Thread Number: 8032
Pics Of New Frigidaire TL'er At Work: The First Load
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Post# 154018   9/12/2006 at 19:14 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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I did manage, somehow, to stay at work all day. When I arrived home, my new, improved laundry room was there to greet me. The new washer is on the left. Forgot to use flash---the appliances are white, not almond.




Post# 154020 , Reply# 1   9/12/2006 at 19:17 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Cycle Dial. Frigidaire claims there's 17. Me, I see four; but that's me.

Post# 154021 , Reply# 2   9/12/2006 at 19:18 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Controls

Post# 154022 , Reply# 3   9/12/2006 at 19:19 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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And still more controls...

Post# 154023 , Reply# 4   9/12/2006 at 19:21 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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This is the highest (Super) water level. I'm afraid it's just not going to do... The straight-vane fins are not fully connected to the skirt. They flex.

Post# 154024 , Reply# 5   9/12/2006 at 19:25 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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First load is towels. I threw in a rogue colored washcloth to check rollover. Better than my WCI Frigidaire from the mid 80's, but definitely not as good as WP/KM's new models. The tub indexes, which used to annoy me, but now I think it's kinda fun.

Agitation Speeds: Normal=72 opm; Gentle=48 opm.
Spin speeds, unknown. Seem very slow compared to my FL'er. The so-called Power Spin is 12 minutes long.


Post# 154025 , Reply# 6   9/12/2006 at 19:26 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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And the auger grabs it...

Post# 154027 , Reply# 7   9/12/2006 at 19:27 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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And down we go...

Post# 154028 , Reply# 8   9/12/2006 at 19:29 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
What the f***?!!

This is not the TLer's drain, it belongs to the FLer. Grrrrrr!!! Can't have this nonsense.


Post# 154031 , Reply# 9   9/12/2006 at 19:34 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Stick a sock in it---or in this case, a rolled up old washcloth. Problem solved.

Clarification: The TL was draining in post pic 154028, but the suds were backing up the FL'ers standing pipe, which is nearest the trap. Both the standing pipes are sheared off at an angle at the top to prevent airlocks. Unfortunately, this also allows suds to pour out of them. Stinkin' plumbing codes!


Post# 154032 , Reply# 10   9/12/2006 at 19:46 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Operating details:

1) There is a 22-second spray in each spin, which happens only a few seconds after the spin begins. I like that---it makes sense to begin showering the load well before it's up to speed. By the end of the spray, the spin is up to full speed.

2) It's a neutral drain. BORING. Oh, well...

3) It spins counterclockwise.

4) False Advertising: The warm rinse setting actually provides a COLD deep rinse, with a warm spray in the final spin. I call that cheating, don't you?

5) The front-loader can handle a bigger load, even though both machines claim a 3.0 cu.ft. tub. I suppose the agitator is to blame. It's not a huge difference, but the FL takes the checkered flag for capacity.

And there it is, kids! Thanks for checking it out. I need to relax. Time for some dinner and a movie. Now showing: Transamerica.


Post# 154039 , Reply# 11   9/12/2006 at 20:18 (6,406 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        
Frigilux

That must be the factory FULL fill setting,mine fills to the same level 3 rows of holes counting down. was glad to see your pictures Thanks, Mine is the 13 cycle a couple of models down from yours. So far I like mine, then again I am delighted that my feet are not wet, like with the amana..grrrr. Hope you enjoy yours. Your machines lined up nicely, and look great. arthur.

Post# 154042 , Reply# 12   9/12/2006 at 20:44 (6,406 days old) by nasadowsk ()        

They still use the pneumatice/mechanical water level controls with the adjusting screw on the backside? Or did the EPA outlaw that too? :(

Post# 154044 , Reply# 13   9/12/2006 at 21:07 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Arthur--- It seems to be a pretty good washer. Haven't tried a load of stained kitchen whites, yet. That will happen on Friday after I have company again. I'm still a front-loader man at heart, but it's fun being able to mess with speeds, water levels, and that sort of thing with the top-loader.

Phil---I'd love to find the water level adjuster and crank it up. I like it best when this washer fills about 1/4" above the top row of perforations. But I'm not brave enough to dig into the inner workings, yet. Would this adjuster thingy be in the console right at the water control knob? To fill it beyond the factory setting for my BobLoad® of towels, I just held the water level control at reset.

Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, you may notice the photos in posts 15425 and 15427 were taken with the machine stopped. Due to the rapid movement of the indexing tub, all the pics except the one in post 154024 kept coming out blurry. Finally, I gave up and just waited for the rollover to progress, hit the cycle knob and snapped the photo. Then I'd start it up again.

This would be a good time for me to pull out the camera manual and figure out how to change the shutter speed, eh?

Since purchasing the washer wasn't quite enough to push me into bankruptcy, I'm now jonesing for a digital video camera. I'd love to post a video of the machine in action with the tub indexing and the auger moving. It's kind of dramatic in it's own white-plasticy way, LOL.


Post# 154047 , Reply# 14   9/12/2006 at 21:23 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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The truly amazing thing about all this is it went from concept to working reality in under 48 hours! Everything worked out perfectly; the washer I wanted was in stock, the plumber was available right away, my appliance dealer had time to install it right away. That's fast. Even for me.

Post# 154050 , Reply# 15   9/12/2006 at 21:29 (6,406 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)        

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The demo is great! Thanks for sharing.


steve


Post# 154055 , Reply# 16   9/12/2006 at 21:46 (6,406 days old) by appnut (TX)        

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Eugene, congrats. Very nice looking. Have fun. BTW, the Whirlmores don't fill up to the top of the tub either, pretty deceiving.

Post# 154056 , Reply# 17   9/12/2006 at 21:55 (6,406 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

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Looks/sounds like much fun and interest! What's the program for a Perm Press cool-down?

Post# 154058 , Reply# 18   9/12/2006 at 22:03 (6,406 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

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oh thank GAWD spray rinses still exist YAY!
Have fun with your new toy!


Post# 154061 , Reply# 19   9/12/2006 at 22:21 (6,406 days old) by rchris ()        
Neutral Drain

Am I correct that there are two motors with the main one shutting off when the drain portion begins, and a separate, smaller motor kicking in to drain out the water - hence the neutral drain? I am guessing this is to get that coveted Energy Star rating...

Post# 154062 , Reply# 20   9/12/2006 at 22:27 (6,406 days old) by tlee618 ()        

Eugene, thanks so much for sharing the pictures with us. Your new machine looks right at home there. How does this one compare in noise level to the front loader? Terry

Post# 154064 , Reply# 21   9/12/2006 at 23:03 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Thanks for the comments, guys! I hope to get a video camera and post a vid sometime soon.

Glenn-- I don't think there is a special cooldown in the 'Colors' cycle. The only difference I noticed between the Colors and the Whites cycle is the length of the final spin. (On my front-loader, there is no spin before the first deep rinse in the Colors cycle. That and a shorter final spin are the only things that differentiate it from the Whites cycle).

Togs-- As soon as the spray rinse began during the first spin, I immediately thought "Oh, Steve would love this!"

Chris-- I'm not sure if there is a separate, smaller motor for the pump. There is a 3-second (motorless) pause between agitation and drain, but I didn't notice a different motor sound during the drain. I'll have to pull the front off and check it out. My guess is there is only one motor. It's a pretty basic machine. The front-loader has two motors, though.

Terry-- The front-loader is much quieter than the top-loader. I'd forgotten how noisy TL's are when filling and when the pump is sucking air after the tub has emptied. The FL'er is extemely quiet except during drain/spin.



Post# 154066 , Reply# 22   9/12/2006 at 23:16 (6,406 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

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I'm curious about the separate pump motor. Seems *most* agitator toploaders nowadays (with the Whirlpool family perhaps being the exception) that do a neutral drain would have a separate pump/motor. I imagine it makes for a simpler main drive mechanism. But then one has to wonder ... why not just do a spin-drain?

Post# 154067 , Reply# 23   9/12/2006 at 23:19 (6,406 days old) by wash&where? ()        
adjusting the water level upward

I have a frigidaire super capacity model with the exact tub and agitator and was able to raise the water level to the bottom of the softener dispenser. This puts it just above the bottom of the balancing ring. All you have to do is open the back area to expose the pressure dome and set screw behind the water level control knob. Start the washer filling until it reaches it's highest level and the stop the washer. Turn the set screw one to two rotations at a time so that it is pushing harder on the pressure dome button. I beleive this is a clockwise turn. After doing this, move the water level control to reset and then back to the highest level. The machine should start filling with water again. Keep adjusting until you reach the level you want by turning and checking the level. I do this to all of my machines. Any Kenmore/Whirlpool models that have the new plastic pressure domes that can not be adjusted, I replace them with the old metal ones and raise the levels to about an inch below the tub lip. This works great and I am able to wash huge loads. This also puts less wear and tear on the washer because large items are not crammed into the tub where they cannot agitate. The only thing is that it will also raise the lowest setting upward too. I rarely wash very small loads, so this does not matter to me. Sorry to be so wordy, but I hope this helps. These are quiet and gentle machines and you can't beat the price. They are also starting to show up as very reliable according to consumer reports lately.

Post# 154069 , Reply# 24   9/12/2006 at 23:24 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Hey, thanks for the info, wash&where! I'd like to set it so it fills with more water.

Post# 154102 , Reply# 25   9/13/2006 at 08:31 (6,406 days old) by glamwales ()        

My bags and packed and my belly is empty ! hehehehehehehehe

Post# 154107 , Reply# 26   9/13/2006 at 09:24 (6,406 days old) by cvillewasherbo ()        

Hi Guys--Haven't written anything for a while. I was in the process of quitting a job and moving. My new place only has room for a stack W/D. I went to Lowe's and bought the GLET1142CSO unitized (?) model. In many ways it's just like the one you've been talking about here.

It doesn't fill up all the way on Large--leaves 4 holes from the top. The tub is an indexing one (I hadn't personally seen one of those since I was a kid and saw a signature by Norge with the burpilator filter). Anyway, the warm rinse is deceptive on mine too.

The dryer seems to take a very long time to dry towels. The machine is very quiet when spinning. I'm sure that there are two motors in the washer. The second one is for draining, as when the spin starts I can absolutely hear another motor kick in (sounds more powerful and a bit more noisy than the draining motor.)

I figured out that I have to stick a knife in the hole where the spin lock is. It will not agitate or spin with the lid open (I hate that!)

Back to the indexing tub, I notice that the counter clockwise agitation movement is a shorter stroke than the clockwise one. And, the counter cw doesn't do a full stroke as the CW, so if you put a marker on the top of the agitator you will gradually see it counter cw move all the way around in about 10 or 12 strokes. In general, the whole load moves in a circular fashion counter cw. I have yet to see any rollover.

Anyway, I'm pleased with that purchase except it sticks out 4 inches from the end of the wall in it's cubby.

I would like to see vid's of yours. Wish I could show you mine but I don't even have a camera.

C'villewasherboi


Post# 154116 , Reply# 27   9/13/2006 at 09:57 (6,406 days old) by golittlesport (California)        

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Hi Eugene
Love your laundry room....it looks so cool with all three machines matching. That's the perfect world - a TL, a FL and matching dryer! It's cool how they combined the extra rinse and cycle signal controls. Where does the water enter the tub? Thanks for the pictures.


Post# 154127 , Reply# 28   9/13/2006 at 10:54 (6,406 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Rich--Water enters in a 4-inch (or so) wide pressurized waterfall at 12:00. I'll post a pic later. I took a snap of it filling yesterday but didn't post it.

Courtney-- The indexing on my machine works just the opposite; the counter-clockwise stroke is the long one and the clockwise stroke is the shorter one. If there are no clothes in the tub the strokes are nearly equal in length. The larger the load, the shorter the clockwise stroke. In fact, at lower water levels, it's the counter-clockwise stroke that seems to facilitiate the rollover more than the clockwise stroke.


Post# 154130 , Reply# 29   9/13/2006 at 11:18 (6,406 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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Congratulations on that TL. It's great how those three appliances match. All three of them have a big dial and four smaller ones, I like that. Looking forward to more reports and I would love to see a movie.

Post# 154186 , Reply# 30   9/13/2006 at 15:45 (6,405 days old) by wiskybill (Canton, Ohio)        

Hi Eugene,
I was at my parents house yesterday and mom was doing laundry. Her Frigidaire TL is about 10 yrs old now and still no repairs. Not quite as deluxe as yours but the tub and agitator look the same. Hers does fill to the top row of holes in the tub. She also has a Frigidaire dryer about 6 yrs old,looks as if it could be the same model as yours, with no issues either.
I did notice how quiet hers was, with almost a soothing sound as it agitated, not like the DD WP/KM. The drain pump was almost silent as well.
Hope yours serve you well!
Bill


Post# 154191 , Reply# 31   9/13/2006 at 16:45 (6,405 days old) by cvillewasherbo ()        

Hi Frig--I looked again today and the water level on the large setting fills up to the 3rd row of holes, leaving two below the tub ring. Mine does not have the corkscrew agitator as yours does. It is, however, a bigger straight vane than the BOL model we saw at Lowes. I actually haven't had any loads that I could use the lower water levels so don't know about them. I believe that all in all I prefer my new machine to the 15 year old WP that I left in my condo. My new F'daire is quieter and has a slower stroke. I still like straight vane slower stroke machines.
Courtney--C'villewasherboi


Post# 154192 , Reply# 32   9/13/2006 at 16:58 (6,405 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Courtney-- I agree; It's refreshing to see a new machine that doesn't agitate at 160 opm.

Bill-- Someone was asking if there was a separate, smaller pump motor and I didn't know the answer because I haven't opened the machine up at all. I guess that answers the question! I didn't mean to imply the machine was really loud; it isn't. It's just that my FL'er is so quiet by comparison---until the spin cycle, of course.


Post# 154197 , Reply# 33   9/13/2006 at 17:10 (6,405 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

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It was De-rigeur to have one motor only for the longest time. In the beginning of automatics, it was beleived that the more motors, the more chances for mechanical failure.

Of course,today motor failures is not a huge quality /reliability issue. Having two motors makes for mechanical simplification /stream-lining. Spin drains are not in vogue in that they serve to add more and unnecessary stress to the spin motor, more than anything else.

Apparently the concept of the benefit it would provide, to wash-action and laundry results, is secondary. Methinks a neutral drain allows for a motor of smaller hors-power (capacity/strength).

When I advanced the timer manually of my new GE T/L washer such that it was still draining as it began to spin, the motor promptly shut down and went on strike (thermal overload protection). I was a bit disappointed.


Post# 154239 , Reply# 34   9/13/2006 at 20:52 (6,405 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Togs--- I thought the motor in my TL would be smaller, but it's 3/4 horsepower! Don't you love having a mechanical timer on your machine? Working in analog is veddy, veddy old school, but I love the ease with which you can repeat, jump, skip and hop all over the place during a cycle. With two washers, I'm hoping I can make both of them last into Vintagehood. "Gee, Daddy, did all washers look like a bar of soap back at the turn of the century?" "No, son, just mine."

Post# 154241 , Reply# 35   9/13/2006 at 21:00 (6,405 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

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I like the mechanical timer on your T/L-er.

I believe the timer on the front-loading frigidiare you have (I have the same one)is a hybrid digital/computerized & mechanical. Didn't someone say it counts the revolutions of the drum before it advances?


Post# 154246 , Reply# 36   9/13/2006 at 21:11 (6,405 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Wow, I had no idea about the timer on the FL. That's interesting. Apparantly it's on full-mechanical operation during spins, because it will advance as scheduled on the rare occcasion the load won't balance enough to spin.

Post# 154250 , Reply# 37   9/13/2006 at 21:16 (6,405 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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BTW, I pulled the machine away from the wall (no mean feat, as all three machines have to be moved due to the fact all the hoses are stretched to the max), opened the console and found the water pressure dome thingy. There is no screw to adjust, damn it.

There is, however, some plastic doohicky with a blob of red paint on it. It looks like it might be the adjuster (it goes into the pressure dome further as you set the water level knob higher). It appears to take some odd little allen wrench to turn it. And I have no teeny allen wrenches. SO, I put it all back and decided to leave it alone for now.


Post# 154295 , Reply# 38   9/13/2006 at 22:31 (6,405 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        
Frigilux

When the spin motor stops, there is a continued, maybe 20 seconds of pump motor noise on mine, Still new and under warranty so i will leave well enough alone. I feel certain the pump has its own motor. When i first used it kinda reminded me of that old SQ solenoid quality about it coasting to a stop but the pump noise continuing. I think I will defer from tampering with the fill level, I do the reset thing too and add a little extra water when necessary. alr2903

Post# 154297 , Reply# 39   9/13/2006 at 22:40 (6,405 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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I was going to pull the front off, but there are a couple of pieces of what appears to be shipping tape along the side edges of the front panel. I'm wondering if this is to alert a service person if someone has tampered with the machine while the warranty is still in play. Decided I'd best leave it alone for now. The washer seems to work perfectly, but I'd hate to jeopardize my warranty just yet. Or maybe the tape was just there for shipping and my dealer/installer just forgot to remove it.

I'll have to listen for the pump motor. It does sound a little different when changing from agitation to spin. I haven't noticed the 20 seconds of a pump motor at the completion of the cycle, but I haven't been listening for it, either.

Glad you like your Frigidaire, too. They're really not a bad machine at all, just plain.


Post# 154457 , Reply# 40   9/14/2006 at 16:43 (6,404 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Just saw my Frigidaire dealer and he said there's no way to adjust the water level higher on my new machine. Apparantly the pressure domes are pre-set and that's, that. Damn it. Oh, well; worse things happen at sea, as my Dad used to say...

Post# 154541 , Reply# 41   9/14/2006 at 20:33 (6,404 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

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Guess word is getting back to appliance makers that people are "hacking" their washers to add more water, which defeats the government's purposes in terms of water usage; so they are installing systems that cannot be adjusted.


L


Post# 154550 , Reply# 42   9/14/2006 at 21:03 (6,404 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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You're probably right, Launderess. I keep reminding myself that it's only 2" of water---nothing to grind one's teeth over.

Besides, I may still figure out a way to fool it. There are little gear teeth connected with holding the pressure thingy in place for whatever water level is chosen. If I can jam it a bit and make it skip a few teeth over, it will fill with more water. I just don't want to break the plastic doohickey with the little plastic gear teeth on it.

Please excuse my Luddite terminology. Having never seen a service manual, I don't know the proper names for all the parts.


Post# 154571 , Reply# 43   9/14/2006 at 21:54 (6,404 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Congratulations Eugene...great matching row of, ummm, "FrigiLuxes"! I've always wanted to see how one of these agitators would work with an indexing tub. Very neat!

I get that same problem sometimes in the Studio with the "standpipe foam"; probably has to do with the detergent-laden water crashing at the bottom of the pipe and, of course, sudsing in the process! Annoying to say the least!

And those damn non-adjustable pressure switches...can't believe they're putting them in TLs as well! It's nice having a Reset option (and for those Kenmo' people without that setting at the end of the dial, just hold the dial between the level indicators to fill higher), but I definitely understand the convenience of a preset higher level!

--Austin


Post# 154577 , Reply# 44   9/14/2006 at 22:07 (6,404 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Thanks, Austin. My final plan of attack is to see if my dealer can order an older-style, adjustable pressure switch. He confirmed (as did Bill, above) that slightly older versions of this washer filled to the top row of holes.


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