Thread Number: 2342
What a fantastic community I have found |
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Post# 69896   6/11/2005 at 15:20 (6,865 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi everyone, My name is Hugh I live in the United Kingdom and I have been fascinated by Washing Machines of all kinds since I was old enough to walk. I discovered Automaticwasher.org purely by chance, while casually browsing the Internet one evening and I decided to Google the word agitator and see what turned up. Thankfully it led me to this fantastic community. I had no idea that so many others share my passion for all things washing. I have enjoyed looking at the collections of beautiful classic appliances and the superb videos of these classics in action. I look forward to getting to know the washer family better. Long Live the “Water Hogs” Best Regards. Hugh |
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Post# 69906 , Reply# 2   6/11/2005 at 18:03 (6,864 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Post# 69912 , Reply# 3   6/11/2005 at 19:32 (6,864 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 69940 , Reply# 4   6/11/2005 at 22:13 (6,864 days old) by drmitch ()   |   | |
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Always happy to meet another appliance lover! Lots of "Clean" fun here! |
Post# 69943 , Reply# 5   6/11/2005 at 22:21 (6,864 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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Post# 69948 , Reply# 6   6/11/2005 at 23:35 (6,864 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 69960 , Reply# 7   6/12/2005 at 00:58 (6,864 days old) by westytoploader ()   |   | |
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Great seeing another UK appliance enthusiast join!! Welcome to the club! |
Post# 69977 , Reply# 8   6/12/2005 at 06:39 (6,864 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Post# 69979 , Reply# 9   6/12/2005 at 06:53 (6,864 days old) by agiflow ()   |   | |
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You can easily spend hours here going through all the pics and posts. Very addicting site. Have a blast and a very warm welcome to you. Pat |
Post# 69990 , Reply# 10   6/12/2005 at 09:54 (6,864 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 69998 , Reply# 11   6/12/2005 at 12:30 (6,864 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Post# 69999 , Reply# 12   6/12/2005 at 13:03 (6,864 days old) by lavamat_jon (UK)   |   | |
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Hi from the UK! What part of the UK are you from? I'm in Lincoln - there's also a few Brits dotted about. Hope you enjoy the site :-) Jon |
Post# 70006 , Reply# 13   6/12/2005 at 14:33 (6,864 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Post# 70025 , Reply# 14   6/12/2005 at 15:44 (6,864 days old) by retromom ()   |   | |
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Howdy from Texas! Welcome to the club Hugh! This place is more fun an an 1100rpm spin; well, maybe not as much fun.....;-) I look forward to your posts! Venus |
Post# 70028 , Reply# 15   6/12/2005 at 16:23 (6,864 days old) by lavamat_jon (UK)   |   | |
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Hugh! Your very welcome, for the welcome! As others have said you'll find this is a great community :-) Venus, And definitely not as fun as a 1600rpm spin ;-) Jon :-) |
Post# 70084 , Reply# 17   6/13/2005 at 14:37 (6,863 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Post# 70619 , Reply# 18   6/17/2005 at 02:06 (6,859 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Hi Hugh Great to see another member from UK, you`ll spend days looking through all the pics n links etc...are you fond of the Hotpoints then??? Once you`ve been bitten, its a slippery slope, I started off at the 2001 Convention with one vac....pah!!! Now its 73 vacs & 52 laundry appliances & counting... Heres a "SpiraClean" action shot for you!!! Cheers, Mike CLICK HERE TO GO TO chestermikeuk's LINK |
Post# 70640 , Reply# 19   6/17/2005 at 09:57 (6,859 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Mike, Thanks for the Spiraclean action shot. I do like the older Hotpoint models like your Top Loader and my Supermatic De Luxe Twin Tub, the Spiraclean agitator is an object of beauty. It’s sad to see Hotpoint fall into the hands of Merloni Indesit. Thanks for the link to your photo collection, I love your Hoover Keymatic they are very rare these days. I have a machine you would probably like the infamous Servis Quartz 1000 which was the jointly designed by Procter & Gamble and Servis it must have been the most unreliable washer ever sold in the UK. Best Regards. Hugh. |
Post# 70701 , Reply# 21   6/17/2005 at 18:44 (6,858 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Derrek, Thanks for the welcome, I am sorry to hear your experiences have not been positive but I must say I am surprised as I have received a warm welcome from Applianceville, all the people here seem to be warm and friendly folks. You are most welcome to e-mail me and I will be pleased to help you in any way I can however coming from the UK my knowledge of US machines is somewhat limited. I do own a US Whirlpool Top Loader and I find it to be a superb washing machine. Best Regards. Hugh |
Post# 70716 , Reply# 24   6/17/2005 at 20:05 (6,858 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Steve, Actually my Whirlpool is factory made (Whirlpool Corp. Benton Harbour, Michigan. USA) with 230 Volts 50Hz components the so no step down transformer is required. The main drive motor is a two speed unit rated at 230 Volts 50Hz 600W it has no heater and apart from the voltage the washer is identical to US sold models. It is by far my favourite machine; my UK Front Loaders are like toys compared to the Whirlpool Top Loader the only exception being my Dyson Contra Rotator which is fitted with cast iron balance weights and is heavier than the Whirlpool. All the best. Hugh |
Post# 70746 , Reply# 25   6/17/2005 at 23:12 (6,858 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Derrick, if I remember correctly, you are looking for a Sunny Yellow WCI60 Frigidaire washer and matching Filtrator dryer preferably in working condition. I would love to have a 1958 or 1965 verson of the said pair. I don't have any mechanical ability whatsoever. So, it's a mute point for me to find something and it needs restoration. The restoration process takes a tremendous amount of time, sweat, blood, energy, and funds. When the process is through, it becomes the restorers baby and I doubt any amount of money to purchase the pair would be sufficient (especially a Frigidaire pair of this vintage). Sure I would love to have a resored pair and it's a fantasy of mine, but I fully understand someone's positoin after restoring--although it still stings and smarts. Having the dream of several vintage machines will be that for me. And it's like many others here. So, the rest of us have to enjoy other's collections and appreciate all they've done. Gregg has spent well over 6 months tweaking, fine-tuning, and everthing else to prepare his bountiful colleciton of machines for the upcoming convention. It is a labor of love, but I know it's exhausting. Adn believe me, I would love a General Motors Frigidaier. But I'd want it for my daily production washer & dryer LOL. I hope I've not offended you. As someone said in response, there is a loooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggg line of us ahead of you that want the same or similar pairs of Frigidaires.
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Post# 70783 , Reply# 28   6/18/2005 at 11:45 (6,858 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Steve, I had considered a Maytag but no electrical suppliers in my area carried the Maytag brand, I also had problems sourcing the Whirlpool but one phone call to Whirlpool UK solved my problems as they kindly arranged for their service company to order and deliver the washer to me. They are readily available in most electrical stores now but not six years ago when I bought my washer. I take it from your comments that Canada uses a different voltage from the USA, this is interesting so what voltage is used in Canada? Regarding my Drier; unfortunately it is a UK model a Hotpoint Ultima Condenser Drier, although I would really love the matching Whirlpool Drier but I was put off the Whirlpool by its electrical requirements. In the UK we have 220-240 Volts 50Hz 13 Amp standard wall outlets which can supply appliances up to 3000 Watts however the Whirlpool USA 22Lb drier requires 4500 Watts so this meant I would have needed to install a 30 Amp circuit to supply it with power so alas I had to settle for the standard UK Drier. All the best. Hugh |
Post# 70831 , Reply# 30   6/19/2005 at 03:32 (6,857 days old) by kenmore1978 ()   |   | |
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electrical standards are the same, 120/220 volts, 60 Hz. Some areas of US were 50 Hz as late as 1940's Some areas still have 208 volts |
Post# 70909 , Reply# 31   6/20/2005 at 03:37 (6,856 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Thanks Steve and Jaune, So does the USA actually use two voltages within the home; I presume the latter 220 Volts 60Hz is for use in appliances with heaters? In the UK only one voltage is used within a domestic dwelling Single Phase 220-240 Volts 50Hz with all power points being 3 pin 13 Amp capable of supplying appliances up to 3000 Watts. Industry has various voltage options but most commonly this is 3 Phase 415 Volts 50Hz. I find the variations in voltages between different countries very interesting and there is no doubt a safety advantage with a 120 Volts system also 60Hz would allow Induction motors to run faster. The 240 Volts used in the UK can easily kill and let me tell you it can give a very nasty shock, I have had my share of them over the years LOL. Steve attached is a pic of the Whirlpool I will take a pic of the Hotpiont Drier later. Regards. Hugh. |
Post# 70958 , Reply# 33   6/20/2005 at 14:03 (6,856 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 71027 , Reply# 36   6/21/2005 at 08:24 (6,855 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 71028 , Reply# 37   6/21/2005 at 08:24 (6,855 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 71074 , Reply# 38   6/21/2005 at 17:45 (6,854 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Post# 71093 , Reply# 39   6/21/2005 at 20:15 (6,854 days old) by agiflow ()   |   | |
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Yeah,..i have 7 temperature combos on my KM and not one with a Hot/Warm. |
Post# 71142 , Reply# 40   6/22/2005 at 02:23 (6,854 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Folks, Thanks for all the input on Voltage specs I am very surprised by the use of 3 phase in a domestic environment, only single phase is used in the UK for domestic supply. Steve (SactoTeddyBear), I will post a picture of the UK Hotpoint Drier later today I intended to do it yesterday but I got side tracked and forgot all about it. I have seen one example of the beige coloured version of my machine and a matching Drier they were a couple of years older than my machine but apart from the colour the washer was identical. I hope you are feeling better today? Did you get my e-mail OK? Steve (toggleswitch), Yes indeed the USA flag sticker is very cool and yes Whirlpool were indeed the World leaders in Laundry products at that time however I believe Electrolux Group of Sweden is currently the world’s largest appliance manufacturer. You may find it interesting that Whirlpool first entered the European market when they took over the Dutch electronic giant Philips’s white goods division; the first line of products carried the brand Philips-Whirlpool after a year or so the Philips name was dropped and the products were branded Whirlpool. Bob, My Whirlpool Top Loader is six years old and thankfully has been totally reliable, it works and sounds the same today as when I first bought it. The Whirlpool Top Loader is my favourite washer. Regards. Hugh |
Post# 71212 , Reply# 41   6/22/2005 at 16:48 (6,854 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Post# 71393 , Reply# 43   6/23/2005 at 22:54 (6,852 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Steve, Thanks for your kind comments; unfortunately this is not in the same league as an American Drier. Like most UK models it is designed to fit under a standard 600 millimetre work top so it only takes a 12Lbs load. The drum is made from Zinc Galvanised Steel and the disc you see is the moisture sensor it detects if the load has reached the dryness level you have selected; once the selected level is reached it switches off the heat to cool the laundry down this usually takes about 10 minutes, it then sounds a buzzer and switches to an anti crease cycle where it gives a short tumble every 2 minutes until you unload the drum. Yes it is a condenser model; the thing you see under the drum opening is the heat exchanger or condenser unit, it pulls out so any accumulated fluff can be rinsed out easily. The controls are very easy to use you simply select the fabric type and the degree of dryness then press the start button, the electronics automatically select high or low heat depending on the chosen fabric, the rest is fully automatic as described above. It is a fairly good drier but it does tend to roll large items like sheets into a ball as a result they don’t dry properly so I end up unrolling them and trying again. I purchased the Hotpoint Drier in January 2001 so it is 4 years old now and thankfully apart from its sheet rolling tendencies it has not let me down. Sadly Hotpoint UK which was previously owned by GE is now owned by Indesit Company (Formerly known as Merloni Electro Domestico) so only time will tell what will happen to the the UKs best selling washer brand. All the best. Hugh. |
Post# 71520 , Reply# 45   6/26/2005 at 20:14 (6,849 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Steve, No there is only that one sensor in the Hotpoint although you would think there would be more, it does reverse tumble but because it is a condenser dryer it tumbles more one way than the other and this causes the balling problem. I would not recommend this dryer to anyone because of the balling problem it is also extremely noisy with loud roaring fans. Your 1965 Lady-K Dryer sounds like a nice machine you should do your best to get it running again, we need to keep these real machines alive and running well. I agree it’s a sad situation with all the distinct brands being absorbed by the giants but that seems to be the way of the world these days. Peach and happy restoring. All the best. Hugh |
Post# 71675 , Reply# 47   6/28/2005 at 05:29 (6,848 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Hi Steve, It does reverse but the problem with the Hotpoint is that it tumbles more in one direction than the other. This seems be due to the design of the fans used in its air cooled condenser drying system, the fans are highly efficient in one direction but not so good when reverse tumbling so it tumbles 2 minutes in one direction and reverses for 30 seconds. Peace and happy Lucky Goldstar drying. Hugh. |
Post# 74386 , Reply# 49   7/21/2005 at 04:31 (6,825 days old) by Spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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