I like the pedestals. Mine is just a little too short: for example, I have to take the cap of the Unstoppables off, otherwise it won't close.

Interesting, how Extra Soil increses the time on Normal so much. Undoubtly, because CR uses Normal + Heavy Soil as part of their testing. How does Hot and Extra Hot differ, since Normal probably doesn't use the heater? Is Ex Hot pure hot water no matter what vs. tempered hot on the Hot setting?

Can steam be selected with any warm-water setting, or does it default to a hot wash like on the LGs?

Power Wash & Allergen - well, I wouldn't hold my breath. This is, after all, an American machine with American programming on it (water miser)

The steam cycle on the dryer is a water mist. Only LG uses "Turbo" Steam.

Here are some cycle times of the Whirlpool.

I have the second generation Duet but the first generation pedestal. The pedestal is a little too short (only two screws are holding the washer to it). However, it has never moved a bit - knock on wood - in over a year and despite the stiffer suspension on the European Duets.

I installed the pedestal myself. I laid the washer on its back, attached the pedestal and put the washer back on its feet. Was very easy and I didn't even put the bolts in while - carefully - moving the washer.

Louis-- Thank you! I plan to do a lot of laundry this weekend to check out more cycles. Comforters, curtains, bed linens, bath linens, another load of kitchen/personal whites, and anything else in the house that isn't nailed down.

As is the case with many User's Guides these days, very little information we at AW consider interesting is provided. I don't know exactly what 'Extra Hot' means. I'm guessing 120 degrees F. since 105 degrees is considered 'hot' by today's standards. I read that the heater is engaged on that setting and it does increase the cycle time by a few minutes when you select it. I'll take the temperature with an instant-read thermometer...if the door will unlock late in the wash tumble. Perhaps the service manual has more specific information.

So far I've used the Normal, Sanitize, Wrinkle Control, and Delicate cycles. I'm interested to know the specifics of the PowerWash, Allergen and Bedding cycles as well as the Steam For Stains option. I'll definitely try all of them this weekend.

Brent-- If you had ever witnessed bystanders flee for safety when I'm wielding a saw or other power tool, you'd agree building that awesome wooden pedestal would be best left to others, LOL.  

😰

Also:  It's probably an irrational fear, but I have major trust issues with machines that aren't bolted to their pedestal.  A little horror film plays in my head where the machine vibrates forward during a high speed spin, then takes a face-plant dive to the floor, pulling water pipes and sheetrock down with it. 

alr2903-- I was surprised to find only the 8100 had an internal tub light--at least in the Maxima Series and I'm glad to have it.  But it's also nice knowing that unlike some washers, you can see into it in a well-lit room.  I remember when several models in any given brand's line offered a tub light.

My jeans cycle is just what your wrinkle control cycle is--complete with cool down.  Although my Jeans doesn't offer steam for stains or extra hot options.  I like using my jeans cycle for no-iron, wrinkle free, permanent press items. 

A while back Combo52 admonished for all the over rinsing and not good for machines.  Up to that moment, I'd been using extra rinse for every cycle.  Now I don't use extra rinse at all except for Hand Wash or Delicate cycles because there's no spins between wash & rinses on those until after the last rinse.  And I don't have any chafing/rotting skin or no appendages have fallen off my body. 

I don't foresee the need for a fourth rinse, but I'm glad it's available if it's ever needed---without coming back to reset the washer.

The Maytag does a great job with just the standard two rinses.  I'm very impressed at how well liquid chlorine bleach is removed by adding a 3rd rinse.  I used a stronger dose than usual to test rinsing ability and there wasn't a trace of bleach scent in the load at cycle's end.  That wasn't always the case with the Frigidaire.

Having washed a half-dozen loads, I'll say this: No wonder you like your Whirlpool so much, Bob!  

Aww shucks Eugene (blush).  I fully understand and endorse the European approach to laundry.  Very hot washes and temperature controlled warm washes and the gradual heating of water through various temperature levels to hot/sanitary when needed to rid laundry of stains without having to check each garment as it's put in the machine.  And I'm willing to let the machine put in the time to yield the results.  I view this as a far more civilized, intelligent approach to tackling extremely filthy, dirty and stain-embedded laundry.  Laundry is so much cleaner and carefree than with a top loader.  And I have lots of stuff that's highly stained. Every front loader should have the heater to boost water temps.  It's unfortunate the pubic has been brainwashed about how wonderful cold water washing is.  Makes me cringe. 

I'm curious to know if without any steam for stains selected, if there's a steam routine that's ensues with using either extra hot wash temp or the sanitary cycle?  On mine, I think the steam routine toward the end of the wash phase raises the environment temp inside the washer to the 155 degrees.  And that's whenever I select Sanitary water temp, regardless of whether steam for stains is selected or not, it still "steams".  I wish there was a selector switch that allowed the user to select whether steam is used or not in conjunction with the concept of gradually heating the water from warm to hot or sanitary when stain treat is used--i.e. just like these machines did before the advent of steam.  I think steaming was added to save electricity but still allowing the higher temps inside the wash drum.  Even with just a warm water temp and steam for stains, there's somewhat of a gradual increase in temp to "warm". 

Alex, here's my steam routine.  It drains the wash water and goes through a balance spin speed phase and spins out some water in the load.  But I think fabrics are still quite saturated.   And it may do this one or two times.  then it stops and fill with cold water somewhere in the machine.  I hear the water trickling into some sort of reservoir that sounds like it's up near the detergent dispenser.  Once that's complete adding water, then the heater turns on and begins heating that water wherever it is and the machine tumbles back and forth in a regular washing/tumble pattern.  This lasts for about 15 to 18 minutes and  I can after about 5 minutes begin hearing some sizzling noise (reminds me of when the Waste King dishwasher was paused while it heated the water to 155 for the final rinse).  And once wherever that waster is heated high enough, steam begins entering the wash drum.  All throughout this time, the display still says it's in the wash phase but also adds it's "steaming".  The door glass gets much warmer during this phase also.  Once the time ends, then it adds cold water to the drum to begin cooling the load down to about 100 to 120 degrees before it drains for the spin after the wash phase.

My allergen default is 1:42 and that's heavy soil.  Light soil drops it to 1:34.  Steam for stains raises default to 2:05.  Sanitize on the following cycles yield: Allergen 2:25, Heavy Duty 2:20 and Whitest Whites 2:43.  Adding Steam for Stains raises all those to 2:43,  2:25, and 2:56 respectively.  I will tell you with a very heavy load of towels on Allergen, I've seen the machine add up to 28 minutes to the wash time to make sure it has plenty of time to head to its target temps.   Alex, mine is a WFW97HEXW0.  The fill flue is about at the 10 O'clock location inside the machine.  Tis is a rubber nozzle type of things on the gasket (with a hole) at about 11:00 o'clock.  I'm assuming that's for steam.  I've never used the cartridge so I don't know if that's what that's really for.  Yikes Eugene.  If my mother was there she'd say, that's what you get for opening the machine during its cycle.  You're supposed to leave it alone lol. 

That would make sense given the washer dispenses bleach in the first rinse and the mechanism rotates around to spray water into the bleach reservoir.  And if the machine was stopped while it was attempting to execute that action, .....

Eugene, I've never seen steam in it with that option, as is stated in the user manual.  but I can hear it hiss quite a bit.  And I know it gets extremely hot in there as I can feel the heat generating from the vent at the upper back left of my machine.  And my first rinse is essentially warm due to the residual heat of the load when on Sanitize temps.  Eugene, I've noticed marked difference in cleaning when using sanitize and steam for stains.  As asked, I wonder if it goes through a steam routine on the actual Sanitize cycle.  Personally, there's not all that much spun out of the clothes before it begins steaming.  I've listened to the water coming out of the drain when it begins that very slow spin. 

I know - I've seen all episodes of Little House On The Prairie.

"As Alex mentioned, it may be going out the same port used by the Fresh Hold option"

I didn't mean to refer to where steam may be coming out, I thought I had found where the "unseen water" enters the machine for the steam portion. In the "cryptic" drawing below, you can see a blue line I added. I think water flows into the air channel [#5] that is used to blow air inside the machine during the Fresh Hold option. This hose [#5] is obviously connected to the tub. Fresh water enters the vent hose, flows into the base of the tub and is turned into... humidity by the water heating element (red, my dear).

As for your interpretation of the other parts: you were very, very close! #29 is the Fresh Hold fan, # 19 is yet another air vent and # 28 is a suspension strut. So yeah... don't give up on you career as a washing machine engineer just yet!

"I don't know that any washers commonly found in the US have steam generators anymore. LG used to; does Miele?"

Initailly, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool and had true steam washing machines. LG had something like a tank that would fill with water, heat it up and steam would reach the clothes. Whirlpool and Samsung had flow-through heaters (a heating element wrapped around a pipe above the wash tub) that would turn water into steam as it passed through it. Now, they all just fill with some water under the drum and start heating - like a veggie steamer you'd use in the kitchen.

Yes, some Miele washers have steam generators like espresso machines. But their steam is used to dewrinkle and refresh; not to boost washing performance.

Gary for about the last 3 years, there's a new cabinet style that no longer has a lower access panel.  You have to take the entire front off from what RCD told me to get access and it's not easy to do.

It's still the same cycle, "casual" was removed from the name.

Even my 2 year old WFW97 is the same way. 

Medium spin SHOULD be around 800 rpms.  My medium is significantly different than high. 

I believe the dryer temperature is still medium or it modulates from high to medium as the load dries. 

Permanent press items are intended for the wrinkle control cycle.  Default spin speed is medium on that cycle.  Same as the default on my jeans cycle.  My jeans cycle is the same as wrinkle control, but no ability for hot or deep clean for stains like on Wrinkle control.  I've always set for medium spin speed for anything that's wrinkle free or wrinkle resistant.  I also use my Bulky Items for permanent press typ[e items.  Same medium tumble speed for Normal/Casual.

If you would pull an owners manual online from any of the current models you would be able to answer these questions yourself.  It's for mixed loads too--cottons, synthetics, ... people who just throw everything in together. 

Yes, you are correct. 

Well, roughly 20 loads in I'm loving the Maytags.  The Normal cycle is (no surprise) my go-to; very flexible with times ranging from 40-75 minutes.  Bedding cycle is great for cat towels and comforters, as the three rinses (four if you choose extra rinse) really get out the cat hair.  Sanitize or PowerWash for loads of heavily-stained kitchen whites.  Wrinkle Control for dress shirts (excellent early Kenmore-like cooldown).  Delicate for loads of blacks.  While I like the blacks to get gentle wash treatment, I appreciate the option of a relatively fast (guessing 800 rpm) final spin to get the water out of Dockers and socks.

Am getting spoiled by the multi-load automatic detergent dispensing---about 10 loads between fills. Haven't tried a pod yet, but will soon. Still have a few to use up. Want to see how they behave compared to the Frigidaire.  The Maytag doesn't tumble until water enters and the tub seems slightly tilted, so hopefully they'll work well.

The dryer is wonderfully hushed and moisture sensor is spot-on.  The Steam Refresh cycle does a better job getting out wrinkles than did the Frigidaire. 

However...I'm not thrilled with the lint filter.  As with pre-2010 Frigidaires, it's a window screen-like filter that's relatively small considering the machine's capacity.  A fair amount of lint escapes into the vent hose and outside, which means a weekly cleaning of the vent cage (shown below).   The 2010 Frigidaire, with its fine mesh, very large filter, trapped everything.  Months would pass before I'd have to clean the outside cage---greatly appreciated as it's hard to access in the winter when the yard is full of snow drifts.  May just take the cage off for the winter and hope no small woodland creatures decide to use it as an entrance.

The 15" pedestals are awesome.  Unloading/transferring to the dryer is absolutely effortless.

Eugene, I'm curious as to whether you can leave the liquid detergent in the cartridges when you remove them from the machine as you switch around to the various detergents to fit the various types of loads you are washing or do they have to be emptied back into the bottles when you want to switch cartridges. 

Eugene thank you.  If I ever find my cartridge, I might ask more questions or may actually even use it.  I've been using N/C for a couple of loads and everything seems to be clean and rinsed.  But have used steam for stains on both the loads making sure water temp doesn't get down to simply cold by the time the metal chills the little amount of water.  Did a load of jersey t-shirts and shorts last night-about 16 pieces in all, was surprised at how much water it kept adding so it would have adequate amount to clean.  The final rinse had the most water added for the entire load. 

I really like using the Precision Dispense system. It's probably a little more stingy with detergent than I had been. Everything has come out clean. No problems with oversudsing even on small loads. Tide Ultra Stain Release is the daily driver, but I change it up once in a while with Persil Proclean 2 in 1.

I'm also fond of the Cold Wash cycle (with its Magic Minute routine) and have been using it for one or two loads every week. I choose the cool rather than cold temp setting.  Will pull out the instant-read thermometer at some point to find out exactly what cool means.  At any rate, have been seeing great results using Tide Coldwater Clean.  I'm absolutely sold on Tide's whole 'Turbo' line.  

There's going to be a huge load of black clothes to wash tomorrow, so I'll find out how it handles dosing the very sudsy Perwoll Intensive Dark. I might have to set the detergent concentration to 3x or 4x for that one even though Perwoll, like the others I use, is actually a 2x formulation.

There seems to be enough detergent for 8-10 loads in each cartridge using the soft water and 2x settings.  I'll make a little chart and keep an accurate count.  Up to this point I've simply waited for the refill light to come on. Precision Dispense is an impressive feature and I'll shamelessly admit it's awesome not even having to toss a pod in the tub.  The dose is automatically regulated to load size and soil level selection, eliminating the one-dose-for-all issue with pods.

A hidden warm rinse feature!