???
- Thread starter Compwhiz
- Start date
Help Support :
kenmore1978
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,119
no cold water setting
Soap and early detergents didn't dissolve well in cold water in the wash, and didn't rinse out well in the rinse. Also hard to break years of housewife habits of always using at least warm water. Detergents don't have to suds at all to clean, but the early detergents were high sudsing so housewives could be "weaned" off of judging cleaning ability by the suds level.
Just like vacuum cleaners. People always thought, the noiseier the vacuum, the more powerful it was, though that's not necessarily true.
Soap and early detergents didn't dissolve well in cold water in the wash, and didn't rinse out well in the rinse. Also hard to break years of housewife habits of always using at least warm water. Detergents don't have to suds at all to clean, but the early detergents were high sudsing so housewives could be "weaned" off of judging cleaning ability by the suds level.
Just like vacuum cleaners. People always thought, the noiseier the vacuum, the more powerful it was, though that's not necessarily true.
cehalstead
Well-known member
cold water rinse
Another reason for warm only rinses was the low cost of energy to heat the water in the 50's and 60's.
Another reason for warm only rinses was the low cost of energy to heat the water in the 50's and 60's.
laundramatt
New member
Probably the best reason was that there were no fabrics that demanded cold water for the wash cycle, at least early on.
kenmore1978
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,119
Fabrics washing temp requirements
Cottons and woolens shrink in warm/hot water, non-colorfast clothes fade and run
Cottons and woolens shrink in warm/hot water, non-colorfast clothes fade and run
Designgeek
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 865
However, one could usually adjust the faucets on the water supply lines, yes? Set the machine for "warm" and just turn the hot water line down to a bit more than a trickle, so the actual water temp is more like "lukewarm."
Old washer water temps
Sorry,turning the hot water down on my 56 WP just shuts the water flow off altogether. The valve has thermostat in it to prevent any cold water wash.
I really don't wash anything much in cold water in any of my machines anyway.I wear bright colors most of the time,and have not noticed any fading. I think the type of detergent used is more important than the wash temp. Of course I would not wash colors in HOT water though. The machine has: HOT MED WARM settings. The rinses are all the same temp. I would consider the rinse temp. to be cool.
Rick
Sorry,turning the hot water down on my 56 WP just shuts the water flow off altogether. The valve has thermostat in it to prevent any cold water wash.
I really don't wash anything much in cold water in any of my machines anyway.I wear bright colors most of the time,and have not noticed any fading. I think the type of detergent used is more important than the wash temp. Of course I would not wash colors in HOT water though. The machine has: HOT MED WARM settings. The rinses are all the same temp. I would consider the rinse temp. to be cool.
Rick
Old washer water temps
Rick,
This is one kick ass washer. It is certinally about the best looking in the whole bunch and the performance of a belt drive whirlpool is out of this world.
Peter
Rick,
This is one kick ass washer. It is certinally about the best looking in the whole bunch and the performance of a belt drive whirlpool is out of this world.
Peter
Cold washing a Heresy?
I think back in the 50's and before anyone washing clothes in cold water would have been considered a heretic of housekeeping. That's just the way it was in those days. I can still remember the hot steam with bleach and detergent (or soap maybe) escaping from the top of our Norge in the 50's. I love using cold water and warm for the towels and sheets, but seldom ever use hot. IMHO its just not necessary. But to each his own. BTW off the subject, Clorox was in brown glass bottles in those days, just like hot shot bug spray!
I think back in the 50's and before anyone washing clothes in cold water would have been considered a heretic of housekeeping. That's just the way it was in those days. I can still remember the hot steam with bleach and detergent (or soap maybe) escaping from the top of our Norge in the 50's. I love using cold water and warm for the towels and sheets, but seldom ever use hot. IMHO its just not necessary. But to each his own. BTW off the subject, Clorox was in brown glass bottles in those days, just like hot shot bug spray!
David glass bottles.
Cold water depends on your climate too. Trust me in the summer time here cold IS just about WARM enough. David when you mentioned the glass bottles, I dont remember bleach, but I do remember Mom buying Distilled water for her iron at the Rexall, you did return the gallon glass jug when you got a new one. I hadnt thought of that in years. Have a nice weekend.
Cold water depends on your climate too. Trust me in the summer time here cold IS just about WARM enough. David when you mentioned the glass bottles, I dont remember bleach, but I do remember Mom buying Distilled water for her iron at the Rexall, you did return the gallon glass jug when you got a new one. I hadnt thought of that in years. Have a nice weekend.
kenmore1978
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,119
cold water temps
"The valve has thermostat in it to prevent any cold water wash. "
Your machine is the exception rather than the rule, WP was ahead of its time in that feature, something they dropped and then brought back andn touted as a "new" idea. Most machines would still let water in if one shut off the hot water in order get just cold water
"The valve has thermostat in it to prevent any cold water wash. "
Your machine is the exception rather than the rule, WP was ahead of its time in that feature, something they dropped and then brought back andn touted as a "new" idea. Most machines would still let water in if one shut off the hot water in order get just cold water
A workaround may be to connect cold water to both inlet valves with a Y-adapter. That should trigger the thermostat to open the 'cold' hot water fully in an effort to warm-up the mix!
Early WP water valve
The water valve could be replaced. I think Robert puts the later style in his early WP machines. They can be adapted easily. Then you can have HOT/MED/COLD,instead of HOT/MED/WARM like the original design.(I don't know what the rinse temp ends up like in this case,Robert could tell us).Since I don't have a use for a cold wash on this machine,I used the original valve. I use the 65 KM for any COLD wash I might have.(a silk tablecloth I have,thats about it)The 65 KM even has a COLD wash COLD rinse setting.
Rick
The water valve could be replaced. I think Robert puts the later style in his early WP machines. They can be adapted easily. Then you can have HOT/MED/COLD,instead of HOT/MED/WARM like the original design.(I don't know what the rinse temp ends up like in this case,Robert could tell us).Since I don't have a use for a cold wash on this machine,I used the original valve. I use the 65 KM for any COLD wash I might have.(a silk tablecloth I have,thats about it)The 65 KM even has a COLD wash COLD rinse setting.
Rick
Early Whirlpool water temp
My early TOL whirlpool, has 3 thermostats mounted on the side of the outer washbowl. One for Hot, one for Medium, and One for warm.
The inlet valve is just a standard 2 solenoid jobby.
It the logic in the Timer/Thermostats that controls how and when the valves open rather than in the inlet valve body.
In testing I've gotten around it by having 3 taps installed.
One is hot with a hose adapter, one is cold with a hose adapter, and then there is a cold tap to the hot water, so I can effectively run cold water through both hoses.
My early TOL whirlpool, has 3 thermostats mounted on the side of the outer washbowl. One for Hot, one for Medium, and One for warm.
The inlet valve is just a standard 2 solenoid jobby.
It the logic in the Timer/Thermostats that controls how and when the valves open rather than in the inlet valve body.
In testing I've gotten around it by having 3 taps installed.
One is hot with a hose adapter, one is cold with a hose adapter, and then there is a cold tap to the hot water, so I can effectively run cold water through both hoses.
Another warm water rinse reason
Early detergents were made from soap which had a base usually of animals fats.
The warm water was to aid in the removal of these soaps to stop the soap scum buidling up.
Early detergents were made from soap which had a base usually of animals fats.
The warm water was to aid in the removal of these soaps to stop the soap scum buidling up.
Sorry but Whirlpool was not "ahead of its time" by using a thermostatic water valve. Bendix first did it in 1938 and almost all vintage washers had these valves until the late 50's. You couldn't just turn the hot water off because as Rick said the valve would call for hot water and shut off the cold to try and regulate the temperature. These vintage thermostatic valves usually work really well too. The warm is a perfect 100 degrees.
Rick, you are right in my '52 Whirlpool I placed a modern valve in there for a hot, warm, or cold wash with a cold rinse.
Rick, you are right in my '52 Whirlpool I placed a modern valve in there for a hot, warm, or cold wash with a cold rinse.
kenmore1978
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,119
Thermostatic water valves
I stand corrected. As usual, it amazes me how they'll bring some old idea back that used to be common and tout it as NEW, in this ATC water valves in newer machines.
I stand corrected. As usual, it amazes me how they'll bring some old idea back that used to be common and tout it as NEW, in this ATC water valves in newer machines.
