. If only a manufacturer was willing to make a 220V washer. |
Post# 102024 , Reply# 2   1/6/2006 at 12:48 (6,656 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Venting it would be a PITA. I saw in an Amsterdam self-service Laundr-o-mat (waving to Louis!) F/L machines that had steem feeds and returns. There were heat exchangers in them to heat the water. WAY COOL. LOL I could not figure out (At first) why there were FIVE (four?) pipes/hoses and a power-cord/flex. The dryers were also steam-heated. This was an ingenious way to use fuel-oil as a heat source. Apparently natural gas was not available, and there was no space or ability to use and store propane (bottled) gas. |
Post# 102048 , Reply# 3   1/6/2006 at 15:50 (6,656 days old) by spee_man ()   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
But I can remember somebody writing that it isn't allways possible to get a 220V source. |
Post# 102093 , Reply# 5   1/6/2006 at 19:46 (6,656 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Steve, yes the WP and Lady Kenmore gas versions had the dryer exhaust run throughout the entire cycle, what a way to fall asleep when the combo next door was diong an after the family bathes/showers load. The exhaust faced toward my bedroom window so I could heaer it go through each of the spins. I think these may have used the self-igniting feature. John LeFevre has the gas WP version. There may have also been wearing out of some sort of heat shield, that seems to have been the demise for both the 1959 & 1964 LK combos next door. |
Post# 102296 , Reply# 6   1/7/2006 at 14:53 (6,655 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
While many houses do have a 220v power outlet in their laundry areas, there are quite a few homes that do not (older buildings, apartments/condos/co-ops/older buildings)and I think many appliance makers are reluctant to design a product which will require additional costs beyond regular installation. Depending upon where one lives and skill level, installing a 220v outlet can either be inexpensive/a piece of cake, or a major cost and headache. Some electricians do not take "small" jobs like simple rewiring/installing an outlet, or will bill you the minimum daily rate for what should be a simple few hours work. Remember there is quite a vast amount of housing in the United States that was built long before all the electrical mod-cons we consider essential for living today were even thought of. Those grand pre-war buildings many people would sell their first born to get into, often have very old and poor electrical service. We're speaking of maybe one or two (if that) 120v outlets per room, with maybe 80amp or 100amp service with fuses. This would make adding a 220v outlet not an easy thing as usually the fuse box is going to need to be up graded to a circut breaker box (required per NYC code), in addition to the 220v wiring/outlet installation. In NYC this could easily run upwards of $1,000 or more. Add that to the cost of a washer which is already over $1500 and you see why some don't wish to bother. Again some won't balk at the cost, but if one is not living in a priviate home there are other considerations. If renting the landlord's permission will be required for any electrical work. If living in a condo or co-op board approval may be required. Again to many this is just too much stuff and nonesense just to run a washing machine. Miele experiences this first hand, but are happy enough being a "niche" high end appliance maker so are not worried about mass appeal. Our Miele dealer tells us he looses more sales to the fact a 220v outlet has to be installed. To Miele's credit, the newer models of washing machines are now straight 220v powered, thus no more split 220v/120v special Miele outlet, but still. In days gone by appliance makers were happy to make different variations of say a washing machine to serve different markets. Today that does not seem to be the case. One usually has one model with various additons (TOL,MOL and BOL), but designed to sell from Maine to San Francisco. Steam heating for washing machines/dryers: Very common in commercial laundries, large ships and other large laundries. In fact when steam boilers became safe for industrial use, many of the first laundries to adopt the technology were called "Steam Laundries". When one thinks about it a central boiler system makes good sense. Rather than many appliances using power to generate heat/steam (washing machines, dryers, irons, mangles), let a central system do it instead. This also means all the condensed water from the return lines can be collected and reused by the system. IIRC maintainence is easier on such steam heated appliances as the source of heat is not within the units. This means for washers at least no worries about scale and lime deposits caking up the heating elements. L. |
Post# 102432 , Reply# 9   1/8/2006 at 08:22 (6,654 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Said: We're speaking of maybe one or two (if that) 120v outlets per room, with maybe 80amp or 100amp service with fuses. Response: This is acutally a LOT of (*good*) service here. There are still apts that have 110v 30a service- two 15a fuses. And also the (*NEW*) min is 110/220v 40a which can carry 4 to 6 fuses. ti is stillrather flimsy. Many apts still only have one ceiling ligt and one electrical outlet (power-point)per room. |
Post# 102435 , Reply# 10   1/8/2006 at 08:26 (6,654 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
ah......... the 80 or 100amp might be the MAIN service in a building of up to perhaps 6 or 8 apts. I read it as per-apt service. My mother has a two family house with 110/220v 50a service per apt. Even with gas cooking and dryer, as well as fuel-oil heat and hot water, it is VERY minimal. Her home was built in 1955 which to us is *NEW* and in other parts of the country very old. |
Post# 102671 , Reply# 13   1/9/2006 at 14:14 (6,653 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Actually could run on 110v/120v power, at least the W1070 could. Miele sold a kit one used to disable one of the 1.5 kw heating elements, so the machine pulled only the 1.5, which is perfectly fine for 110v/120v outlets. IIRC, even some early W1918 models could be run in the same manner. Obviously reaching the higher water temps of say 200F was not going to happen on 110v power (or probably would take a long time from cold water), but for a warm wash or heating warm water to "hot" and keeping it there, 1.5 should be fine. Miele apparently had this feature on the early North American washer models as they were trying to break into the market, and didn't want to turn too many potential customers off by requiring only 220v power. Nice thing about early Miele washers is they are mechanical controled, which always gets my vote! Launderess |
Post# 102751 , Reply# 14   1/9/2006 at 21:01 (6,653 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Say Hallelujah for timers that the operator can control. |
Post# 108133 , Reply# 16   2/6/2006 at 02:00 (6,626 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
And most people in Europe after the war have not been as well equiped with electical appliances, or even homes, as the Americans, so it was so much easier for us to get rid of the oldfashioned 110V systems. Just changing the lightbulbs ;-)) I`m not sure in which year exactly Germany had been finally standardised to 220V/380V. Would be interesting to know. Some parts of the country seem to be running on 220V from the beginning of electrification, while others had 110V. |
Post# 108149 , Reply# 17   2/6/2006 at 06:57 (6,625 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
Thanks to our Euro-resident friends. Stuff like the bit of history presented are FASCINATING to me and for the most part difficult (if not impossilbe) to find from other sources. Too bad about the Hertz/cycles. That will certainly prevent (or hugely delay, at the very least) one world electrical standard. One set of outlets (power-points), one set of color-coding of wires, and set of voltages/cycles world-wide would have been ideal. Then, of course, is the issue of the eradication of the UK ring-circuit! LOL In theory the major aspects of the telephone systems are all standardized, IIRC. Inter-connectivity tells us that! CLICK HERE TO GO TO toggleswitch's LINK |
Post# 108229 , Reply# 19   2/6/2006 at 16:41 (6,625 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
Checkrate/Likes
 
     
|