Thread Number: 90761  /  Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
LG washer died - look for old direct drive?
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Post# 1152612   6/27/2022 at 09:43 (640 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

Hi all,
I posted 3-4 years ago looking for buying advice; ended up with a new LG FL with turbo and steam. It's been.... okay. But it's finally died and tbh I don't want to fix it. Here's what the problems have been: Turbo wash quit completely, so if I forget to cancel the turbo option, not all the clothes get wet. Normal wash cycle will not go into spin so it eventually times out, so I have to remember to use PP or HD wash cycles instead. Finally, it will no longer drain and makes a horrible sound when I try to drain & spin. No water from drain tube either. I needed to use Lysol laundry sanitizer or clothes all stink. I'm just sick of it and want to go in another direction - I think.

We are building a house rn so I was planning on buying something in a couple months but need it immediately. Thinking of going to used appliance shops in the area and seeing if they have any older direct drive TL machines. Any advice as to what to look for? How do I know it's the correct motor setup? Will it say direct drive somewhere or dependable care or something lol?

Our needs: our new build is on well and septic. The well only gets max 4gpm with a small reservoir in the 6" borehole so I'm a little nervous about a high water usage machine. I have 4 kids at home and do lots I mean lots of laundry.

Should I just get a SQ FL? Or an old DD TL? Or a TC5? First I need durability. We are so hard on appliances. We will be living on a muddy river and ride horses so the washer will have to deal with a lot of sand/silt/mud. The laundry room will have a utility sink so I hope to rinse dirt off there first to save the washer from having to do it.

Lastly I don't want to spend more than I have to - building in this economy is expensive already. I even thought of just getting a cheap Amana but I'm afraid it would just be disposable for us and have a short life. I do at least 2-3 loads a day minimum, and after a trip it's half a dozen loads per day for a couple days. Not counting horse stuff.

I do plan to utilize a clothesline at the new house. And a dryer when needed. Will need a new one as the matching LG dryer no longer heats on normal for some reason so I end up doing several cycles of PP to dry our heavier clothes.

Thanks for any input!





Post# 1152616 , Reply# 1   6/27/2022 at 09:58 (640 days old) by eriksp (Norway)        

Dealing with vast amounts of mud and sand may be one of the few things top loaders are actually as good as or perhaps even better than front loaders at. But a front loader can certainly do a great job at that too (ask any European farmer, etc.). My best advice would be to make sure that whatever front loader you buy - should you not go for a top loader - has a prewash option. Not sure about you guys overseas, but I've encountered quite a few machines here that have done away with the prewash altogether. It really is the best way to wash clothes that are heavily soiled in muck and debris, as it gets rid of most of it before the main wash. In terms of stain removal and water usage, a front loader would be king, as we all know.

Not American here, so can't give direct buying advice, but I know that you guys have Miele machines over there, which I would absolutely normally recommend to anyone known to do *lots* of cycles, but I find that the honeycomb drum design isn't great for large amounts of debris, so I'd maybe steer clear of Miele altogether.


Post# 1152618 , Reply# 2   6/27/2022 at 10:08 (639 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

thanks I wondered about Miele. I don't mind smaller loads; after all we will be empty nesters soon enough. I think durability is definitely king. Thanks for your input.

Post# 1152626 , Reply# 3   6/27/2022 at 12:42 (639 days old) by IIIJohnnyMacIII (North Carolina)        
LG Turbo Wash

iiijohnnymaciii's profile picture
That was one of my concerns with Turbo Wash. I do not believe they have a separate pump and filter for recirculation like Miele does with their IntenseWash. Certain lifestyles could be very hard on Turbo Wash while others Turbo Wash could work just fine.

With your lifestyle and if you want recirculation, I'd go with Miele. If you are on a budget and don't need recirculation, you could go with the LG 3600 and use the prewash. Or you could go with the Speed Queen FL if you have a larger budget, want more longevity, and don't need the heating element.

I have a Speed Queen 9 series. While it's not the best for stain removal; it is amazing for getting mud, gunk, and pet hair out of clothes. It's a great all around washer that is very well made. The TC5 is very similar to it and I wouldn't hesitate to get a TC5 if I wanted another top loader.

If I were you, my first choice for your particular needs would be the Speed Queen FL. It's a commercial quality machine that is made for tough lifestyles in mind.


Post# 1152653 , Reply# 4   6/27/2022 at 19:16 (639 days old) by Tomdawg (Des moines)        

I think your lg turbo wash is plugged up. They use the same drain basket catch. a drain pump on the left side and the recirculating pump on the right side. Really it could be fixed/cleaned out and start working again. Using the towels cycle will certainly help with rinsing out gunk on your clothes.

Going forward, I think you just have so much grime on your clothes, I think a SQ tc5 would work best, it has a mechanical pump (to my knowledge) and would provide enough power to get all the gunk and grime out.

SQ front load would work really well, I’m just concerned for the pump. Though they are very easy to service.

I have a Miele with honeycomb drum. If I was grassy stuff, it will not wash out, I usually have to vacuum out the tub before putting in a load. So I don’t recommend that.


Post# 1152658 , Reply# 5   6/27/2022 at 19:44 (639 days old) by Egress (Oregon)        

I feel like your LG is probably pretty easy to fix. its only a few years old, might be worth doing.

Post# 1152706 , Reply# 6   6/28/2022 at 09:19 (639 days old) by Logixx (Germany)        
Normal wash / needed to use Lysol

logixx's profile picture
How often do you use the Normal cycle? It's by far the stingiest when it comes to water consumption and water temps. A seemingly deep-cleaning hot wash is probably only warm and a warm wash is mostly cool. This, along with low water consumption, can lead to smelling clothes.

Post# 1152708 , Reply# 7   6/28/2022 at 09:40 (639 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas)        

repairguy's profile picture
I’d say go with the Speed Queen TC5.

Post# 1152716 , Reply# 8   6/28/2022 at 11:03 (638 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
I extremely rarely use my Normal cycle. My "normal cycle" is either Perm Press, Whites, or Towels and simply adjust the wash temp to meet the load, not what the default water temperawture is. Normal, "hot" is 95F and warm is 83F (unacceptable temps to me). The cycles I mentioned has warm of 90F and Hot of 112F.

Post# 1152718 , Reply# 9   6/28/2022 at 12:06 (638 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
lg/kenmore

I typically use normal/casual or whitest whites depending on what I'm washing, all with accelawash.

Post# 1152747 , Reply# 10   6/28/2022 at 16:43 (638 days old) by IIIJohnnyMacIII (North Carolina)        
LG Models

iiijohnnymaciii's profile picture
Bob, didn’t you or someone in another thread mention that adjusting the soil level when using normal or heavy duty will increase temps as well on the LG models?

Post# 1152757 , Reply# 11   6/28/2022 at 18:35 (638 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
John, it was me. This applied only to the Normal cycle. Warm target temp was 86F. Hot was 95F. But setting soil level to the heaviest on Normal, then target temp is 104F. For Normal & Heavy Duty cycles, the heater does not come on the boost or maintain water temperatures. the only time the heater comes on for thesse two cycles is when Extra Hot is selected. Target temps for towels, perm press. & whites is 90F for warm & 112F for hot.

Post# 1152773 , Reply# 12   6/28/2022 at 20:43 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        
got a new washer

So thank you everyone for the advice. Yes my LG can probably be fixed. I will give it to someone who wants to... I'm just frustrated. So I needed to do something. I found a washer and dryer (I don't think they are an exact match) on marketplace and bought them. The first load is running right now.

They are both Kenmore. The washer serial number says manufactured in 2004. It says 80 series 3 speed motor with 5 speed combinations... dryer says Kenmore elite. How did I do? Got them for 325 for both. I don't see any rust.


Post# 1152779 , Reply# 13   6/28/2022 at 21:27 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        
washer seems to work great! Dryer not so much

The auto sensor seems to be bad - if I set it to More Dry I can watch the dial slowly move to dry over about 3 minutes. clothes are obviously not dry! Timed dry does seem to work. Also, I need the dryer vented to the right side. Does anyone know how I figure out which side vent dryer kit to buy?

Would add photos but I'm not able to for some reason.


Post# 1152783 , Reply# 14   6/28/2022 at 21:36 (638 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
Citing the model number(s) would be helpful ...


Post# 1152787 , Reply# 15   6/28/2022 at 22:02 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        
model numbers!

washer is LSR6334LQ1. says whirlpool on label?

dryer is 110.60932990

Dryer is definitely taking too long to dry on timed dry/cotton



Post# 1152789 , Reply# 16   6/28/2022 at 22:09 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

I did call the local shops regarding the SQ. They told me it would be about 6 months to get an FR7 front loader, and a few weeks to get a TC5. They had several TR3 and 7 in stock and recommended those instead. I thought I'd try out this old set first.

Post# 1152796 , Reply# 17   6/29/2022 at 00:06 (638 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
LSR6334LQ1 is a Whirlpool washer model number.  Perhaps the outer cabinet and top deck, or only the top deck, with the label attached was transplanted to a Kenmore.  Or could be the other way around, a Kenmore panel was transplanted to a Whirlpool.  Either way, you don't have/know the model number to match the Kenmore controls.

110.60932990 is a Kenmore model number, Whirlpool-built per the 110 leading digits.

The dryer, assuming the model is correct, has an electronic board, I believe referred to as an Even Heat board, that controls timer operation for the auto-dry cycle.  Is there labeling on the console referencing Even Heat or Auto Moisture Sensing Plus?

This info may be helpful ... or not, if it isn't the problem.  There are other symptoms that also typically occur for Even Heat failures.

Even Heat Control

Even Heat problems

The board, if it's the problem, is NLA for new replacements but used and repaired boards can easily be found, and repair service offers.  P/N 3976617


Post# 1152798 , Reply# 18   6/29/2022 at 00:38 (638 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI)        

littlegreeny's profile picture
Try cleaning the moisture sensor in the dryer with rubbing alcohol.

Post# 1152815 , Reply# 19   6/29/2022 at 08:58 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

thank you! I hope I can get it working like new. Even on timed dry, it's taking quite a while to dry clothes. I'm not sure where the sensor is but will watch some videos. Thanks for the links.

Post# 1152819 , Reply# 20   6/29/2022 at 09:23 (638 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
The moisture sensor is a pair of metal bars on the filter housing at lower front of the loading port, facing into the drum.  Look in there to see them, or use a mirror or phone camera for an easier view.  A very low-voltage electric circuit is completed when damp clothes brush across the bars to trigger a moisture "hit."  The control board registers the hits to determine when and how often to trigger the timer to move.

Disconnect the exhaust duct and measure the air temperature blowing out at high setting with an instant-read kitchen thermometer or whatever you may have.  It should reach 155°F and swing up/down around that temp as the heating element cycles on/off.  Running a full load of already-dry clothes for the test will help moderate the up/down swing (the clothes retain heat).


Post# 1152821 , Reply# 21   6/29/2022 at 09:32 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

thank you! I will do these now and report back!

Post# 1152822 , Reply# 22   6/29/2022 at 09:45 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

I cleaned the moisture sensor bars with rubbing alcohol. they didn't seem very dirty. I measured the temp at the outlet with an instant-read thermometer (on cotton/high heat, dry clothes) and got 155-160 degrees.

Just put a wet load in and am trying the moisture sensor again. The washer is so fast! I'm three loads behind now waiting on the dryer to dry lol! A new problem after the hours-long cycles on the LG FL.


Post# 1152823 , Reply# 23   6/29/2022 at 09:50 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

nope; the even heat cut off right away. must be control module. I will see if I can find it online.

Post# 1152824 , Reply# 24   6/29/2022 at 09:53 (638 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

I will try to go through the tests that someone linked above.... maybe it's another part like the relay or the thermister or something! Guess I need to buy a multimeter.

Post# 1152826 , Reply# 25   6/29/2022 at 10:07 (637 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Slow dryer

combo52's profile picture

90% of the time when a dryer is slow there’s a problem with the exhaust venting system.

 

First thing to try is to disconnect the vent from the back of the dryer and see how well it dries  for a few loads.

 

If that makes a huge improvement clean the exhaust system.

 

A dirty moisture sensor will never cause a dryer to take a longer time to dry, it might cause it not to shut off.

 

In my 40+ years of fixing dryers I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dirty moisture sensor in a dryer.

 

Also consider that switching to an older direct drive washer that only spins at 640 RPMs is going to noticeably increase the drying time compared to a modern front load washer.

 

John


Post# 1152830 , Reply# 26   6/29/2022 at 10:30 (637 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        

yes, the dryer exhaust isn't a problem - it's a short run and I cleaned it out. I think you've hit the nail on the head - the clothes do feel more wet coming out of the top loader. The automatic drying system isn't working at all but the timed dry is fine. I'd like to get that working so I need to sleuth it out. Or call a repairman who works on old machines.

Post# 1152854 , Reply# 27   6/29/2022 at 14:55 (637 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))        

Could be a wiring issue aswell. If the connection between the module and the sensor is broken, the module will of course never see a "hit" on the dryer sensor if the sensor is shorted by damp laundry, but the signal is broken by a missing connection.

You'd need a multimeter to check that.
Disconnect the wires from the sensor to the module on the module side and check with one tip connected to one sensor bar and one to one lead for continuity (so a low "Ohm" setting or just continuity test).
Do that to both sides - one lead should be connected to one bar, the other to the other with a very low resistance.
The leads to each other should be open line.

If that is true the fault basically has to be with the board.



Since the exhaust temp is kept correctly and the cooldown is ended correctly apparently (the 3min should include the minimum cooldown period of 2min) the NTC is probably fine.
So the fault you are describing is the moisture sensor thinking there is no load most likely - which means the signal is broken somewhere, either in the wiring or on the board.


If the wiring checks OK take a look at the board.

Since a lot of components appear to be through-hole on this board, soldering them off or on is easy enough for anyone who knows how to solder.

A burnt or broken component should be easy to spot - look at the front of the board with all the parts.
Look for obviously broken connection leads or otherwise physically broken components or even missing components (just 2 leads with nothing on them).
Resistors (the slim long usually orangy things with bands on them and leads on either side) usually look overheated/burned when broken.
Capacitors (can like things with the 2 leads usually on one side next to each other) often fail by "blowing out" with domed or burst top/bottom side.

Since you just transported the dryer, broken solder joints could be very likely aswell.
They *might* be easy to spot if really broken - if look at all the side of the board with all the connections (backside) if any of these small metalic connection spots looks cracked and/or the component connected to it is physically "loose" in there, these will need to be redone.

If anything minor like that jumps out to you in that regard, since you probably don't know how to solder, it might be worth a try to post an add to a market place site like Facebook Marketplace or such and offer a 10er or so to redo that solder joint or change out that component.
If these boards fail, it usually only is one small fault, one single component, and for somebody desoldering and resoldering a single component is an easy 10$ to make yet still cheaper to you.




If you can't easily see/check any of these things and/or replacement boards are cheap and easy/quick to get, going for a new board might be easier of course.


Post# 1155150 , Reply# 28   7/24/2022 at 20:33 (612 days old) by meldew (Georgia)        
thanks!

I LOVE my new old Kenmore/whirlpool frankenwasher! Love it. It's a little smaller, had trouble getting a horse fly sheet in, and things are wetter, but it takes me back to my childhood and I can get the laundry done in half the time! Thank you also Henene4, I have not had time to dissect the "board" for the moisture sensor module thingie, but I plan to once I get time. I think I can find someone to solder if it looks like that is the problem. WE are moving in 1-2 months so I'll wait until that move. Now I just need someone to pick up my LG washer and dryer!


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