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Thread Number: 14772
Energy use of older washer/dryer set |
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| Post# 250687 , Reply# 3 11/27/2007 at 20:14 (5,987 days old) by frontaloadotmy (the cool gay realm) | ||
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crt The date list I have doesn't have " O " on it, perhaps yours has a "C" or "G" for the second letter that is worn and appears to be an O. Year of production for a "Q" center dial Maytag is 1972. According to my list the dryer would have been manufactured August 1984. FYI , Darrel | ||
Post# 250707 , Reply# 4 11/27/2007 at 21:12 (5,987 days old) by sudsmaster  (SF Bay Area, California) |
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That washer is a gem of a workhorse. If it's the model with a lighted back panel, I would definitely have it repaired. As for efficiency, yes, modern front loaders are more water and energy efficient than the 806. They are more energy efficient mainly because it takes less energy to heat five gallons of wash water than 15 to 20 gallons of wash water. They can hold more laundry, and will do better with large bulky items like rugs and comforters. However, there is a lot of affection here for washers like the Maytag you have, because of the dramatic action of all that water sloshing around, making suds. A top loader like that may also handle lint and pet hair better than a modern front loader that is quite frugal with water. You might want to consider getting the best of both worlds: repair the 806 and use that for linty/hairy items, and then get a modern frontloader (I currently like the high end Frigidaire Affinity washer) for large items and bigger loads. That is, if your laundry area has the room. Yes, there is an environmental impact whenever a new appliance is manufactured, vs. holding on to an old one. But that is an issue different from energy efficiency. The old washer can be sold to a collector, or donated to a needy home. And for those washers that are not worth fixing, the sheet metal can be recycled. Most people here prefer that old washers be repaired or at least kept away from the "crusher". | ||
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Post# 250718 , Reply# 6 11/27/2007 at 22:14 (5,987 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Steve, 25% loss of gas due to leaks in a single block isn't just a waste, it's a public hazard. Perhaps the sandy soil and subsoil in Florida, combined with the sinkhole problem, was responsible for the leaky lines? I understand that gas companies are busy replacing or lining existing lines with strong and somewhat flexible plastic pipe, which is less likely to leak than older iron pipes. I also recall seeing a figure of about 5% or less for the amount of energy it takes to pipe natural gas - there is little friction and gravity isn't an issue either (natural gas is lighter than air, since it's mostly methane). Around here, if someone smells a gas leak in the street, the local utility crews are very quick to show up and fix it. A dark side of natural gas delivery here is that in years past, PG&E injected PCB waste oil into the pipelines to combat corrosion inside the metal pipes. Some of that PCB wound up in customer's gas flames. PG&E maintained that the process of combustion would render the PCB's harmless, but not everyone buys that story. I could see problems when a gas appliance isn't jetted right, and the flame doesn't get enough (or too much) oxygen, and combustion is incomplete. Supposely the PCB's have now all been absorbed into the walls of the pipes and is no longer showing up in customers' homes. I like natural gas but I think PG&E was criminally negligent for injecting a known toxin into natural gas lines. | ||
| Post# 250805 , Reply# 8 11/28/2007 at 10:08 (5,987 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
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| Post# 250833 , Reply# 9 11/28/2007 at 11:57 (5,986 days old) by frontaloadotmy (the cool gay realm) | ||
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date code list crt, I got the list from a fellow aw.oite and also a lessser one from a maytag dealer in the past. I'll do my best to send you the file if you'd like , just say the word! | ||
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Post# 250897 , Reply# 11 11/28/2007 at 16:20 (5,986 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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Welcome!
Hi and welcome on board. Maytags of that era are among the best machines you can buy, regardless of age. The decision is really very simple. If you want a Top Loader (TL) then the Maytag is worth repairing, regardless of what it may need (probably just the "dogs" have gone, but that part is no longer available, so you will need the timer motor. 'Bout $15 or so. Do not take the timer apart, just replace the motor. If energy and water savings are a must, then a FL would be a better choice. Me? This is one of the very few TLs I would take over a front loader. High speed spin, super cleaning action, beautiful piece of reliable machinery. Do go through this site and the archives, just about every aspect of that machine has been discussed which might possibly interest you. Either way, hope you stick around - we've got a lot of interesting ideas here. panthera(Keven) | ||
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Post# 250969 , Reply# 13 11/29/2007 at 01:52 (5,986 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Steve, I don't doubt that what you described actually happened, it just hasn't been my experience here out on the West Coast. I noticed a gas odor on the street where I used to live about 15 years ago. I called the gas company, and they had trucks out there digging things up in short order. OK, they did seem a bit flakey on the phone - like they didn't understand what I meant by the words "I smell gas on the street" but apparently once they got the concept they dealt with it promptly. Last time I checked, both Florida and New York are on the same coast, but no matter. Perhaps the gas pipes in Queens were put in around the same time the Dutch settled Manhattan. | ||
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Post# 251062 , Reply# 16 11/29/2007 at 13:43 (5,985 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I have to disagree with the claim that top loaders rinse better than front loaders. Technically, multiple rinses are superior to single or double deep rinses in removing traces of soap/detergent/dirt. Granted, they may not be as good at removing lint and hair. But four rinses in a front loader are as good as the typical single deep rinse and multiple spray/spin rinses of a traditional top loader. Plus, they use less water. Way back in the middle ages I had a summer job at UC Davis in the Nutrition department lab. My job was to wash lab glassware. I was carefully instructed not to skimp on the number of rinses - had it drilled into my head the benefit of multiple rinses. I have carried this lesson over into my everyday life, and found that in nearly all cases, it's true. | ||
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Post# 252014 , Reply# 19 12/4/2007 at 15:43 (5,980 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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Oh yes, and it's a gas dryer! My little early 70's Maytag gas model was the most consistently quiet and absolutely reliable and efficient dryer I've ever owned. That thing just purred regardless of what kind of load you'd throw at it. Even at 50 years old, I wouldn't expect anything less from yours. And the washer needs no additional PR than what has already been posted here--it is likely as quiet and efficient as the day it left the factory. Slap that new timer motor in and enjoy your pair! Even if they're not perfectly matched on the surface, they are soulmates underneath.
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Post# 252025 , Reply# 20 12/4/2007 at 16:22 (5,980 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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That A806 is a quite a desirable washer. Anything with a lighted control panel is a plus, and the 06 line has some added flexibility in terms of wash/rinse temps that later, "eco" versions don't have (like hot wash/warm rinse, I understand). The dryer is nice too - but it would probably be happier paired with a 700 series washer. | ||
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Post# 252039 , Reply# 21 12/4/2007 at 17:29 (5,980 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 252041 , Reply# 22 12/4/2007 at 17:43 (5,980 days old) by bobbyderegis (Boston) | ||
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Hey folks! Is the dryer one of the ventless models? Bobby in Boston | ||
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Post# 252084 , Reply# 23 12/4/2007 at 19:47 (5,980 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 252966 , Reply# 26 12/8/2007 at 23:39 (5,976 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Cool dryer!
That dryer is the last of the non-Halo of Heat dryers that has a glow-coil ignition system instead of a standing pilot. The gas system is accessed through the door on the dryer top and the lint screen-drawer in the lower right corner. A little larger drum than the HOH, lower air-flow with a 3" vent. I've only seen a couple of these, one was a '56 model at an estate sale and the other was a pink version of this 57 model at a shop in Newton, Iowa.
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