Thread Number: 93251  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
POD 4-24-2023 Maytag Savasuds Suds Return System
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Post# 1178976   4/24/2023 at 15:22 (338 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Has ANYONE seen this device? It sort of resembles Whirlpool's similar invention for saving wash water in the early Direct Drive machines.




Post# 1179003 , Reply# 1   4/24/2023 at 19:04 (338 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

daveamkrayoguy's profile picture
It’s easy to see how innovative things were with this thing starting out this big then becoming small and relatively compact, easily fitting inside the cabinet of your washer and requiring a minor setting at the touch of a button to do that same thing as that humongous doohickey!



— Dave


Post# 1179011 , Reply# 2   4/24/2023 at 19:58 (338 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Maytag had to come up with that monstrosity to stay competitive with other brands that already had suds saving systems that were automatic and contained in the machines. I don't know if this came out to update machines already out in the field or if it was offered before there were suds return mechanisms already being offered on Maytags.

Post# 1179021 , Reply# 3   4/24/2023 at 20:22 (338 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
See: www.automaticwasher.org/c...

Also: www.automaticwasher.org/c...

Maytag's totally automatic suds saver washer A806S






Post# 1179043 , Reply# 4   4/24/2023 at 21:37 (338 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Maytag add on sudssaver

combo52's profile picture
Does anybody have this accessory? The neat thing is this could be used on any automatic washer. Somebody should sell one today.

Maytag built in sudssaver‘s when the suns is being returned the timer will never advance it stays in the suns return. You have to stop the washer and set the timer to the cycle and time that you want to use.

John


Post# 1179045 , Reply# 5   4/24/2023 at 21:49 (338 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
I think the suds saver was one of the greatest ideas that anyone came up with, allowed you to save water without having to buy another machine and the machine would pay for itself many times over basically making it free. A suds saver washer paired up with a gas dryer will be the only sort of laundry pair that will be free to own after many years of service since it will have paid for itself many times over.

Post# 1179053 , Reply# 6   4/25/2023 at 00:50 (338 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

daveamkrayoguy's profile picture

I agree, however, on that chart I see on water consumption, the Maytag does use the fewest gallons, but to me, the tub capacity of Maytag is a bit smaller than most of those brands that boast the more water usage with and without their suds-saving features...

 

Unless someone here can correct me or give me more info on the tub capacities and capaciousness of the current makes of washers of this time...

 

 

 

-- Dave

 


Post# 1179100 , Reply# 7   4/25/2023 at 21:58 (337 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
Suds saving washers made sense back in day for households for various reasons were undecided or totally against fully automatic washing machines. Most of that came down to water use, especially hot water.

Memories of wringer washers were still fresh in many minds well past 1950's. Some people either out of desire or circumstances saw using wash water once then sending it down drain as wasteful. When Her Indoors and His Nibbs came into an appliance dealer looking for a new washing machine said dealer could counter any objections to a fully automatic versus wringer washer by pointing to "suds saving" features.

Mind you many consumer publications weren't exactly won over by suds saving washers or accessories. They pointed out the "yuck" factor of reusing wash water in addition to fact hot was warm or almost cold by time it was reused.

Consumer groups also pointed out (and as mentioned upthread) that suds saving washers needed a tub or some other container to hold wash water. This wasn't an issue when most homes drained wash water into sinks, or perhaps they still had tubs used with wringer washers lying about spare. But as more washers drained into standpipes obviously suds saving wasn't an option.

As for bringing back suds saving washers today one doesn't see the point. Top loading washers are dying a slow (but painful) death in USA. Water and energy restrictions are helping that death march along. Front loaders and "HE" washers use far less water than top loaders of old, thus am not sure there is much water worth all the bother.


Post# 1179101 , Reply# 8   4/25/2023 at 22:08 (337 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
FWIW commercial/industrial tunnel washers do have a version of "suds saving" only it's rinse waters that are largely reused.

Things vary by machine but basic principle is that goods move one way and water in opposite. Thus laundry moves through progressively cleaner water but that water is often used more than once before draining.

Filtered water from rinses can be used for pre-wash and or main wash cycles. Heat from drained water can be used to "pre heat" wash water.





Using heated drained wash and or rinse water to preheat incoming water isn't new; such systems go back to 1940's if not before. They were used by all sorts of washers and washer/extractors including H-axis washers. It does of course mean building/installing recovery tanks or something to hold water for all this to take place.


Post# 1179126 , Reply# 9   4/26/2023 at 12:33 (336 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Commercial conveyor dishwashers have long reused water by having the 180F final rinse water drain into the first rinse tank and from there to the main wash tank and from there to the prerinse tank. From there, if there is a scrapper section, it gets its water from that tank before it. It's not the same with a sudssaver system in a washer, but years of using wringer washers and reusing water taught users to wash laundry with lighter soil levels first and finish with the gardening and heavy work garments last.

Post# 1179320 , Reply# 10   4/28/2023 at 18:42 (334 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        

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Nearly every washer that relatives or friends had when I was growing up had a sudsaver.

In retrospect though, as fun as sudsavers were to play with, they really aren't practical today. They're actually kind of disgusting. Back in the day when people were working on the farm or in the factory and had 8-16 kids.... ugggh.
One could understand but today.....
And yeah washers are much more efficient today.

But if you want to conserve put every drop of washer, shower, and sink water into your garden as grey water.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO bradfordwhite's LINK


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Post# 1179337 , Reply# 11   4/28/2023 at 22:38 (334 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)        

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Saving gray water is very useful. Since phosphates were banned, there is nothing to harm the environment. My grandmother always saved her dishwater to water her geraniums.

Post# 1179343 , Reply# 12   4/29/2023 at 00:46 (334 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

One summer we had a bad drought. I rigged up a submersible pump in a 30 gallon container and pumped the rinse water outside through an unused dryer vent. I saved a little dogwood tree and several other plants with free water.

Post# 1179353 , Reply# 13   4/29/2023 at 02:47 (334 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
GE WA857





Hoover





Honorable mention- Parnall Spinwasher EW60H.





www.automaticwasher.org/c...

Whirlpool patent for suds return system on automatic washing machine.

www.google.com/books/edit...


Post# 1179354 , Reply# 14   4/29/2023 at 02:52 (334 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
Interesting read regarding water conservation in American homes speaking to laundry and dishwashing. To wit various ways automatic washing machines and dishwashers can save resources.

www.google.com/books/edit...



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