I have been unable to find reviews of the Electrolux EIFLS20QSW so I thought I would post one.
I recently bought a floor model or a returned machine. For those of you who like old TV shows you might remember the show Only Fools and Horses...
I believe that the machine is operating correctly but I do know that it had cosmetic dents on both sides and a concave dent on the back panel (which dent did not extend to the back of the machine thankfully) the dent in the back panel created a knocking sound which required me to remove the back panel and pound out the dent. The machine runs smoothly with its now convex back panel. Even with the back panel corrected there is the kind of rhythmic sound during the cycle but I believe that is the sound of the clothing falling off the baffle and back into the bottom of the washer.
I have been using a 1983 Maytag A510 for the last 25 years. It has never needed a repair and is still running strong. I really love that machine but that machine and its matching slightly newer dryer are taking up a huge amount of space in my kitchen and I really, really, really want that space, particularly, the countertop. This is my first front load machine. My understanding is that this machine is new to the US market but has been available in Europe for several years, so I am purchasing it with the belief that dumb design kinks have already been worked out.
I arrived at the decision to buy a smaller frontloader by first buying a scale (like the kind you use to weigh luggage) and weighing loads of laundry over several weeks and determining that my heaviest load is about 7 pounds. I certainly do not need some of the enormous capacity machines that are available these days as they are not really intended to run this type of smaller load and users of almost every front loader regardless of brand seem to report a lot out of balance problems with small loads. My impression is that this machine's working capacity is only slightly less than that of my old Maytag.
Initially, the machine had a strong odor, actually two odors, One was a moldy smell and the other was the hot oily smell that you get in a machine shop after you've been running a lot of power tools for hours. Using the sanitizing cycle, wiping all the way around the gasket (strangely water collected the most at the top of the gasket and not at the bottom), removing the soap dispenser and thoroughly draining it and wiping out the inside of the machine where the dispenser resides, particularly the top of that dispenser area and then leaving the dispenser out and the drum open overnight seems to have removed both odors. I normally leave the washing machine open for several hours after running a load and I expect to do so on this machine too. The door can be left open in two positions one fully open (which I would do immediately after the load is done) and the other almost shut (which I intend to leave it in most of the time when it is not in use).
I like the inside of the drum. I was unable to find any pictures of it before seeing it in person so I have included one in this post.
I chose to run a load of dirty rags on the first cycle, using the normal setting and the recommended amount of dry Persil (the kind that Walmart has just started selling). Sudsorama! Way too much soap OR this machine had soap left in it from its prior life. I had to run the spin rinse cycle again to make any headway on reducing the suds. On the normal setting, the rags did not get clean. In looking at the manual (after-the-fact) I note that it says this type of item should have been soaking in a bucket with enzymes first. To be fair, with my Maytag I would have let them presoak with hot water and enzymes for about half an hour, so I do not hold it against the machine that the normal cycle didn't do much in this instance.
For my next load, this time white socks and white towels, I reduced the amount of soap significantly and used the whites setting. There were very few suds, leading me to believe it highly likely that the machine had been sold and returned by someone who must have been very unhappy about all the soap in their clothes. Everything came out beautiful and white.
I then tried the casual setting and everything came out fine on it. I have not yet experimented with all of the temperature and soil settings.
The machine wastes very little time balancing the loads. On the first load I did not have the machine properly leveled and there was quite a bit of vibration getting to full spin, very little vibration at full spin. The machine is just heavy enough that I needed to have a friend come over and help me get it level. (Yes, it was delivered but the delivery guys could only make sure that the shipping bolts had been removed, after that they didn't know what to do-except leave in order to avoid the traffic.) The machine is quieter than the old Maytag, at full spin, it vibrates about the same.
Everything is significantly drier coming out of this machine than out of the old Maytag. Everything is also more wrinkled, but if you promptly remove the garments and and give them one quick shake as you do, it's about the same. The garments are almost dry enough to not require using the dryer (at least in Los Angeles where it is exceptionally dry), in just hanging things out both thick towels and heavy jeans were dry within a few hours.
The machine has an end of cycle chime that reminds me of a very quiet microwave chime. I think the chime can be turned on or off but that the volume cannot be increased/decreased.
When you select a cycle, a time appears. The times appear to be quite accurate. Here are the cycle times:
Normal 43
Deep clean sanitize 1.42
Heavy duty 52
Casual 37
Delicates 30
Rinse and spin 15
Steam refresh 16
Normal with steam 1.08
Casual with steam 57
Fast wash 22
Whites 50
Wool 29
Jeans 57
Clean washer 47
Cosmetically, I think it is an attractive machine. You should realize that it is not quite a true white machine, nor is it so dark as to be bisque. The top of the machine is actually a wood panel (which probably helps with the noise) not metal, the machine is really designed to be stacked or put under a countertop as you would not want to rest wet items on its top.
When I removed the back panel to pound out the dent I noticed that there are a lot of plastic parts on the insides, including the outside drum. I don't expect this machine to last the incredible number of years that my old Maytag has lasted (especially given that I did not buy a brand-new machine in pristine condition) but I do think it will work for quite a while.
Hope this helps.
I recently bought a floor model or a returned machine. For those of you who like old TV shows you might remember the show Only Fools and Horses...
I believe that the machine is operating correctly but I do know that it had cosmetic dents on both sides and a concave dent on the back panel (which dent did not extend to the back of the machine thankfully) the dent in the back panel created a knocking sound which required me to remove the back panel and pound out the dent. The machine runs smoothly with its now convex back panel. Even with the back panel corrected there is the kind of rhythmic sound during the cycle but I believe that is the sound of the clothing falling off the baffle and back into the bottom of the washer.
I have been using a 1983 Maytag A510 for the last 25 years. It has never needed a repair and is still running strong. I really love that machine but that machine and its matching slightly newer dryer are taking up a huge amount of space in my kitchen and I really, really, really want that space, particularly, the countertop. This is my first front load machine. My understanding is that this machine is new to the US market but has been available in Europe for several years, so I am purchasing it with the belief that dumb design kinks have already been worked out.
I arrived at the decision to buy a smaller frontloader by first buying a scale (like the kind you use to weigh luggage) and weighing loads of laundry over several weeks and determining that my heaviest load is about 7 pounds. I certainly do not need some of the enormous capacity machines that are available these days as they are not really intended to run this type of smaller load and users of almost every front loader regardless of brand seem to report a lot out of balance problems with small loads. My impression is that this machine's working capacity is only slightly less than that of my old Maytag.
Initially, the machine had a strong odor, actually two odors, One was a moldy smell and the other was the hot oily smell that you get in a machine shop after you've been running a lot of power tools for hours. Using the sanitizing cycle, wiping all the way around the gasket (strangely water collected the most at the top of the gasket and not at the bottom), removing the soap dispenser and thoroughly draining it and wiping out the inside of the machine where the dispenser resides, particularly the top of that dispenser area and then leaving the dispenser out and the drum open overnight seems to have removed both odors. I normally leave the washing machine open for several hours after running a load and I expect to do so on this machine too. The door can be left open in two positions one fully open (which I would do immediately after the load is done) and the other almost shut (which I intend to leave it in most of the time when it is not in use).
I like the inside of the drum. I was unable to find any pictures of it before seeing it in person so I have included one in this post.
I chose to run a load of dirty rags on the first cycle, using the normal setting and the recommended amount of dry Persil (the kind that Walmart has just started selling). Sudsorama! Way too much soap OR this machine had soap left in it from its prior life. I had to run the spin rinse cycle again to make any headway on reducing the suds. On the normal setting, the rags did not get clean. In looking at the manual (after-the-fact) I note that it says this type of item should have been soaking in a bucket with enzymes first. To be fair, with my Maytag I would have let them presoak with hot water and enzymes for about half an hour, so I do not hold it against the machine that the normal cycle didn't do much in this instance.
For my next load, this time white socks and white towels, I reduced the amount of soap significantly and used the whites setting. There were very few suds, leading me to believe it highly likely that the machine had been sold and returned by someone who must have been very unhappy about all the soap in their clothes. Everything came out beautiful and white.
I then tried the casual setting and everything came out fine on it. I have not yet experimented with all of the temperature and soil settings.
The machine wastes very little time balancing the loads. On the first load I did not have the machine properly leveled and there was quite a bit of vibration getting to full spin, very little vibration at full spin. The machine is just heavy enough that I needed to have a friend come over and help me get it level. (Yes, it was delivered but the delivery guys could only make sure that the shipping bolts had been removed, after that they didn't know what to do-except leave in order to avoid the traffic.) The machine is quieter than the old Maytag, at full spin, it vibrates about the same.
Everything is significantly drier coming out of this machine than out of the old Maytag. Everything is also more wrinkled, but if you promptly remove the garments and and give them one quick shake as you do, it's about the same. The garments are almost dry enough to not require using the dryer (at least in Los Angeles where it is exceptionally dry), in just hanging things out both thick towels and heavy jeans were dry within a few hours.
The machine has an end of cycle chime that reminds me of a very quiet microwave chime. I think the chime can be turned on or off but that the volume cannot be increased/decreased.
When you select a cycle, a time appears. The times appear to be quite accurate. Here are the cycle times:
Normal 43
Deep clean sanitize 1.42
Heavy duty 52
Casual 37
Delicates 30
Rinse and spin 15
Steam refresh 16
Normal with steam 1.08
Casual with steam 57
Fast wash 22
Whites 50
Wool 29
Jeans 57
Clean washer 47
Cosmetically, I think it is an attractive machine. You should realize that it is not quite a true white machine, nor is it so dark as to be bisque. The top of the machine is actually a wood panel (which probably helps with the noise) not metal, the machine is really designed to be stacked or put under a countertop as you would not want to rest wet items on its top.
When I removed the back panel to pound out the dent I noticed that there are a lot of plastic parts on the insides, including the outside drum. I don't expect this machine to last the incredible number of years that my old Maytag has lasted (especially given that I did not buy a brand-new machine in pristine condition) but I do think it will work for quite a while.
Hope this helps.
