Extraction Experiment: Frigidaire TL vs. Frigidaire FL

[frigilux]

I did a load of denims/heavy cottons in the toploader and decided to measure how much more water would be extracted if I sent them for a final spin in the frontloader. I was surprised---it was more than I thought there would be.

I made a video of the load being washed in the toploader. The edited-down version should be on YouTube later tonight. I'll start a thread with a link for it.

First off, the load itself:
3 pairs jeans
1 pair very heavy sweat-type pants
2 denim chef's aprons
2 pairs shorts
1 oversize, heavy bath towel
1 cotton shirt
2 pairs slipper-socks

I washed it using the WHITES cycle on my TL, which boasts of a final POWER SPIN, which lasts 12 minutes. I don't know how fast a Franklin-driven washer spins, but it seems to be about as fast as the 1960 Kenmore I grew up with---in the low 500's, I'm guessing.

When that cycle finished, I threw the load into my frontloader (top spin speed of about 1000 rpm's) and set it for the final spin of it's WHITES cycle (an 11-minute spin).

The machine almost immediately spewed out 2 cups of water. I dumped that, as it was water leftover from the last cycle, not from the load it was spinning. Nothing much happened until the machine started to ramp up in speed---then it began to flow steadily.

Here's how I caught the water. I put a few drops of blue food coloring in the container so the water would be more visible.

 

[frigilux]

Looks like about 1-1/2 quarts more of water was extracted by the frontloader.

 

[frigilux]

Yep, 6 cups exactly.

 

[frigilux]

And how much does 1-1/2 quarts of water weigh? A little over 3 lbs.

Had I not used my frontloader as an extractor, the dryer would have had to deal with that much more water.

Not exactly scientific, but it sure makes a point!

 

[exploder321]

Wow... No wonder it only takes 20. in our maytag dryer to dry stuff..

 

[Unimatic1140]

That was a very fun and cool experiment Eugene! Looking forward to the video. I stopped off at Target today and bought some "experimental towels" to do something similar.

 

[cehalstead]

another method of determining extraction.....

....weigh the loads from both washers after the final spin......

 

[frigilux]

The weighing method (if you have a very accurate scale) is probably the more scientifically correct. My little kitchen scale (which is accurate to .25 of a gram) only holds about 10 pounds and is too small to set a laundry basket on.

I was just bored and thought it would be fun to try.

I've uploaded the video of this load to YouTube, but it's still in the 'processing' stage. Hopefully it'll be up later tonight.

 

[frigilux]

Whoa! I mean my kitchen scale is accurate to .25 of an ounce, not gram.

Back to methods: I consider the method I used the 'late night infomercial' method. Gives the studio audience something to watch, LOL.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Eugene another interesting experiment would be after the final spin in the Frigidiare front loader to take the clothes out shake them and put them back into the FL and spin them again and see how much more water comes out the second time around.