Thread Number: 50992
Estate Washer Cabinet Woes.... 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 732935   2/4/2014 at 22:40 (3,732 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

I mentioned in another thread that one of my neighbors had a washing machine with a stuck inlet valve. He gave me the model number and s/n and I ordered the part. He said the machine was a Whirlpool, but when I got there it was an "Estate by Whirlpool". Fortunately the part was the right one. He was going to install it himself, but got screwed up over how to take the cabinet off. So I went over to help.

I have never seen an Estate machine in use before. I always thought that they were BOL machines. I was surprised to find this machine had hot/warm and warm/warm wash/rinse settings, plus a dual action agitator and two speeds. The controls were of the "hard click" variety. They were kind of hard to move and made a loud click noise when you moved them into the desired position.

So I pop the clips off (the guy already had the control panel off) and take the cabinet off. I noticed that the cabinet was very shaky. The sides would flex and it didn't feel like the sturdiest cabinet around. I got the inlet valve replaced (a breeze) but getting this damn cabinet back on took some doing. Anytime you handled it the sides would flex in and out. I used the old "start with the cabinet on your toe and put the front of it in front of the bottom frame member and tilt backwards from there. Sometimes it would be too high on one side or another, or it would go on crooked. We must have played with that thing for an hour before it finally went on the machine properly. It was definitely a two man job. I've had the cover off of our Whirlpool and it was far easier to do than this Estate washer was. Is this usual for Estate machines? Is there some kind of trick that I was missing?

Last summer the owner removed the inlet screens because the machine was filling too slow, but the inlet screens were still in there, and were totally clogged on both sides. So it was the hose screens he removed. We got some new ones and now he has new hose screens as well as inlet screens. The water now flows very nicely while filling.






Post# 732991 , Reply# 1   2/5/2014 at 06:36 (3,732 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Last summer the owner removed the inlet screens because the machine was filling too slow, but the inlet screens were still in there, and were totally clogged on both sides. So it was the hose screens he removed. We got some new ones and now he has new hose screens as well as inlet screens.
There are hose screens in both ends of the hoses (at the taps and at the machine)?  That shouldn't be necessary since there are screens inside the valve ports.  Hose screens are needed only at the taps.

Regards to the flexy cabinet ... some are moreso than others.  You may be accustomed to your machine, which is older and probably sturdier construction.

Estate models were offered in a range of feature-sets ... some were MOL moreso than BOL.

Post# 732996 , Reply# 2   2/5/2014 at 07:18 (3,732 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Alan, I think the  sheet metal has gotten "tinnier" as time has went by.  Costs less to make and lightens the shipping weight.  Seems like there are more and more imprinted designs in the sides of all appliances nowdays to give them a little more strength because of the stamped by press design.  Textured "no finger print" steel the hardest surface ever to clean was first unloaded on the public as an upgrade and cost more money.  Now it is common place to use the textured steel at least on the sides of most appliances.
Post# 733037 , Reply# 3   2/5/2014 at 11:57 (3,731 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

Yes, there were screens in the inlet valve (totally clogged) and in the hoses until last summer. But since the inlet screens were just clogged and not broken I wonder why the valve failed? The machine is a 2000 model bought at Sam's. There also was quite a bit of grit in the hoses themselves. While they were disconnected from the machine I flushed those out. I mentioned to the owner that he may want to buy new hoses as the ones he has are a little soft and are 14 years old. Of course he said that he'll replace them when they start leaking.... I can see why only one set of screens is needed. In fact the new screens have a little tag in the center of them to make removal for cleaning much easier.

I think you are right about the cabinet being "thinner" my Whirlpool is a 1994 TOL machine which is 8 years older than this one. I also noticed that this Estate washer does the "clicking" noise while agitating. Someone mentioned in the DD washer thread that DD machines do this. I don't hear it out of ours.




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