|
Thread Number: 11388
Which Frigidaire F/L is best? |
[Down to Last] |  |
|
Post# 204299 , Reply# 1 4/15/2007 at 21:48 (6,213 days old) by gadgetgary  (Bristol,CT) |
||
I am familiar with this model | ||
|
Post# 204323 , Reply# 2 4/15/2007 at 22:50 (6,213 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
||
only real difference is
Customer service between the various re-branders. You can look up the various problems this machine and its predecessors have had all over the place. The OEM does tend to correct problems over time, so the second generation of anything will usually be less trouble prone than the first. A few examples: The first ones sold in the US had timer motors set for the 50Hz European power net. This meant that they rushed through their cycles. That one got fixed by 1999 (the old mechanical timers). The door latch/switch mechanism was updated twice. The motor problems which were a big nuisance in 2000 have been ironed out, as has the static discharge across the motor controller board which led to the machines frequently freezing up in the middle of a cycle. For European standards, these are adequate machines. Not badly built and reliable if one uses HE detergents and de-scales them regularly. For the US market, they are exceptionally well built, highly reliable and a great value. Personally, I find Sears stores of today grate on my nerves. Their service contracts are, however, frequently much cheaper than the alternatives. The much maligned Lowe's delivered the dryer from this series to my folks three weeks ago. When I asked the driver about their experience with returns, he said Frigidaire was best at just replacing the machine while GE insisted on trying, trying again to get an obvious lemon going. Still and all, tho', he said they were all among the most reliable they sold and seldom gave problems, lots were replaced, still working after seven or eight years, when the housewife wanted a "new" look in her kitchen. My mom's is now in its seventh year, washing well over 10 loads a week. A friend's 1998 is still going strong, although it has had the door latch problem and - like all these machines - suffered a pump boot puncture from a BH wire. A real problem for these machines...their "high" spin speed means you must remove all such things before washing. | ||
|
Post# 204337 , Reply# 3 4/15/2007 at 23:47 (6,213 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
||
|
some opinions of folks after they have had the 2940 for a wh
I don't know this website well, so take it with a grain of salt. The general consensus is basically, get the cheapest of these which meets your needs. The innards are all pretty much the same. This ATF stuff which the Americans are doing to meet some sort of absurd energy standard or other may be a problem for you; if one of these machines really were to lock you down to a "cool" hot cycle, then I would avoid it like the plague. Still don't see how anyone can call 100°F "hot" as some GE products now are doing. My old thumper defined 104°F as "lukewarm"... CLICK HERE TO GO TO panthera's LINK | ||
| Post# 204353 , Reply# 4 4/16/2007 at 00:30 (6,213 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
All the 3.5 Frigidaires are very similar. The TOL Affinity is good if you want an on-board heater and a sanitize cycle. The 2940 has 1000 rpm spin and ATC...ATC is good if you live in cold weather climate to keep warm and cold at reasonable temperature...the hot wash temp is not ATC controlled, so you get tap hot - not a dumbed-down hot, a great feature. I don't see the point of the BOL Affinity...the 2940 has better features. And if ATC doesn't matter go for the 2140. As has been said, they all have basically the same innards and cleaning performance. I have have a 2940 and like it a lot. Frigidaire front loaders are a reasonably priced and dependable machine. And they do a great job. My original 3.1 Frigmore FL is almost 8 years old and going strong.
| ||
|
Post# 204368 , Reply# 5 4/16/2007 at 07:56 (6,213 days old) by nurdlinger (Tucson AZ) |
||
I have Kenmore 44092/84092 pair...
This is almost identical to 2940 and its matching dryer. It does have a great number of cycles, (a maze of twisty passages, all alike) but after about two years there are only three that I use week-to-week. An advantage that these machines have (and the Affinity models) over the 2140 is the display which counts down time remaining in the cycle. I don't have washing requirements which tax its capabilities. (no "comforter") I am so far entirely satisfied with it. The dryer is too small, and leaves things damp sometimes, but I have learned how to deal with this as well. After about six months, I decided I should have bought the next lower 3.5 machine, the 2140. Now however I think I view the cycle time display as a valuable feature and I am certain I made the correct choice.
| ||
| Post# 204429 , Reply# 6 4/16/2007 at 12:45 (6,212 days old) by exploder3211 () | ||
|
Once the computers get strainged out and i get my medicial bills paid off, i will be bying another affinty f/l... I miss the one i had.. Then again if i could find an old westing house f/l.. | ||
| Post# 204847 , Reply# 7 4/17/2007 at 20:08 (6,211 days old) by pumper (SE Wisconsin) | ||
Itchy & Scratchy
After a visit to a dermatologist yesterday due to a skin rash, I decided to see how much soap was left in my clothes. I have the 2140 and have always been disappointed in its rinsing abilities, mainly because it's too particular when it comes to balancing the load prior to spinning, which means many times it will skip the spin and just go into the next rinse. I jacked up the water level on the pressure switch so that it now comes about half way up the boot and threw in a "clean" load of whites with no detergent. TWO full normal cycles later (2 washes & 8 rinses with the extra rinse option chosen), it is still spinning out soapy water. And it even managed to spin after each wash & rinse. I use very little of the HE detergent and sometimes fabric softener. So now I'm rewashing all my "clean" clothes with no detergent. And I'm done with softener. I'm afraid this machine is on its way out the door to be replaced by a top loader. If anyone else has this machine, try a test like mine and see what your results are.
| ||
|
Post# 204894 , Reply# 8 4/17/2007 at 22:27 (6,211 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
||
You may have to use "quick wash" as additional rinses. Effective rinses require water, lots of water to dilute and flush away the bad stuff. Vinegar in the rinse phase immediately following after the bleach phase will chemically neutralize it. It will also neutralize any alkaline detergents, however our local chemicals and additives authority states that detergents today are mildly acidic, not alkaline. My sister always had allergic skin reactions to softener that manifested on her elbows and knees, even with a top-loader. | ||
|
Post# 204909 , Reply# 9 4/18/2007 at 00:34 (6,211 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
||
If you want to see how much detergent residue is in your wash, and or remove the same; rewash "clean" laundry with some STPP (phosphates), or a small amount of phosphate containing laundry detergent. You may be surprised by all that frothing! *LOL* When using the Ecolab commercial detergent, which contians STPP, couldn't understand why some loads had so much froth and couldn't rinse clean without many extra rinses, this despite using a small amount of the stuff. Finally got wise and realised it was the STPP, which pulls out residual soap/detergent from laundry. This lead me to stop using non-HE detergents in my Miele as they obviously were not rinsing out properly no matter how "clean" the final rinse water. Vintage laundry manuals would instruct housewives to run their laundry through a was using the hottest water laundry could stand, and a good dose of a water softener (usually phosphates). This would restore whites and colours to their proper state by removing dullness and dingy build up. What the treatment did was unlock and release from fibers all that detergent residue and trapped muck. L. | ||
|
Post# 205004 , Reply# 10 4/18/2007 at 14:46 (6,210 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
||
Jay, so far I am very impressed with my Duet HT washer's ability to provide thorough rinsing action. None of my processed laundry smells like detergent anymore, bath towels in particular. Apparently not all front loaders are built or designed alike. I don't think I'd ever go back to a top loader after witnessing the superior overall cleaning ability of my Duet. If you'd still prefer a front loading machine, I think you'd be happy with the results you'd get from a Duet.
| ||
| Post# 205222 , Reply# 11 4/19/2007 at 17:10 (6,209 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
|
Hmmm...I was doing laundry last night so I tried rinsing a load before washing it to see what happened. No foam whatsoever. I suspected this, as when I have time I will watch the machine and the final rinse is always clear. Although rinses in front loaders aren't as "deep" as top loaders, I still believe that 3 or 4 saturations with spins between gives better results than one deep dunk and a spin. Maybe it has something to do with your water hardness or amount of detergent, Pumper. Maybe try another brand of HE. I usually use a little less that what is recommended, unless the load is very dirty. They always tell you to use more than you need....and that goes for fabric softner too.
| ||
|
Post# 205225 , Reply# 12 4/19/2007 at 17:24 (6,209 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
||
|
Rich, my old Amana TL did a real lousy job of rinsing. One short 15-second spray on first spin, then a dunk, and that was it. Totally inferior to the center dial it replaced. It's hard to see how the rinsing action even works on my Duet HT but it's definitely thorough and leaves no trace of detergent smell on the clothes. I rarely fill the detergent dispenser all the way unless as you have stated above, the stuff being washed is extra filthy. | ||
| Post# 205228 , Reply# 13 4/19/2007 at 18:06 (6,209 days old) by decodriveboy (FL, US) | ||
|
Oh, Happy Day I have the same Frigidaire FL that Gary posted a pic of above, and I have successfully tricked out the water level to where it fills almost halfway up the window--thanks to Jay aka Pumper!! OK back to watching the splash drama now....hehe | ||
| Post# 205243 , Reply# 14 4/19/2007 at 19:02 (6,209 days old) by pumper (SE Wisconsin) | ||
|
I think most of the problem is that this machine is so finicky about spinning that sometimes it goes through the entire cycle without spinning once...not until after the final rinse. Then I've watched it attempting to balance for 15 minutes before it finally does manage it. So what is the lowest of the low sudsing detergents out there? And does increasing the water level so high have any negative effects on the machine?
| ||
|
Post# 205246 , Reply# 15 4/19/2007 at 19:16 (6,209 days old) by gadgetgary (Bristol,CT) |
||
|
Decodriveboy | ||
| Post# 205281 , Reply# 18 4/19/2007 at 23:17 (6,209 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
|
My Frigidaire will skip a spin once in a great while...and it seems to usually be the first spin between the wash and rinses...don't ask me why. But that is the rare exception and never more than that one missed spin per cycle. Is your machine leveled well, Pumper? I don't think it should do that. If it's under warranty I'd call for service. On most HE detergents, they recommend filling 1/2 of the cap for a normal load....I fill it about 1/4. My clothes don't get that dirty. I use a variety of HE detergents...Cheer, Tide, Wisk, All...and I recently tried Method and really liked it...no suds at all. On white loads...underwear and T shirts...I use full recommended dose of powdered Tide HE with hot water and it rinses very well. | ||
|
Post# 205291 , Reply# 20 4/19/2007 at 23:56 (6,209 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
||
|
Continuous problems with balancing
loads before spinning indicate something is wrong. You can check the following easily: Is the machine level? Level does not mean that the lid is level, it means that both the front and the back sides of the machine are level. Is the floor "resonating" with the washer? These machines need very stable floors to work properly. Try putting some solid boards under the machine which span several joists. If the problem goes away, you will need to make some sort of permanent solution. The suds-lock problem everybody has mentioned, but it really takes very little to suds-lock. Much less than I would have ever dreamed the first time I used a FL here in Germany. Another "obvious" problem is the type of load. One heavy bath-robe will not spin very well. A full load of many heavy bath-robes will. Of course, some of the motor controller boards were exceptionally vulnerable to static electric discharge...freezing them in the middle of the cycle. As were, recently, some of the first electronic program boards. You'd think folks would learn. The mechanism which gauges whether the load is in balance or not is measuring the power the motor is drawing compared to the speed of the drum. If the drum is not speeding up or only very slowly, the machine thinks there is an off-balance condition and stops, tries to re-distribute than starts again. Any of the things I and others have listed above will cause this problem, not just the out-of-balance clothes. Water level adjustments are easily made on these machines, just don't overdo...that door latch has been revised twice. It is not the most sturdy mechanism in the world. It is a very good idea to unplug the machine even if you are immune to electrical shock: It only takes the tiniest shock to kill the electronics in any washer; let your screwdriver slip or a bit of water fall on the wrong spot...and that was that) | ||
|
Post# 205753 , Reply# 23 4/23/2007 at 01:54 (6,206 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
||
|
Decodrive is right
And that is why my washers have had a little sign: --KATZE?!?-- on the front for years and years. After every cycle, wipe the rubber boot clean of water (especially under the fold). Leave the door ajar. Problem solved. I wouldn't run too much vinegar through a machine with an aluminum spider...but citric acid or formic acid will do just as nicely. You can get commercially prepared "washing machine cleaners" for FLs which have just the right dose...and boy, they really do clean. If you can't find them (yet) in the US, just take 1/3 cup of citric acid and run the hottest cycle you can. Repeat if necessary. (Nothing else added, especially not bleach - and be careful. Citric acid is a "real" acid). | ||
|
Post# 205760 , Reply# 24 4/23/2007 at 04:09 (6,206 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
||
|
SuzyQ
IMHO foul smelling water coming out of the pump leads one to believe something is festering in the sump as the water sits/machine is idle. My first question would be what detergent are you using? If not using an HE detergent and or improper dosage means your laundry will not be rinsed cleanly and "gunk" is left over not only on your laundry, but in the machine. This is VERY important if one is using mainly warm and cold water for doing laundry. If your washer has a way of emptying the drain (Miele washers like mine have a hose) empty the water out of the drain (following the instructions) and see what is coming out of the sump/drain. If you are getting foul water and see gunk, you need to clean out the sump and change laundry habits. You can clean the sump by draining the water from the sump (if possible), put two cups of baking soda into the drum, then add one cup of white vinegar (you can up the dose, long as one keeps a roughly two to one ration). Close the machine up and set it to wash with the hottest water you can. Baking soda and vinegar together produce a foaming/cleaning action that will cleanse the junk out of your washer/pump. The purpose of detergents is to lift oils/soils from laundry and keep them suspended until the wash water is drained so they can be rinsed away. Improper dosing and or using the wrong detergent causes the oils/soils to hang around not only your washer but your laundry, resulting in a final rinse water that has lots of stuff in it. That water now will sit and fester in the warm cozy confines of your washing machine. | ||
|
Post# 205764 , Reply# 25 4/23/2007 at 05:52 (6,206 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
||
|
oh yes
Venus, You are so right. I didn't think of that in a new machine...but the way these Electrolux are designed, it is easy for a bra wire (their greatest weakness) or something similar to jam right above the pump impeller and let stuff build up. The vinegar and baking soda really are a good trick, but those dratted aluminum spiders used in these machines won't stand up to a daily dose of chlorine bleach or vinegar. Yet another possibility - and a really icky one - is stuff backing up into the machine. The US versions of these machines doen't come with the anti-siphon check valves our European ones have. Be worth looking into. | ||
| Post# 209246 , Reply# 27 5/9/2007 at 20:55 (6,189 days old) by cny4 (Central New York) | ||
|
Does anyone know why the Affinity scored low in the Consumer reports wash test? I can buy a 6000 on sale right now for $530. I kind of like the 2140 and 2940 better, but the Affinity is supposed to be a step above these. Any thoughts out there what the differences are in the CR test or are they full of sh*t. | ||
|
Post# 209249 , Reply# 28 5/9/2007 at 21:04 (6,189 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
||
Frigidaire! | ||
| Forum Index: |
| Other Forums: |
|
|
|
|
|
Comes to the Rescue!
