An Interesting Test with a New Meter

[Unimatic1140]

Hi Mark, wow 24 gallons for 5lbs of towels that is a shocking amount of water used, considering I can wash nearly 10lbs of towels in 28 gallons in the Unimatic.

Yes my big bath sheet towels are 100% cotton although they are a few years old so they aren't as fluffy as they were when they were new and certainly don't produce as much lint as when they were new.


I checked your math and you're right on, but it seems like more water should have been removed. It is shockingly bad actually as the 525rpm Kenmore came in just over 70%. Does your Siemens (Bosch) spin at 1200rpm for long or does it slowly ramp up and then only spin at high speed for a minute or two?

 

[Marky_Mark]

It was indeed a lot of water for such a small load. But I did select the "water plus" option (or whatever Siemens calls it) which could explain it. I could try a load of towels without that option. If I washed double the amount of towels, it would be interesting to see by how much the water usage would change.

My towels are 100% cotton and are a few years old. Fieldcrest from Target.

It did spin at full speed for a few minutes but probably not nearly as long as it would have done on the cotton cycle or eco cycle (I used the "mix" cycle). I'll have to test that. I have the exact same towels in the US and I'll have to try this test when I'm back there. I think I weighed these towels a couple of years ago after being spun in one of my TLs (I can't remember which, possibly the SQ at 710 RPM) and I think the RMC was over 100%.

It would be very interesting if anyone else could weigh a towel when dry and also after spinning and let us know the weights.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Wow! Very shocked by mild difference in energy consumptions w/ and w/o steam. Water level with steam is lower.

 

[maytag85]

I really do wonder if you’ll get that many suds from things that were washed in a front loader (HE in general), then re-washing them in a Frigidaire Unimatic

 

[Marky_Mark]

Update!

I like the tests and measurements that Robert has done with his LG and his snazzy new Samsung (congrats, by the way!). And I've done a few more of my own.

Following on from my post above, I've tried washing a full load of towels on several cycles. The towels weighed a fraction under 5 kg or 11 lb. I had to cram the towels into the drum but once they were wet, they sank down a lot and there was plenty of space to tumble.

Cottons 60 ℃ (140 ℉) with no options selected:
Wash used 24 litres / 6⅓ US gallons
Three rinses
Total water usage: 100 litres / 26½ gal
3 hours 37 min
1.78 kWh

Eco 40-60 (this is the machine's most efficient cycle and is used for the energy rating):
Wash used 22 litres / 6 gal
Three rinses (first two used less water, probably due to very short, slow spin after the wash and first rinse. Final rinse used 26.5 litres / 7 gal
Total water usage: 74 litres / 19½ gal
3 hours 40 min
0.86 kWh

Cottons 90 ℃ (194 ℉) with Water Plus selected:
Wash used 23 litres / 6 gal and did a cool down before draining, adding a further 14 litres / 3.7 gal for a total of 37 litres / 10 gal in the tub
Four rinses, each consuming 28.5 litres / 7½ gal
Total water usage: 150 litres / 40 gal
3 hours 17 min
2.57 kWh

This machine has a 1,200-RPM spin and top speed was held for 5 min on the cottons cycle. But the Eco cycle speeded up for the last 2 minutes, seemingly faster than 1,200 RPM.

After the Eco cycle, the towels weighed 8.4 kg (18 lb 8 oz).
So the towels retained 8.4-5 = 3.4 kg or 3.4 litres of water (7 lb 8 oz)
Remaining moisture content: 3.4/5 x 100 = 68%

 

[Marky_Mark]

You can hear the water heating, as it comes up close to boiling!

View attachment Wash Heating.MOV

 

[Marky_Mark]

Cooldown level: