Thread Number: 5396
Suds Saver? |
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Post# 115267   3/14/2006 at 20:23 (6,610 days old) by timborow (Georgia)   |   | |
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I have noticed in a lot of threads that a Suds Saver feature has been mentioned. I have never seen one of these. What is it? How did it work? Are they available today? Tim |
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Post# 115274 , Reply# 2   3/14/2006 at 20:48 (6,610 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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A suds saver washer, usually a top loader, will have a couple of extra buttons and an extra timer option. The following is based on the Maytag A606S, which was produced in the 60's. One button will be "Save Suds", the other will be "Drain Suds". The timer option is "Return Suds". The machine will also have two drain hoses. One is the regular drain hose, the other the suds saver hose. When "Save Suds" is pushed, at the end of the wash portion of the cycle, the machine will divert the drained soapy water into the suds saver hose. If this is placed in a large stoppered sink or basin (20 gallon or more capacity), then the soapy water will be "saved" there for future use. The rest of the cycle will proceed normally, with rinse drains going out through the regular drain hose. At the start of the next wash cycle, if the timer is placed on the "Return Suds" area, the washer will suck the sudsy water out of the basin instead of adding new water (although more new water may be added to make up any difference). If the "Save Suds" button is still depressed, these saved suds will be saved again for yet another re-use. If the "Drain Suds" button is pushed, then the suds will drain normally, as will the wash water for all subsequent loads. In times when hot water and soap or detergent were much more expensive than they are today, the Suds Saver option was an economical way to conserve resources. I think I've heard that Maytag may still offer on special order a Suds Saver washer version of one of their regular washers, but you'd have to check with your appliance dealer, or call Maytag. There's a thread I started about the A606S or A606 that has some photos of the dual hoses, the valve that switches draining between them, and the result of Suds Return. |
Post# 115280 , Reply# 3   3/14/2006 at 21:20 (6,610 days old) by fixerman ()   |   | |
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I had a Whirlpool DD with white control panel, Must have been from the 90's. Googled "Whirlpool washer" and "Suds saver" and did not come up with any new models with suds saver. |
Post# 115290 , Reply# 5   3/14/2006 at 22:07 (6,610 days old) by super32 (Blackstone Massachusetts)   |   | |
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Post# 115300 , Reply# 7   3/14/2006 at 22:51 (6,610 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Well, my '67 A606S seems to work just fine - the valve is controlled by a powerful solenoid, and you can hear it slam (with a little ringing at that) as it changes from one drain pipe to the other. But I could see that it might be a source of both electrical and hydro-selaing issues. I just happen to think that Maytag did it right. |
Post# 115316 , Reply# 8   3/15/2006 at 00:49 (6,610 days old) by fixerman ()   |   | |
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I used to replace alot of suds valves on Mayatags. Probably the weak link in a suds machines. |
Post# 115318 , Reply# 9   3/15/2006 at 00:56 (6,610 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Post# 115323 , Reply# 10   3/15/2006 at 02:12 (6,610 days old) by spinout (Phoenix)   |   | |
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How about that suds valve on the early GE's! I remember that Granny had the diaphragm replaced several times on her machine because of FOD (foreign object damage). |
Post# 115336 , Reply# 11   3/15/2006 at 06:15 (6,610 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Yes, Maytag discontinued making suds-savers in the mid to late 90's. When my wife and I were married in '98 the local Maytag dealer had to special order our set. This was our wedding gift from my parents. I remember the sound of the suds-saver engaging on my Mom's "67 & '84 Filter-Flo's. Our Maytag makes the same sound, reminds me of simpler times.
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Post# 115351 , Reply# 16   3/15/2006 at 07:45 (6,610 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area)   |   | |
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another view |
Post# 115352 , Reply# 17   3/15/2006 at 07:46 (6,610 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area)   |   | |
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complete assembly |
Post# 115353 , Reply# 18   3/15/2006 at 07:46 (6,610 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area)   |   | |
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back view, with mounting hook. |
Post# 115399 , Reply# 19   3/15/2006 at 12:17 (6,609 days old) by cycla-fabric (New Jersey (Northern))   |   | |
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Post# 115409 , Reply# 20   3/15/2006 at 13:58 (6,609 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)   |   | |
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Hi Guys, The suds save DD Whirlpools over here have had two hoses since the were released in 1991. Was this manual valve only available early on, or are you saying that Whirlpool US never had an Electro mechanical divertor valve? Thanks Nathan |
Post# 115414 , Reply# 21   3/15/2006 at 14:27 (6,609 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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"A far better way to save suds & time while eliminating the cooling while the cycle runs on to completion is to pump the wash water into one of your other washers and start the second load immediately." Good idea. I wonder if anyone has ever tried insulating a wash tub to conserve the wash water's heat? |
Post# 115422 , Reply# 22   3/15/2006 at 15:19 (6,609 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 115439 , Reply# 23   3/15/2006 at 18:22 (6,609 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA)   |   | |
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I wonder if anyone has ever tried insulating a wash tub to conserve the wash water's heat? I do remember a wash tub in a cabinet sold at Sears that did have some insulation and was used for suds saver washers. I do remember when I was a little kid, my mother would hold me over the washing machine (Kenmore) and I liked to see the wash water bubble up thru the tub holes. Nep P.S. Then later in my childhood I was in trouble because I wanted to look at washing machines and dryers than play (boring) baseball! |
Post# 115441 , Reply# 24   3/15/2006 at 18:55 (6,609 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Moms old frog eye Kenmore had the sudsaver feature and when you look thru old catalogues you'll see the feature listed usually for an additional $10-20 over the standard model. The return hose should be mounted a few inches above the bottom of the laundry tub so as not to suck up any of the really dirty water and sediment that settles from the prior wash.
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Post# 115442 , Reply# 25   3/15/2006 at 19:03 (6,609 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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As a boy I had extreme sudssaver lust, and sudssaver envy because my Mom had Twin tower Frigidaires. No suds saver I thought ss's were the coolest things in the whole wide world. Lucky for me, the guy across the street had a wife who thought she was a movie star, always "indisposed" or pampering herself, so every Thursday night, right after supper,Tom did the wash with me right by his side. Like Neptune, I couldn't get enough of the water squirting up through the holes' OR the agitator working without any water in the tub, OR all the splashing as the water level rose. It WAS JUST FABULOUS, The huge bang of the valve, the cool rinse water hose that was like a huge rubber faucet., mna-o-man I was in heaven. God i wish you could experience a suds return. Wow, did Whirlpool/Kenmore have suds-saving down to a science! In my neighborhood, almost everyone had one. Maybe this summer, I'll have everybody over to see my 95 TOL WP with a secret suds return during the last 3 minute click of the wash cycle. If you get the dial just right, you can get a HIGH SPEED suds return that will blow your minds into the next galaxy. I swear to God--and I love you all. |
Post# 115444 , Reply# 26   3/15/2006 at 19:11 (6,609 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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