bulk detergent dispensers

[Cybrvanr]

I have always been quite suprised that no washer manufacturer has thought of a bulk detergent dispenser idea before. In other words, what would happen is that you would load the machine with a large sum of detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc. into a storage bin, or some other type of holding device. Whenever you washed laundry, the machine would disense the approperiate amount of the products into the washload from that storage location. You could do several loads of laundry without having to worry about putting the products in before each load. The washer coul have switches for each product as to if you wanted that product dispensed, and how much. For instance a switch for detergent could be "large, medium, small, off" The control panel could also have gauges indicating how much of each product was left in it's storage. The option for "off" could be used if a particular wash cycle required it or not, or if you wanted to use a custom detergent for a special load of wash.

This would be an excellent option for the higher end "pushbutton" washers that have pre-programmed cycles for specific types of laundry. They would also have pre-programmed detergent dispensing and such.

 

[mattywashboy]

that would be a fantastic thing to have, it would eliminate the problem of overdosing completley. Maybe someone should suggest that idea to a washer manufacturer and see what happens.

 

[launderess]

Such systems have been around for ages, however are limited to commercial laundry vendors. Ecolab amoung others sells various systems for dispensing liquid and or powdered laundry and automatic dishwasher products. One can often find used units on fleaBay and other places where used commercial laundry/dishwashing equipment is sold. Such systems are used from everything to small front loaders to large 100lb or more commercial units. When you think about it, it makes sense for commercial laundries to rely on automated dispensing of supplies as it cuts waste, minimises employee error and speeds operation.

Some systems are designed to work with a certian vendor's machine line, others can be fitted to work with most any machine. IIRC, some units are programmed from the washer's "computer", others take signals from the washer, others still are programmed at the dispenser and merely wait for the washer to reach certian cycles.

Just as with commercial dishwashers like "Hobart" when used in residential settings, the draw back to using these dispensing units for washing machines is where does one store one or more large drums of laundry supplies. The chemicals need to be near the units so storing product say down in the basement, and "plumbing" up the tubing to reach a ground or first floor laundry would be a problem.

IIRC Speed Queen's "Commercial Homestyle" line showed a front loader which could accomodate a dispenser system. Have the paperwork somewhere, think it was a unit marketed towards "light commercial" use rather than the home models on the Alliance SQ website.

Launderess

 

[DADoES]

Bendix/Philco had such a dispenser for bleach (and softener?) on their front-loader "Duomatic" combos at one point in time.

Kenmore had a softener dispenser hidden in the console on LK models for a brief time, in the early 1960s.

 

[maytagbear]

For a while, Maytag

had a liquid detergent dispenser in the early "Atlantis" series. Was supposed to hold 100 ounces, more or less. I would think that it would have made the lid very heavy.

It's a good idea in theory, I guess.

The detergent method I would like to see has been talked about for years-- pipe it in, like water, and have it billed like water. I think that would be great for a coin-op setting!

Has anyone else seen the ads for the new GE Profile dishwasher?--has a dispenser that holds 35 ounces of gel. Somewhat limiting, since the only gel with enzymes that I know of is Cascade Complete, and I am not going back to a non-enzyme dish detergent. (Homemade Calgonite being a notable exception.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[kenmore1978]

additive storage

and don't forget that GE had a bleach storage system on some of thier combos and TL washers

 

[tomturbomatic]

And in the early 50s, Bendix had a washer, might have been a Gyromatic, that had a detergent storage bin & dispenser in the back top of the cabinet. It used an auger to dispense the measured amount of powder. It had the controls on the front and it's the earliest one that I can think of. Bendix also sold a cartridge water softener that went between the hose and faucet to make it easier to use conditioned water.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Late '50s Lady Kenmore had a "bulk" detergent dispenser. Found this out in an old Consumer Reports. Funny thing was, you could only use it for liquid detergent, and Wisk was the only one around at that time.

veg

 

[gansky1]

I have never heard of the cartridge water softener from Bendix! What a great idea, do you know how long the cartridge lasted?

The 1960 Lady Kenmore had a liquid detergent storage & dispensing system as well as the softener storage that I believe was also found on the '59 LK.

Franklin TOL machines had a bleach storage system.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The really interesting thing about the reservoir dispensers in the Philco Duomatic and, I believe John said that the LK used this also, was that the dispensers worked by a heater heating the air in the reservoir so that the expanding heated air forced the precise amount of softener or bleach out and into the tub. You have to wonder just who in the hell comes up with this kind of stuff. And how would you adequately shield this heater mechanism from the corrosive effects of liquid bleach?

Franklin machines were always copying GE and Whirlpool. GE washers with the bleach reservoir rusted out very fast if the dispenser was used.

Greg, I will have to do some research on the cartridges to find the answer for you.

 

[DADoES]

<blockquote>The really interesting thing about the reservoir dispensers in the Philco Duomatic and, I believe John said that the LK used this also, was that the dispensers worked by a heater heating the air in the reservoir so that the expanding heated air forced the precise amount of softener or bleach out and into the tub. You have to wonder just who in the hell comes up with this kind of stuff.</blockquote>

Oh my! No kidding!

 

[frigilux]

I had a beautiful yellow 1959 Lady Kenmore for awhile, and it had a bulk fabric softener dispenser. You'd open the top of the console and pour it into an opening. I still can't believe I got rid of that machine. It was so much like the 1960 Model 80 I grew up with. We all do stupid things (right? we all do, right?) and that one has to be one of my Top 3 stupid moves of all time. I also had a Frigidaire 1-18 and got rid of it at the same time. Had I known about this site back then, I would have had all of you to talk some sense into me!

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE has one

GE has a bulk dispenser for laundry detergent and fabric softener for their higher end models.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

either side

The one on the left is for laundry detergent. The one on the right is for fabric softener.

 

[thomasortega]

Here in Brazil both Electrolux and Brastemp (Whirlpool) have top load models with automatic bulk dispensers.

They're both quite simple.

Electrolux's is a tad better because the user can enter the setup and set the desired dose for a level and the washer will calculate by itself for the other water levels.

Both machines also have options to turn off the auto dispenser and they have ordinary dispenser drawers to use a custom detergent for an specific load.

Oh,and both machines have the automatic dispenser for liquid detergent and fabric softener.

 

[whatsername]

Where's the DeLorean?

You're only 10 years late.

 

[jkbff]

GELaundry4ever -- Left and Right sides were for detergent, middle is for fabric softener... If you were talking about the profile front loaders.

The HE top-loader has a tank for detergent and for softener, but these are not fed by pumps but water pressure, from what I understand...

They also had a smartdispense dishwasher as well.

Whirlpool also has bulk dispenser cartridges.

... This is definitely an old thread.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

I've been thinking about that for sometime.

Especially when I do laundry. I don't want to worry using too little or too much bleach, laundry detergent and fabric softener. For example, the bleach dispensing will be on the whites cycle by default. Most other cycles will dispense laundry detergent and fabric softener.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

sorry I'm late...

but I think more manufacturers need to follow suit.