A lousy Estate of Affairs

[mistereric]

Just recently put my home on the market, and not wanting to give up vintage toys and have then be tossed out to the curb by new owners, I replaced the washer and dryer with a recent set. I was given a reasonably new Estate washer, and so far I've been pretty appalled at the performance. The rinse... oh where do I begin? a thimble full of water and a stern thrashing?! No, absolutely not.

 

[mistereric]

What passes for a "Full" wash load water level...

 

[mistereric]

...and the water rinse level. On "Full". You've got to be kidding.

 

[mistereric]

Time to get ones hands dirty. Two screws are located on the rear of the console.

 

[mistereric]

Flip the console down and we can see the twin water level switches, connected by the plastic air pressure line with a tee. The one close to the bottom of the pic is the wash level, and has a knob on the console front. The one in the middle is for the rinse level, and has no knob on the console.

 

[mistereric]

Forgot to take a picture of the adjustment screw on the end of the wash level sensor, but with a tiny 5mm ratchet bit, I turned the adjustment screw. One full turn, wiggled the switch, and checked the water level. About 3 full turns and I was happy. Now on to the rinse...

 

[mistereric]

Ahh, you can see the adjuster screw in this shot of the Rinse level sensor. Before I even touched the screw, I noticed there are two settings on this sensor. Pushing in the white plunger and flicking the charcoal grey plastic bit set the rinse level to High, and that was enough to do a decent job of rinsing without pulping my underwear.

 

[mistereric]

A much more reasonable rinse level. I didn't turn this one all the way up, seeing as it becomes the default level for all rinses regardless of wash water level. I felt the stock "high" setting was a decent compromise. Now my large loads will actually get rinsed without being beaten to bits, and my small wash loads will get an awesome deep rinse. I understand why it was done , with the laws and all, and why it was implemented in this way (and at this price point), but I'm sure glad this won't be my forever machine.

 

[mistereric]

Further notes: I removed the end cap too get better access to the adjustment screw on the wash sensor, and laughed at the cost cutting. They didn't even put a second screw on the plastic end cap!

 

[mistereric]

Yup. Miss my A806, I do.

 

[jeffg]

Good job Eric. Between the washer's ridiculous default water levels, and corkscrew agitator, it must have been a real shredder. Yikes!

"Further notes: I removed the end cap too get better access to the adjustment screw on the wash sensor, and laughed at the cost cutting. They didn't even put a second screw on the plastic end cap!"

Component reduction. LOL

 

[frigilux]

It actually agitated at high speed with that tiny bit of rinse water?! Good freakin' god. Glad you were able to make the adjustments to get the water levels where they need to be.

I'm all for water efficiency, but these machines aren't meant to agitate a full load of clothes in that tiny bit of rinse water.

 

[murando531]

Same exact thing that the GE my mom has does. It doesn't have any option to use a deep rinse or fabric softener, just fills to about that same level, thrashes around for a few seconds, and sits. After a minute or two, it drains and spins. It's not even the HydroWave wash action either, just the violent chug-chug-chug that typical plastic GE's have done for years. I wonder now after seeing this if there is a separate level switch there too.

I also wonder... Since the two switches are identical, and just connected seperately, could the wires from the rinse be spliced in with the wires from the wash, so that the selector would govern wash AND rinse? I'm not very savvy with the laws of circuitry, but it seems like it could be a possibility. It would also give ideas for the GE predicament as well. I've been trying to look for a normal used washer in good shape with no luck so far.

 

[mistereric]

Thats a decent idea, andrew, and one I would consider if it wasn't the machine I was leaving with the house. Don't want to do anything too irreversible.

 

[retropia]

Thanks, Eric, this is a handy tutorial for anyone else having a similar washer. It is good to know that the wash and rinse levels can be increased on these machines.

 

[launderess]

Leaving Sayerville Eric?

Whom will one visit after getting off the wrong exit on the Garden State! *LOL*

 

[mistereric]

Thanks Doug, thats the reason I made it... I couldn't find much about the internals online. I've got to say, after a single wash load, the difference is outstanding. Its still a mediocre washer, but its no longer a lousy one.

As for stumbling about in New Jersey, fear not - you'll find me somewhere off Interstate 287, and you'll avoid the tolls doing it!

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I think I imagine myself with one of those.....BUT, with a cross on my hand and holy water on the other!
Vade Retro!!!!!! LOLOL

Here is an example of the crappy TL machines for which if I had to choose from it and a FL, I'd get a FL, but having a boilwash, I would see it giving somewhat better results than this one for sure...but heck, not surely like a good toploader like a FF, SQ or BD WP/KM or MT would...

You know....it's sad...really sad...thinking of the older WP/KM machines and these new messes,government did it's part in ruining the machines, but makers too before them though!
So....
When it comes about all those whirly thingy WP &company short fast strokes- no turnover- all about "scraping" clothes ones,I can't see them getting much stuff decently clean, but grated yes, especially in that low water, freshly grated, like parmesan LOL...but better than a punch in the face...as I say...
Then
That rinse is....is.... Just NO NO NO!
Then you wonder about reports comparisons... Ah! No wonder!

 

[launderess]

Sayerville

Know of a few families and or persons moving house out of Sayreville, Old Bridge and Matawan. For some SS Sandy was the last straw as they are tired of the flooding, power outages, and so forth. Others are fed up with the taxes in NJ and are joining the mad dash to North Carolina. Two gay couples we know were waiting to see how SSM rolled out in Kentucky and PA. Now that those matters are settled they are packing it up as well.