Thread Number: 79250  /  Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
I used a new washer for a month...
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Post# 1031804   5/4/2019 at 17:14 (1,789 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        

...and it was awful.

I've been on a remote jobsite for about a month now. The accommodation has a new washing machine. My intention is not to get into a brand discussion, so I won't mention that aspect of it. The washer is new, as in a few months old. It is a top loader with a very small agitator. Looks like just the bottom of an agitator with the vertical portion missing.

So; after using it for a month, I notice problems with my clothes. My teeshirts are all black cotton fabric. They seemed to have a bleaching effect; however when I looked closer it was deodorant in the underarm area. The deodorant has not been washed out of the fabric, and has migrated through to stain the outside of the shirts.

This washer never fills with enough water. Often after 10 or 15 minutes into the cycle, the clothes on top of the pile are still dry and have never touched the agitator.

Trying the deep water mode didn't seem to help much at all.

I miss my 70's Kenmore at home. It always cleans the clothes. This unit is a large, beautiful, chrome plated, high tech.... piece of junk that fails to perform its primary function.

Disappointedly;
David





Post# 1031810 , Reply# 1   5/4/2019 at 18:27 (1,789 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )        

Welcome to the 21st century

Post# 1031820 , Reply# 2   5/4/2019 at 19:44 (1,789 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
Come on, David; reveal the brand! Fans of impeller-based agitation are few and far between here, so the brand/manufacturer won't stir up much of a fuss.

Post# 1031876 , Reply# 3   5/5/2019 at 14:42 (1,788 days old) by georgect (Fairfield, CT)        
I HATE Impeller type washers!

georgect's profile picture
Ther is hardly any turn over if at all in impeller style washers.
On the other hand a front loader using the same amount of water will give substantialy better cleaning results.


Post# 1031886 , Reply# 4   5/5/2019 at 16:26 (1,788 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa)        

lowefficiency's profile picture
>> Come on, David; reveal the brand! Fans of impeller-based agitation are few and far between here, so
>> the brand/manufacturer won't stir up much of a fuss.

Are we taking bets? Sounds like a Whirlpool VMW machine to me...


Post# 1031889 , Reply# 5   5/5/2019 at 17:06 (1,788 days old) by GusHerb (Chicago/NWI)        

I think it’s fairly universally agreed upon here that the only good top loader is one that uses a full tub of water and has a real agitator. The real debate is about who had the best one....or FL vs TL.

Post# 1031891 , Reply# 6   5/5/2019 at 17:36 (1,788 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

combo52's profile picture

I am betting its a new GE thing, but David is just too nice and diplomatic to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

As we have seen here over and over that there are people that like about any washer ever built, and like people all machines have at least some good points to them.

 

John


Post# 1031893 , Reply# 7   5/5/2019 at 18:17 (1,788 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)        

ea56's profile picture
I don’t like the impeller only TL’s.

But I have a Maytag Centennial TL with an agipeller and I love it. Mine saturates, washes, spins and rinses each and every load with out a hitch. And it cleans much better than the FL it replaced.

It replaced a 2015 bol LG/FL, that didn’t wash as well as the Maytag and was very temperamental about spinning with heavy towels and throw rugs, required water hammer arrestors to prevent hammering in the pipes and only used enough water on the Bulky cycle, that limited the spin speed to 800 rpm, thereby defeating the purpose of energy efficiency by requiring longer to dry.

I used to be a proponent of FL’s, until about 2010 when the electronic controls began to cause problems with reliable spins at high speed, and crazy burst filling and low water levels as I experienced with the LG.

So far in the last almost 30 months my Maytag hasn’t had one single problem. No unusual noises, no tilting tub, worn out belts, nothing at all, it just does what it’s supposed to do, every time I press start. Do I expect that it will last like a vintage Maytag? Probably not, the quality of everything today is not what it used to be. But so far, so good.

Eddie




This post was last edited 05/05/2019 at 18:33
Post# 1031895 , Reply# 8   5/5/2019 at 18:52 (1,788 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture

My current house came with a Kenmore (Whirlpool) impeller style washer.  I hated it.  I finally got rid of it when I accidentally left a pen in a shirt pocket (or maybe a pants pocket).  The impeller wash action allowed the pen to punch holes in several garments.  Luckily, no ink bled out of the pen. 

 

I suppose the principle is to allow clothing to rub against other garments and the impeller itself to act almost like an old fashioned rubbing board.  But it took forever to go through a cycle and never rinsed well.  Because it didn't have a fabric softener dispenser, I tried to use those Downey Balls.  My clothes usually had stains on them, so I stopped trying to use it. 


Post# 1031897 , Reply# 9   5/5/2019 at 19:55 (1,788 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        

Hey I have been busy at work and just noticed all the replies. I really appreciate it guys!

The washer name might mean something like "could possibly apply graffiti" if you translated it literally. :)

This is definitely a piece of 21st century politics-overriding-engineering environmental crap. I'm sure that with different software it could do a much better job. I am also very impressed with the fit and finish and have no reason to believe the machine is poorly made. It just doesn't fill with enough water nor agitate vigorously enough to get the clothes clean.


Post# 1031898 , Reply# 10   5/5/2019 at 20:05 (1,788 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture

I have to throw a wrench in it and ask.  What cycle and settings did you use?  


Post# 1031904 , Reply# 11   5/5/2019 at 21:04 (1,788 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        

Based on the performance description, I'm going with GE. The GE Hydrowave Super Duper Ultra Blah Blah I inherited behaved exactly like this. Setting changes did almost nothing.

The one good thing about that washer was that it kicked off the chain of events that led me here:-)

Jim

P.S. It DID spin well. I'd wash the clothes in a near vintage TL, then stick them into the GE for a rinse & spin cycle.


Post# 1031907 , Reply# 12   5/5/2019 at 21:43 (1,788 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)        
Appliance Translations for $50, Alex

rp2813's profile picture

Jim, David provided an easy clue to the manufacturer a couple of posts up.

 

No disrespect to those who aren't so hot at "Jeopardy"


Post# 1031910 , Reply# 13   5/5/2019 at 21:57 (1,788 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
There's at least one make of HE/impeller machine that apparently found the trick to reasonable performance ...


Post# 1031916 , Reply# 14   5/5/2019 at 22:57 (1,788 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        

People tell me I do well at jeopardy, but I'm stumped by this one.... :-(

Jim


Post# 1031917 , Reply# 15   5/5/2019 at 23:14 (1,788 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

Jim, in my neck of the woods most graffiti is perpetrated by taggers.

 

Audience, SHHHHHHH!

 

 


Post# 1031919 , Reply# 16   5/6/2019 at 00:24 (1,788 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        

Got it! No, I don't feel silly.... not at all.....

Post# 1031931 , Reply# 17   5/6/2019 at 08:09 (1,787 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        
@Turbokinetic: Quick fixes

I should mention a few things I found I could do to help the clothes come out a bit cleaner. These worked on the GE I was stuck with:

- Wait until the machine has finished its supposed load sensing and is a few minutes into the wash and/or rinse cycle. Then manually add water by bucket or hose.

- If I set the fabric softener switch to "on" it used a bit more water. There was also something I did to get it to spray rinse longer or a second time, but I forget, sorry.

- When the cycle was done I'd flip the clothes over by hand to put the still dry clothes to the bottom and run the cycle again without detergent as what was in the clothes that were exposed to water had not been rinsed out.

If you have the time, money, energy, and inclination, buy one of those Avanti portables Yogitunes has mentioned. They're also sold under several other names. There's a thread or two here on them. I can tell you from first hand experience that these have a freakishly large capacity compared to their exterior size. They're small, well built, and camparatively light. Most importantly, they do an excellent job cleaning and let you customize the cycle. Here's a link to the Avanti model:

www.avantiproducts.com/products/c...

Hope this helps,

Jim


CLICK HERE TO GO TO warmsecondrinse's LINK


Post# 1031971 , Reply# 18   5/6/2019 at 17:27 (1,787 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)        

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"- Wait until the machine has finished its supposed load sensing and is a few minutes into the wash and/or rinse cycle. Then manually add water by bucket or hose. "

Might as well buy a wringer washer to wheel in, if we're going to make this automatic a manual machine. One would clean better, too.

All kidding aside, still a shame that it is so hard to find a quality product these days.


Post# 1032000 , Reply# 19   5/7/2019 at 06:55 (1,786 days old) by PinkPower4 (USA)        
Portable Washer

warmsecondrinse,

I have the Magic Chef 1.6 cu. ft., which looks just like the Avanti with a different color control panel. It is something I wanted to try out before my daughter moves into her new apartment. It can be found for $199 at Walmart.com brand new in a box, so wait if you do not see if for that. Mine arrived in perfect condition.

It works great. I hope to add a little more information later. It is vmw with a thick belt and what looked like a metal pulley. There is a drain filter at the back of the washer too. It can be used as a portable washer or with standard hot/cold hookups.

One can take the top off by removing two back screws and two hidden side screws. To access the parts under the top, one has to remove a white plastic panel on the right (if you are facing the washer) and then a panel at the back that covers the water inlet valves and other parts.

My biggest disappointment is a large load only fills the tub halfway up. Adding a two gallon bucket of water will cover the clothes. At least the additional water does not drain out. This does not save water. People either add more water or wash less clothes at one time.

Both of these washers have replaceable parts if you can find them. Magic Chef sells theirs through their website.

The water sensor is a little difficult to get to because the top cannot be moved around much. Is there a way to easily just remove the top and free it from the wires and clear tube? There are some wires and the air pressure hose that runs from the top to the bottom of the washer that limit the movement. I could see where one might be able to put an allen wrench in what looks the plastic back of that water level sensor (I could not get a good view of the back as it was turned at an angle). It looks like the plastic that could break easy, so I did not want to move it too much. Someone on this board said it was difficult to adjust the water level just right anyway. I just want the tub to fill 3/4 full. How much of a turn would that be? Would I need to put some blue loctite back on that piece?

I could not find a way to disable the lid lock on this one yet. It is actually not a lid lock but some kind of a sensor. The top can be opened at anytime, but the washer just stops. It has some type of tub brake. The washer displays an error code E3 and beeps. Must close lid and press start/pause again to resume. The wiring diagram is on the back of the washer. One would probably need to splice some wires together, not something I really want to do while the washer is under warranty. I could not view the lid hinges well from underneath the top part either. IT seems to have its own compartment. The washer machine lid is tinted, but one can view the wash without opening the lid.

I don't think it has an automatic temperature control. I did hook it to cold and hot, and the water seemed as hot as my tap (hot water heater is set at around 120 to 130?). Warm was what I expect and seemed to be 50/50.



Post# 1032002 , Reply# 20   5/7/2019 at 07:23 (1,786 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
The lid switch may be magnetic. Try placing a magnet on the top deck at the apparent position of the switch/sensor beneath.


Post# 1032003 , Reply# 21   5/7/2019 at 08:09 (1,786 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        

Interesting discussion, very interesting!

Hey Warmsecondrinse; thanks for the quick fixes! I have moved from that hotel now and won't have to deal with this any longer! While I understand that adding water manually would help with the situation; that's something I would be willing to do only if the machine had a failed valve or some other one-time reason to do that. I would not accept a machine which does not operate properly without that sort of manual intervention requirement at each cycle. It's a shame that some of us have had to accept that level of worthless performance.

Appnut - I tried several setting. I tried the "heavy soil" and the "bedding" and the "deep water wash" settings. It never seemed to make any noticeable difference. This washer had a clear lid so I could see what it was doing.




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