Automatic Washer Water Consumption

[potatochips]

What would be the water consumption for all our favorite machines, like Frigidaires, Whirlpools, Kenmores, Maytags, GEs, Hotpoints, on a full load?

 

I know the pre orbital Maytags are around 150-170 litres per cycle, or 40-44 US gallons for a complete cycle.

 

I wonder what a filter flo would do on a complete cycle?

 

[DADoES]

 
Our 1976 WP LDA7800 (18# capacity) was rated at 27 gals for a full fill (space taken and water absorbed by the clothes presumably not considered).  So, 54 gals for a wash/rinse cycle + the four spray rinses.

IIRC, the four levels were 12 gals, 17 gals, 22 gals, & 27 gals ... may have been detailed on the specifications/feature sticker.

 

[toploadloyalist]

Plus the additional amounts consumed from Permanent Press cool-downs.

 

[vacerator]

Nominal added water for

cool downs. I know, the DD Whirlpools can add up to a quarter of the basket. Some only spray cold water as the load spins slowly. Some newer models dont even add any, such as my Smsung front loader. It takes longer by a few minutes, but just tumbles the load and the air in the washer cools it down. The rinses follow and it does just fine.

 

[DADoES]

 
The '76 WP had a full program of double cool down on PP, with at least a 1/2 drain (maybe a little more) for each.  Knits cycle was a single cool down.  It also had Super Wash on Normal with a 1/2 drain & refill.

 

[lowefficiency]

The '66+ Maytags were rated at 20, 27, 34, or 40 gallons for a full wash (all cycles) depending on the load size selected. Maytag specified that using the Permanent Press cycle would add an additional fill, but I'm not aware if they ever specified exactly how much extra water that was in their brochures...

More info:
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?66374

 

[bradfordwhite]

A full size Whirlpool Duet is 14 to 20 gallons.

As much fun as a GE FF is, it's water hog tendencies makes it merely a museum piece by my standards. I don't think there is any other common TL washer that used more.

 

[lowefficiency]

I remember a P.O.D. a while back that had a 54 1/2 gallon Norge.
No idea how that compares... but it's up there for sure!

 

[appnut]

POD 54 1/2 gallon Norge

Dave, there are actually two Norge PODs that have this figure.  The 1964 push-button DispensoMat Norge that was the same model as we got December 23, 1963 and a similar model that was a few models down from this TOL machine.  The POD versions were both stated 14 pound and ours had the 15 pound insignia on the backsplash.  

 

[potatochips]

Maytag texts suggest the perm press consumption is another full fill like LowEffeciency said.

Im still interested to know what the FF consumes.

 

[toploadloyalist]

Maytag's Permanent Press cool-down cycle debuted in 1969, replacing the Wash 'n' Wear cycle with just high agitation and low spin without cool-down.

Whirlpool's single cool-down Knit cycle was from 1972-79. [this post was last edited: 1/7/2020-04:03]

 

[frigilux]

I wonder how much water my Series 9 Speed Queen top-loader uses when filled to the maximum level on the Heavy Duty cycle?

Does anyone have a chart that tells how many gallons it takes to fill to each water level on a SQ--as Dadoes was mentioning about the large tub Whirlpool BD he referenced?

 

[washerlover]

And I would love to know the water consumption difference between vintage top loaders and today’s top loaders.  I bought a brand new Kenmore washer three years ago with “load sensor” feature that filled the entire tub full no matter what size load (even when there was nothing in the tub).  Not much water savings there...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Here are some random water consumption values for a few of our beloved machines:

1953 Apex 24.5 gallons
1958 Frigidaire Unimatic 28.5 gallons
1965 Frigidaire Rollermatic 41.25 gallons
1979 Frigidaire 1/18 49.5 gallons
1947 General Electric AW6 37 gallons
1960 General Electric 42 gallons
1976 General Electric (model WWA8350P ) 48.2 gallons
1976 Lady Kenmore 48.8 gallons (normal) 54.6 gallons (Perm Press)
1976 Whirlpool 51.1 gallons (normal) 66.8 gallons (Perm Press)
1976 Westinghouse Front Loader 28.9 gallons
1976 Westinghouse Top Loader 48.7 gallons
1960 Kelvinator 30 gallons

 

[launderess]

IIRC

GE FF washers used so much water because space between inner and outer suds container was rather large. Filling that gap used quite a bit of water, so there you are.

 

[mattl]

Wow.  To be honest looking at those numbers makes me cringe.  Years ago taking care of my dad I'd do a large load in my Kenmore 90 series almost everyday.  That was a lot of water.  Now I might do 3-6 loads a month in my Duets.

 

[launderess]

Now you understand why there is such a hate on

Against top loading washing machines by federal government, tree huggers and others. Old school washers used vast amounts of water.....

Of course this could be mitigated by going back to solid tub automatics, or things like using suds saving devices or semi-automatics. But that is another story....

 

[wayupnorth]

I dont care how much water my 1984 Maytag 511 uses as I have a well that never runs out of water, 40+ every load and I will never have nor do I ever want any HE crap that doesnt fill to the top, give HOT water from the tap and clean clothes like my mothers Kenmores always did.

 

[potatochips]

Wow. I have to say Im actually impressed with how much the GE FF doesnt use. I really thought it was about 60 gallons.