Fisher + Paykel TL Dryer vs. Consumer Reports

[foraloysius]

Well, F&P certainly isn't trying to switch people to FL washers. And it makes sense, combining a toploading washer and a toploading dryer. Siemens already had matching toploading sets in the sixties. There is a picture in my Yahoo album. I think it's also a good idea that people have a choice between toploading and frontloading. I guess it's very convenient to have a toploading set when you have a narrow laundryroom.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/foraloysius/detail?.dir=a9a7&.dnm=091f.jpg

 

[gansky1]

Excellent Glenn, you're going to be the F&P expert! Does the dryer have a variable speed blower? You can slightly hear the blower starting on the Harmony dryer, but that too is brief and not THAT loud. It will be interesting to hear about the lint filter/storage system too...

I once had a supervisor that insisted on something negative or "needs improving" when writing performance reviews for subordinates. I wonder if this is CR's philosophy as well?

 

[DADoES]

Initial Report Details -- F&P SmartLoad Dryer

ARGHHH!!! I had a very long post composed, and lost it when my browser crashed. Will gather my thoughts at some point and try again. To be more brief for now . . .

I apparently am wrong about the blower making the start-up whine. I believe it's the drum motor. Someone on THS mentioned a while ago that the blower does not run during the reverse tumble periods, and the start-up whine *does* occur during reverse tumble. I haven't yet checked the vent outside during a reverse tumble period to comfirm the blower status . . but I believe it does not run because the machine is quieter during the reverse periods.

The drum is belt-driven, not direct-drive. I pulled the console to retrieve the tech sheet, and saw the belt wrapped around the right side through a wiring access opening. The tech sheet indicates the motor is 3-phase. I didn't specifically notice, but I assume it's DC-powered like the SmartDrive. There is also mention of a 24-volt drum-lid motor, I don't know exactly how that comes into play.

A small load of sheets (queen-size flat, fitted, three pillow slips) was resting comfortably in the drum. Absolutely no tangling or balling! A real test on that point will be my queen-size quilt, which always balled up horribly, needing to be rearranged several times until completely dry.

For those who may not be aware, the 'wrinkle guard' functions for [color=ff0000]24 hours[/color]. A brief tumble every five minutes (I think). I believe each tumble period reverses direction.

One other 'negative' comment, besides the noisiness, is that the signal beeps need to be louder. It beeps when the damp dryness level is reached during a cycle, in case one wants to remove some items for ironing, and it's easy to miss the beeps if not paying fairly close attention.

Anyway, I'm liking it thus far.

A few more details later, along with comments on the Intuitive Eco.

 

[mrb627]

Awesome Reports

Dadoes,

I find your report more interesting to read and more informative than anything I have seen from CR in many years. Further information and a few photos would be great.

MRB

 

[DADoES]

Another correction

!!Correction!! -- The blower *does* run during reverse tumble. It stops during the pause preceeding a reverse . . which leads me to believe now that the blower is driven by the drum motor, and not by a separate motor as I initially surmised. Which also means that it isn't variable speed, unless the tumble speed varies . . which I suppose is possible. If it's a SmartDrive-type motor, then it could have feedback sensing for the load size.

Note: The wiring diagram on the tech sheet indicates dual heating elements -- 1.4 KW and 3.6 KW. I've love to have a factory service manual for the two machines.

A load of towels was in the cool down phase when I left for work this evening. A good-size washer load, not a full load but pretty close. Sorry, I didn't time it, but the load dried in record speed, on the Regular cycle at 'normal' dryness level. I did check it before I left (restarted it to finish the cool down and wrinkle guard), and didn't find anything damp or stiffly overdried. This contrary (at the moment) to CR's report that indicated performance with larger loads is not as good as smaller loads.

I took a peep at the lint hopper during the check on the towels. Lint is deposited in little balls. Cute little lint balls! Didn't seem to be very much.

Lots of things yet to investigate -- performance on a load of jeans, testing on what it comes up with for the Damp dryness level, the effect of reverse-tumble on that challenging quilt. Hmmm, maybe target air temps could be checked by placing an instant-read thermometer in the lint receptacle.