Fisher and Paykel Topload dryer (Post images below)

[smartdrive1100]

Hi everyone,
I would love to see everyone’s F&P TP dryer as I am planning to get one. I would like to know more about them.

 

[easyspindry]

I've had one for 15 years . . .

Love it!!!

It's gas fired and has worked beautifully the entire time. The tub rotation reverses every few minutes, thus there's no tangling or balling up of the clothing. This is especially useful when drying bedsheets.

I am unable to include a picture because I am not at home at this time.

The dryer looks exactly like the matching washer because it is loaded from the top.

If the interest in a picture of the dryer remains, I will be happy to provide one when I return home the middle of March.

Jerry Gay

 

[smartdrive1100]

Would love some photos!

Seem like there is plenty still doing hard work,

I’ve heard that the bearings are known to fail and that they require 3 phase power (which I don’t have).

I was wondering if I could use it on single phase on air dry and low heat or would that trip my 9 amp fuse.

 

[gizmo]

Were they sold in Australia? I thought they were US market only??

 

Not 3 phase power supply - they use a 3-phase motor, but it uses its own internal electronics to create the 3 phase supply to its motor, the power supply to the machine is single phase.

 

[DADoES]

 
I bought a SmartLoad DEGX1 in Oct 2004 (with an IWL12 washer).  Repaired a bad heating element and cleared lint accumulation from the filter/blower housing in 2014.

I found an LED AquaSmart / AeroSmart DE62T27D pair in August 2018.  Converted them to LCD models by changing the control panels and have been using them as the "daily drivers" since that time.  Passed the DEGX1 to my parents.

Have found two more SmartLoads DE62T27G with matching Eco Smart washers.

So, I have four topload dryers ... two in-use, two spares not yet refurbished.

Two IWL12 Intuitive Eco washers, a WL26CW1 AquaSmart, a WL37T26CW2 AquaSmart, and two WA37T26C Eco Smart washers (not yet refurbished).

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[rapunzel]

"Were they sold in Australia?"

Yes they were. Albeit only for a short while. Australian home laundries are not set up for gas or electric dryers that require a 20 amp outlet. If consumers want that, it costs lots of additional $$$. That is why here in Oz American full-size washer dryer pairs are primarily found in commercial operations, such as hairdressers, mining operations, caravan parks or residential settings like nursing homes.

Speed Queen and Maytag are primarily targeting commercial clients with their matching washer/dryer pairs. There probably wasn't enough demand for F&P's TL dryer to make it viable long-term here, unfortunately.

Unlike the US, in Australia appliance manufacturers never paired up with home building companies to furnish Australian houses with their products. Now we do not even have an appliance industry, only whatever stuff importers decide they want to sell here.

 

[DADoES]

 
Sheets cycle.  Cool down starts at 36 mins, ends at 43:24 and the anti-wrinkle function begins but it runs for only one tumble at 48:20 before I end the recording.  I apparently had the load spin at low speed or they would have dried faster.

 

[brisnat81]

The issue in AU was that they needed a 32amp circuit and to be hard wired. A 20amp dryer circuit is rare a 32amp dryer circuit is non existent.

I wanted one, but the cost of running a circuit was almost as much as the dryer.

 

[smartdrive1100]

Wow,

Seems like they are almost as easy to rip apart like their top load washers.

I wonder if there is a way to make the bearings last longer, maybe put some very high quality synthetic motor oil on the bearings?

 

[rinso]

The F&P top load dryer was my favorite of all the dryers I have ever owned. We had it in our family for over 18 years, and during that time, it only needed 2 very minor service calls, both to reset a circuit breaker. We learned from those that we had to ensure a clean and fairly straight exhaust path, as this beauty loved to breathe freely.

 

[DADoES]

 
There's a resettable overheat protector thermostat on front of the heaterbox.  Reply 5, Pic 3, the thermostat with a red button on green background.  The thermostat above it and the one on lower-front of the heaterbox are to limit the input air temperature to the drum depending which element(s) are active.  A thermistor on the blower outflow housing controls the target drying temperature.

Two heating elements per Pic 10.  1,400 watts and 3,600 watts.  The larger element operates alone for Low and Medium temp.  Both for High temp.  The smaller operates alone in reverse-tumble direction (lower airflow rate).

Gas heating has differences accordingly.

 

[smartdrive1100]

You can change tub speeds!?

Is changing the tub speed some programmable thing or does it come as one of the settings?

 

[DADoES]

 
There's no user adjustment settings for the motor RPM.  The motor is reversing and variable speed.  The controller operates it accordingly to the required function ... closing the drum door, finding "home" position if necessary to prepare for opening, opening the drum door, forward tumble, and reverse tumble for 40 seconds every 4 mins.  Forward and reverse tumble seem to be the same speeds.  Airflow is lower in reverse due to the blower wheel design being optimal for forward direction.

 

[eurekastar]

That design actually makes a lot of sense, especially for older people and those with back problems.

 

[iej]

Just a similar design...

There's a French Vedette very compact top loader condenser dryer - video is of one these machines being dismantled. These are relatively cheap machines.

 



 

These were pretty unique to the French market, I haven't seen them sold much anywhere else. France has always had an option of narrow, taller top loader h-axis washing machines and dryers which were aimed at compact old apartments. The majority of machines sold in France, however, are the same type front loaders as the rest of Europe.

 

[this post was last edited: 2/21/2022-19:25]

 

[iej]

Just to add, had a Google around yesterday and it seems Vedette was probably the last company to make those machines. They’re no longer manufactured and actually seems they may also have been the last french washing machine producer. The Brandt, Vedette and De Dietrich appliances brands are just brands nowadays.
Same with other french brands like Scholtès who used to make very premium cooktops, possibly still do, but they’re all part of bigger groups or brand acquisition outfits.

It’s getting very hard to keep track of who owns what brands these days.

 

[launderess]

La Mère Denis was "spokesperson" for Vedette washing machines in 1970's. A traditional French blanchisseuse (washer woman), one supposes Vedette sought to reassure French housewives their laundry would receive same treatment. Going by how Mère Denis is whacking away at that linen one really should hope not.

http://enenvor.fr/eeo_actu/apresW/la_mere_denis_ou_les_deux_vies_d_une_vedette_bretonne.html





https://www.francebleu.fr/emissions/consomatin/lorraine-nord/la-vie-de-la-mere-denis

Last time one checked Vedette was purchased by CEVITAL

https://www.cevital.com/brandt-algerie-brandt-algeria-en/

 

[iej]

Just as long as it didn’t have « La programme Mère Dénis avec action pulvérisation totale »

They also did a very practical, fully upholstered top loader aimed at bijoux apartments or those who wanted something dedicated to just lingerie cycles, styled by designer Chantal Thomass. I’m not sure if La Mère Denis would have approved, but then again she might have thought it was great, who knows?

The taller, narrower design is also genuinely practical if you just want to make the laundry fit into a small space, out of the way and not be something that any particular bother. Those machines turn the tub around 90° and rearrange the machine so there more height / depth and less width.

Here’s one being installed on an English Narrowboat (canal barge - used for leisure trips.) Despite the very compact size, they’re a capable machine and can manage a fairly respectable amount of laundry in one wash. The only downside is the double doors, although some designs ensure the drum always returns to the correct position etc (Miele for example).

post was last edited: 2/23/2022-11:30]

 

[iej]

Voilà - cuisinière combiné avec lave-vaisselle:

By Rosières

(Also available with induction, or gas burners or a mix of both.)

And, it even has a rotisserie!

France still has one or two quite interesting appliance designs. The combination stove dishwasher is something I’ve never seen anywhere else and honestly, it kind of makes sense if you’re just renting a little studio while discovering yourself in Paris or something… or if you’re just down the country, hanging out in a little place for the summer and just need to do a rotisserie and wash some plates and wine glasses and don’t want the hassle of separate appliances. Dishwasher and oven just slot into the same space as a standard slot in stove. All you need is a water and drain hookup.

It means you can have a small dishwasher without all the fuss of reorganising an old (possibly historic) kitchen.

love the way you can still find some of these unusual appliances in France. It makes things interesting.
[this post was last edited: 2/23/2022-11:59]

 

[logixx]

Never heard of Rosières

but I know this appliances as the Candy Trio.

 

[iej]

Same owner. Afaik the Candy ones were made by the French plant. Production there only ended in 2021 after the Haier take over of Candy. Seems they are moving Rosières to higher rung of the ladder to distinguish it from Candy. I think they may be using the same strategy for Hoover in some markets too.

I actually think Candy’s quality has gone up since Haier took other which is quite an indictment of where they had drifted to.

 

[launderess]

Love my toplader AEG for many of reasons noted in that YT vid. You can see why French homes, in particular flats, like these sort of washing machines. Never understood why top loading H-axis washers never really took off outside of France and few other European countries. Of course in North America there have been top/side loading "pony" commercial washing machines for ages.

One thing YT reviewer didn't mention, and perhaps it doesn't apply to his washer, is that by filling with warm or even hot water throws off washer's programming. Thus the confused appliance will shorten wash cycle (basically substracting portion of cycle allotted for heating water), and get rid of certain other bits as well.

Both my AEG washers will do this and it's sort of a pain in summer when tap cold water is quite warm. Not only will washers abort heating portion of cycle, but usually last ten or so minutes of recirculation spraying is gone as well.

As for balance of YT reviewer's comments, they were spot on regarding energy use.

Plenty of boat owners of all sorts face issues regarding running modern washing machines on "ship" power. This was less of an issue with older washers with electro-mechanical controls where temps could be set independent of cycle, and or were dual hot/cold fill.

 

[smartdrive1100]

I never knew that another brand made top loading dryers, interesting.

 

[henene4]

The TL dryers as shown are no longer being made.
The last model was a condenser and discontinued many years ago from what I know.

On Laundress's comment:
If an EU washer is made for hot fill, it will say that and have 2 fill ports.
Otherwise, the machine will run into errors in its logic and thus behave erratically.

Main reason H-axis TLs don't catch on is that they are overall worse performers in ways.
They generally have smaller drums even at the same footprint.
They are considered more of a hazzle as they aren't terribly ergonomic and fiddling with additional lids isn't well liked.
And they generally use more water per kg as their sump and tub design can't be as optimized as a normal FL.

Once you try to size these up reaching down into the drum becomes harder and harder.
The loading opening is relatively small.

It's really more of a niche product as a normal FL offers more general performance and convenience for less cost overall.

That said the Miele and Electrolux desings for these have largely been unchanged for decades now and are both very good for what they are.

Electrolux makes the only ultra high speed spin washer in that format and has a ridiculously easy bearing exchange system so that basically anybody can change them out in a matter of minutes.

Mieles are obscenely durable and efficient. Quiet and heavy. And most like a normal FL to use IMO.

 

[foraloysius]

Not only the topload dryers have disappeared from the market, but also the topload combo's that were so popular for small Paris apartments. I guess they couldn't be made efficient enough to the latest standards. But the demise of this particular appliance means that there is no substitute for the only combo that some Parisians depend on.

 

[henene4]

Top load combo

Yeah, they were both made by Brand, the dryer and the combo.

I think they later had that design made by Fagor as they carried the TL dryers aswell.
Then Fagor went under and with it both designs.

Though slim depth dryers started to become a thing recently and while not a direct replacement, they can be put even more wherever compared to normal compact dryers (I've seen quite a few people buy slim depth dryers and putting them in hallways).

 

[henene4]

Also just remembered

There are several pretty decent slim depth combos that take the space of a TL, just with an FL loading door (so 45cm deep).

 

[launderess]

Don't forget Whirlpool top loading H-axis washers.

Almost nabbed one, it was here stateside being sold by a French family who brought it over from France in a house move, but were going back and didn't want it any longer.

Should have gone ahead and taken the thing, if for nothing else but fun. But was going through it with the AEG/Electrolux at the time, and thus had hands full.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?41733

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57525

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30436

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?35014

Whirlpool holds number of patents for top loading washer H-axis for ages now, but they've done little with them far as one can see.

https://patents.google.com/patent/CA2148152A1/no

Zanussi H Axis Jet System Top Loader, Perspex Lid Demo



BOSCH WOH 1010 Toplader



Bauknecht WAT Prime 652



To be fair WP's top loading H-axis is wider, more like industrial side loading washers.

 

[foraloysius]

The Whirlpool models that are available nowadays are exactly the same width as the AEG/Electrolux models, they are both 40cm wide. Miele is 45cm.

Actually the Whirlpool is a relabeled Indesit product just like the latest Bosch and Siemens models and some other brands. Electrolux machines are sold as AEG, Electrolux, Zanussi and some other labels. The difference shows in the detergent dispenser. Dispenser on the lid is an Indesit product. Removable dispenser at the back of the drum is an Electrolux product. There are some more manufacturers (Miele and others), but these two dominate the European toploader market at the moment.

The quality of the Electrolux products is way better than that of the Indesit products.