CR: New SQ Front-Loader Leaps Up Ratings List

[launderess]

Wouldn`t a booster heater just set protein based stains ...

Yes, protein is basically cooked or "clumped" together when exposed to high temperatures.

Again this is why Mother and professionals new best; laundry is or was pre-washed or soaked in cool or even warmish water before washing in hot or boiled. This is the same idea behind dishwashers that begin with a cold or warmish pre-wash before the main event; to remove protein soils like egg, milk, etc... before the high heat gets to them.

OTOH chlorine bleach denatures and destroys proteins. This is why you cannot use the stuff on wool or silk, but it makes a great additive to laundry wash or automatic dishwashing. Most automatic dishwasher detergents today however have gone over to enzymes, at least the top shelf ones.

 

[suburbanmd]

Booster heater has to be paired with...

a washer that won't temper the very hot water with cold.

 

[jerrod6]

Agree with suburbanmd about washers that won't temper hot water.  This seems to be the way He washers in the US control energy usage, buy mixing cold with hot water, so the booster may not work with that unless you can manually pour hot water into the machine or do one of those y connector things mentioned in another thread.

 

The heater on my W1986 tends to cycle on and off for the 105F and 120F washes, more so in the winter since my machine is in an unheated basement.   For the 140F and 190F washes it will take hot water in and sometimes mix it with cold.   After a few minutes of tumbling you can hear the heater circuit clunk on.  It will continue to clunk on and off until about halfway into the wash and then the heater will remain on and turn off some minutes before the cool down water runs in.  The tumbling continues with the cooled water for a minute or so and then the wash water is pumped out.   It is at the end stages of the 190F wash when you will hear the water fizzling during the pauses.

 

In the winter the heater comes on when doing a cold wash right at the beginning  but only once, so it isn't used throughout the entire wash.

 

If I shine a flashlight through the holes in the bottom of the tub I can see the heaters sitting below the tub; there are two of them.  On the door label it says Heaters:  2 X 1300Watt so I guess that is their rating.

 

For the normal wash cycles it takes about 41 minutes at temps of 105F and 120F, about 48 minutes at 140F, and 51 minutes at 190F.  The Extended option increases the time for everything; wash, rinses, and spins.  Normal works for most loads, Extended with cold water prewash for heavily soiled whites. 

 

[launderess]

Tempering Hot Water

Commercial washers seem to do it as well. At least for laundromats every washer one has used in such places mixes cold water with hot when "Hot" is chosen. Once enquired of the attendant why this was so and was told "the hot water comes from the (residential) building's boilers and would shrink your clothes if not cooled". Whatever.....

 

[askolover]

The last

few times I've gone to the laundromat I've used hot water...and it costs a few cents more too....but it wasn't hot!  Used to, that same place had very hot water...but those were different machines back then.  It's a SpeedQueen laundromat with all new washers. 

Jerrod, I noticed those two heaters also when I replaced the door boot on my Miele, I was impressed.