I had an older GWL08 from 1999 to 10/8/2004, when I got an IWL12, and the GWL08 and matching dryer went to my grandmother. It doesn't have the EcoActive action, and does a deep rinse by default. There is a water-saving 'shower rinse' option, which I tried a few times and it did quite well. I didn't use the option as a matter of normal course because I use liquid softener.
My IWL12 also does a deep rinse by default, has the various shower rinse options. Again, I use liquid softener, so the shower rinse doesn't fit my laundry style. The GWL11 is oriented toward water savings (thus the designation "EcoSmart") whereas the IWL12 is not, although it has all the options to do so.
Typical wash cycle is an initial fill with enough water to saturate the clothing, dissolve the detergent into solution, and provide for a recirculation shower. The recirculation spray runs for between 2 and 5 minutes depending on the soil level and selected cycle. This is akin to the Kenmore/Whirlpool Catalyst top-loader . . except F&P rotates the wash basket slowly while the pump runs a recirculating spray, not a higher speed like KM/WP to force the detergent solution through the fabric. F&P calls this EcoActive wash action. This initial fill is at the selected water temperature. The agitator does not oscillate during this phase, so there is no wear on the clothes from the minimal water fill.
The machine then fills with cold water to a normal water level for deep wash. The result is energy savings due to using hot water only for the EcoActive phase and cold water for the deep wash. There is no water savings resulting directly from this process . . other than perhaps if F&P uses a bit less water for a fill to the particular water level as compared to other top-loaders. The lowest level fills the tub only about 1/4 full, just to cover the lower agitator fins.
F&P also has an automatic water level feature that involves weighing the load, then checking the load resistance against the agitator during some test agitation strokes. For consumers prone to using too high of water level when selecting one manually, this can potentially result in some water savings.
Any water savings on the GWL11 comes primarily from the shower rinse. Rinsing is quite effective, and it probably uses more water than people expect. It's sufficient to flush detergent, but deep rinsing would be needed for loads with particulate soil such as garden dirt, sand, or sawdust. I can't say for sure about the GWL11 (or IWL12, as I haven't yet tried the shower rinse option) . . but as I recall from my GWL08 the shower rinse runs three alternating periods of showering and 700 RPM spin, then heads into the 1000 RPM final spin (or whatever is the selected speed). There are fine-tuning options to increase or decrease the amount of water used for the showering, depends on one's needs/concern over water conservation vs. rinsing performance.
If you search the Sandbox archive, there are several threads discussing the machines, including their top-loading dryer.
If you have any more specific questions, post them here and I'll answer if I'm able.
