Thread Number: 61643  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Fifty-Nine Frigidaires Fully Functional...Finally!
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Post# 842956   9/26/2015 at 22:03 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I've been itching to get these machines fully up and running since I got them shipped from Greg in Omaha last summer;  I had a couple of little glitches between then and now, however...  

 

The first was the 'clattering' when agitation engaged.  That was not as difficult to fix as I thought - of course Phil did all the work... LOL    So, I moved the set into the Ogden Laundry figuring all would be fine now. Nope...  The washer didn't seem to drain properly and this caused an 'overflow spin'.  I determined that the drain hose and pump were not clogged so I changed the drain hose.  I did a couple of tests and all seemed fine, so I thought I'd try a real load of clothes.   During that test I noticed that the tub didn't seem to fill completely.  I grumbled a bit and pulled the machine out and removed the water inlet valve.  I tried removing the screens from the hot and cold inlets but I still wasn't getting enough water.  I was pressed for time, so the tinkering had to wait until the following weekend.  I was convinced I had seen a shut-off that Greg had used to reduce the water flow, so I took the back off the washer (removing the drain hose) and sure enough, there it was!  It was a piece of cake to adjust the valve to get the right flow of water from the water system in Ogden - we are on a well so water pressure is a bit lower than it would be with city-supplied water systems.  The flow seemed good and I was able to fill the tub in the allotted 4 minutes on the timer.  BUT, when the washer went into spin and tried to drain, no water flowed out of the machine.  I set the drain hose down into a bucket and water came flowing out.  I was puzzled... So I tried letting the machine spin and drain again.  It worked - water was being pumped out of the tub and into the standpipe. I tried another full cycle test and all was fine...  I just don't get why when I drained out the residual water from the pump and drain hose that the next time the machine was used it didn't drain...  Anyway... 

 

Fast forward to Saturday, September 25th, 2015...  All's well with the washer at last!


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Post# 842958 , Reply# 1   9/26/2015 at 22:04 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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And here's a short video to prove it... I'll put together a more complete video at some point soon, I hope!

 





Post# 842960 , Reply# 2   9/26/2015 at 22:06 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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But oh what a tangled wash we weave...  Those sheets are almost as well-tangled as they would have been in the Westinghouse Laundromat!

 

 


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Post# 842961 , Reply# 3   9/26/2015 at 22:08 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Oh, yes, almost forgot... I finally got the dryer lint screen fully installed, too.  And it seems to work!  The lint seen here was from a test done earlier in the day before I tried the Frigidaire washer.  


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Post# 842962 , Reply# 4   9/26/2015 at 22:10 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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So, let's see how those sheets do... This is the first time I used the automatic cycle on the Frigidaire Imperial dryer.  Excitement!!


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Post# 842964 , Reply# 5   9/26/2015 at 22:17 (3,106 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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The dryer must have had a ball... 'cause it rolled the sheets into a big one... LOL 

 

But they dried perfectly on the first try (unlike that cursed Magic Chef thing I used to have when I lived in Montreal!!).  

 

And here's proof that perhaps I really am 'losing it'...  When I folded the sheets, I noticed I was missing a pillowcase.  I immediately assumed it was stuck on the upper edge of the washer tub and didn't get transferred into the dryer.  Not the case.  I unfolded and checked the corners of the fitted sheets in case it had tumbled in one.  Nope.  Now I was starting to panic... I had been watching the entire wash cycle and I was sure nothing had gotten washed over the top of the tub (I don't see how that could have happened anyway...).  I was pretty ticked so I gave up and went to bed.  In the morning, I tried unfolding and shaking out the sheets again... Nothing.  I was stewing.  I took the laundered set of guest bed sheets up to the guest room and started to make up the bed again.  When I moved the bedspread, guess what fell out?  Yep... the 'missing' pillowcase.  At least I can now be sure the Frigidaires are not going to 'eat' future wash loads... OY!!


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Post# 842975 , Reply# 6   9/26/2015 at 22:49 (3,106 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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That washer has gremlins. We don't call them "Multi-tragic" for nothin!

The Frigidaire is a wonderful dryer, one of the best auto cycles of any brand. Bulky items tend roll up with the narrower drum and three big vanes but for regular clothes loads it's great. One of the best towel dryers, too. Lower airflow and gentle heat make for soft, fluffy goodness.




Post# 842983 , Reply# 7   9/27/2015 at 02:15 (3,106 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

The mystery has been solved about the "whipped Wash" culprit in the Maytag ad in a B&G magazine from the 50's!Wish I could show the picture-but no scanner.It shows a householder trying to untangle her washload.

Post# 843005 , Reply# 8   9/27/2015 at 08:12 (3,106 days old) by christfr (st louis mo)        

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awesome dude....yeee haaa

Post# 843013 , Reply# 9   9/27/2015 at 09:14 (3,105 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )        
Paul,

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Check out Reply #30 in the link to a post from 2010.  Joe Lippard gives a nice tutorial on how to load a Frigidaire to avoid tangling issues.



CLICK HERE TO GO TO polkanut's LINK

Post# 843018 , Reply# 10   9/27/2015 at 10:45 (3,105 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

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I'm happy to see both machines are working now! What did you use finally to replace the lint screen?


Post# 843063 , Reply# 11   9/27/2015 at 14:09 (3,105 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Tim, thanks for the link!  I tried to follow the 'four corners' method, but I guess I was sloppy in the way I loaded the sheets.  More practice is called for... LOL

 

Phil, I used aluminum window screen for the dryer lint trap.  Not as elegant as the original one for sure, but it works and will hopefully last a while.  Of course, I'll probably still be using the '51 Filtrator the most this winter again...


Post# 843071 , Reply# 12   9/27/2015 at 15:21 (3,105 days old) by appnut (TX)        

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It's still pretty difficult to keep sheets from roping up.  Use as short a wash time as possible is one thing I've heard. 


Post# 843143 , Reply# 13   9/28/2015 at 00:48 (3,105 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

My brothers house trailer used to have a Frigidaire washer-kinda looked like the one you see on the homepage here.Replaced a timer in it.My brother always joked how their washer tangled their clothes-the few times I used it to do my clothes while I visited hm on the weekend-I had no problems-I loaded the machine according to the picture on its lid.You know the tub divided into "quadrants " and putting things in NOT spread out.The machine did a great job-pointed that out to them-he and his wife would say-"we just threw the stuff in-and it would get twisted up"They then loaded it according to the directions-and they said the machine worked better!So the suggestions on the lid do work!When that machine worked--on both agitation and spinning--made their trailer shake!!!

Post# 843172 , Reply# 14   9/28/2015 at 06:08 (3,105 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )        
RE tangling!

I always have said, if the clothes are tangled you know for sure that they have been moving, !


Post# 843173 , Reply# 15   9/28/2015 at 06:25 (3,105 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

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I cannot ever think of a tangled load from my Unimatic.  I always do the Quadrant Loading and Voila... perfect Laundry every time.


Post# 843183 , Reply# 16   9/28/2015 at 07:11 (3,105 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
Eh, whattya gonna do?

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It's difficult to load larger items like sheets and blankets into quadrants of the Frigidaire tubs. Roping and tangling can happen in any machine with large items, just part of the washing game sometimes.


Post# 843233 , Reply# 17   9/28/2015 at 14:40 (3,104 days old) by Midcentnurse (Lake Charles, La)        

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My dream washer and dryer!!

Post# 843234 , Reply# 18   9/28/2015 at 15:10 (3,104 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Beautiful machines Paul!  "Fitted" sheets are designed to cause random washday problems.  You should never wash bedding during a Blood Moon and Eclipse.  Just watch "Dolores Claiborne".... 6 pins....  :-)


Post# 843451 , Reply# 19   9/29/2015 at 13:03 (3,103 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Lovely machines !

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But I'm with ALR on that one !! Fitted sheets are designed to cause wash day problems  !!!

 

 


Post# 843574 , Reply# 20   9/30/2015 at 05:35 (3,103 days old) by CHRISTFR (st louis mo)        

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GOD those are really really pretty!! congrats but I do think the washer is saying it wants to live in st Louis ha ha


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