Thread Number: 31684
Liberator?
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Post# 477879   11/27/2010 at 14:08 (4,869 days old) by slimstar ()        

Hi there, I've just joined.
I have an English Electric Liberator dryer (which i love dearly!)
just wondered if anyone has any info on it and possibly any info or pics of the matching washer?





Post# 477893 , Reply# 1   11/27/2010 at 15:53 (4,869 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)        

keymatic's profile picture
Welcome Slimstar,
What would you like to know about the English Electric..? I have the Liberator Mk1 washer & matching dryer from the late 50's..The washer had a rather advanced programmer for the time (well i think so..hehe) you selected the fabric on the "select-a-fabric" dial and that gave you a number to which you then turned another dial and this gave you a pre-determined time & heat selection.
It had a very small wash drum, and weighed an absolute ton !!
Regards
Keith


Post# 477898 , Reply# 2   11/27/2010 at 16:18 (4,869 days old) by HooverJames ()        
Lovely Machines...

Hi,

Slimstar: You have a machine that will last for life if treated right, all it takes is a simple cleaning of the fluff filter and airways.

Keith: I NEVER KNEW YOU HAD A MK1 LIBERATOR!!! Do you have any pics or videos? I would also like to know more about EE and whether they were sold in Ireland here.

James.


Post# 477902 , Reply# 3   11/27/2010 at 17:10 (4,869 days old) by Vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)        
EE Liberator

vacbear58's profile picture
James

You can catch a glimpse of the machine in the link. Although British manufactured it is based on a Westinghouse design, as indeed was the later Reversomatic. They came on the market in 1959 or possibly very early 1960 as it appears in the Which September 1960 report.

And yes they were sold in Ireland or, at least, Northern Ireland - my Aunt Nancy had one - a wedding present in 1962 it carried on until around 1971.

Al


CLICK HERE TO GO TO Vacbear58's LINK


Post# 477991 , Reply# 4   11/28/2010 at 04:51 (4,869 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
English Electric..

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Hi Alex, and welcome to the club, great dryer you have there, very well made & heavy...dont make them with all that enamel today!!! Do you have yours vented from the top or the back?? Heres Mathew (Keymatic3203) with his pride & joy, now if you find the washer...there is a queue!!!

And heres link to more photos!!!


CLICK HERE TO GO TO chestermikeuk's LINK


Post# 477993 , Reply# 5   11/28/2010 at 04:53 (4,869 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Does Your Tumble Dryer...

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Tell you its a "Liberator"..... Keith you`re holding out on us!!! pics,pics pics please!!!

Post# 477994 , Reply# 6   11/28/2010 at 04:54 (4,869 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Nowthen...

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Anything Familiar about the timer knob??

Post# 477995 , Reply# 7   11/28/2010 at 04:58 (4,869 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
The Name

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Al, where they sold as Gala in Ireland or English Electric??

Post# 477996 , Reply# 8   11/28/2010 at 05:01 (4,869 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Are They Ready Yet...

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Fraser & Alex awaiting their warm fluffy bedding, and getting a warm at the same time...

Post# 477998 , Reply# 9   11/28/2010 at 05:14 (4,869 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)        
In NORTHERN Ireland

vacbear58's profile picture
My aunt's was branded English Electric, and I had seen other EE appliances too from time to time (Westinghouse style mixer, EE Supermatic clone, and my Mum had an EE cooker). The emphasis on the "northern" is purely to differentiate from the rest of Ireland, as they (we?) did not have Gala but Hotpoint for an example. But as the rest of Ireland is a different territory, the brands could have been different there. I saw the same thing in the mid 1980s where my Philips 850 washer/dryer was branded in the ROI as the Thor 950
Al


Post# 478008 , Reply# 10   11/28/2010 at 08:26 (4,868 days old) by slimstar ()        
Liberation

Hey folks, thanks for the welcome.

Keith. What a pair you have! i guess my questions are ... What size load does she take? Does it have 2 directional tumble? what's she like on spin? how does the whole soap powder through the door work? and last but not least do you have any video of her in action? (dont know why i've refered to yours as her, but mines a she).

Mike. I've got mine vented from the rear. at the moment she is sat pride of place in the sitting room with some lights in the drum. quite the focal point.

Once again thanks for the welcome.
for years i thought i was alone with my washing machine fixation. now the only problem is there's loads of people after the same treasures. lol

Alex


Post# 478021 , Reply# 11   11/28/2010 at 10:10 (4,868 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
Very nice tumble dryer there. It's nice to see the Westinghouse SpaceMate style and design made it across the pond. And congratulations on that beauty. I am curious, did the MK1 washer have an onboard heater or did it only use the ho0t water supplied from the cwentral tank of the household?



This post was last edited 11/28/2010 at 13:50
Post# 478090 , Reply# 12   11/28/2010 at 13:02 (4,868 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
English Electric

electron1100's profile picture
These machines really are in a world of their own, utterly unique and very special.

So thanks Mike for the fots and information, it would be good if Keith could do the same and show us some of his collection of rare machines :-)

Gary


Post# 478111 , Reply# 13   11/28/2010 at 14:55 (4,868 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)        

keymatic's profile picture
Hi Guys,

Alex..I think the wash load is only 4-6lbs, the drum is not very deep at all, I can't remember if it is uni-directional..something tells me it maybe, but it does about about 6-8 revolutions before stopping and changing direction..tangle-city or what !! lol...it only spins at about 300 - 500rpm..the soap would just get chucked in on top of the load with the door open, I remember reading somewhere that you could add a missed item after the wash had started through the porthole on the door..but it is only about 3" in diameter, so it would have to be a small garment !! you could also add the powder if you wanted too..

My set are currently in a garage where i use to live, about 30miles away, so i rarely see them..but will try and get over there soon to take some pics.

Cheers
Keith


Post# 980041 , Reply# 14   1/26/2018 at 18:34 (2,252 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Holy thread revival! This foul necromancer would rather like to know if any more of these have turned up, whether Keymatic still has his, or indeed whether any of the big 30" Westinghouse designs made it over here...

Post# 980128 , Reply# 15   1/27/2018 at 16:23 (2,251 days old) by Keymatic (London / UK)        

keymatic's profile picture
Hi WTF2800,
Yep i still have my Liberator set - washer & dryer.
There must be other liberators out there !!


  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 2         View Full Size
Post# 980198 , Reply# 16   1/28/2018 at 08:01 (2,250 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Any chance of 'money shots' of the two machines' drums? I presume the dryer is vented rather than condensing...

Post# 980264 , Reply# 17   1/28/2018 at 14:56 (2,250 days old) by Keymatic (London / UK)        

keymatic's profile picture
Hi a Richard,
I will do a shot of the drum shortly, it is really small not very very deep.
Keith


Post# 980420 , Reply# 18   1/29/2018 at 13:39 (2,249 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Ta muchly! I'd heard as much.

Whereabouts in God's own county are you?



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