Happy New Year everyone. I've read plenty of posts here but have never read anything about Hamilton washers and dryers. My grandmother had a set in the late 50's early 60's that I remember. Don't know how old they were at the time (it was an automatic washer though), and have never heard of them since. Anyone have any information they can share? Thanks!!
Hamilton Washers & Dryers
- Thread starter 3-ring
- Start date
Help Support :
Hamilton's were built in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Phil, There has been a lot of discussion of Hamiltons in the past, but more about the dryers than the washers. I guess it was a benefit of growing up in the North that you had experience with a brand not everyone saw. If you search the AW.org archives and check out the consumer magazine articles in the AW library, maybe you will find some of the information you want. Some of us have early Hamilton dryers. The Hamilton washers appeared much later and, for the first years, were built by Norge. Unfortunately, because of distribution and the fact that Hamilton marketed only washers and dryers, they were rarely seen in the South and then mostly it was the gas dryers sold by the gas companies. The only pair I ever saw was in 1954 or 55 in a neighbor's basement when we lived between Ottawa, and Streator, IL. Her SQ wringer washer died and she bought the pair. We were invited to see them and I still remember the pinky-purple light inside as the towels tumbled past the window. They were very well built dryers and were almost silent in operation. Hamilton's "Carrier Current" method of drying produced very soft results, matched only by some other very early dryers, many of which either borrowed heavily on Hamilton's design or were built by Hamilton. With the "Carrier Current," the majority of the air that was drawn into the dryer did not pass through the load. While some of it was drawn up and over the heating source, the larger part moved under the drum where it drew the heavier, cooler, steam-laden air out of the drying chamber while letting the fabrics tumble in the steamy air higher in the drying chamber. There is something about the fabrics giving up their moisture in steam rather than in dry air that produces this effect, but I do not know why. With towels, it might be that the tips of the terry cloth do not dry out faster than the rest of the towel since they would all be in a decreasingly steamy atmosphere until they were all dry. In the Frigidaire Filtrator dryers, it is easy to see the path of the air in the Hamilton design, although in the Filtrator, the incoming air is pulled across the Filtrator cartridge, an air-cooled condenser, as it travels across the bottom of the cabinet. The water dryers made by Hotpoint, Maytag and, briefly, by Westinghouse and the no vent electric washer-dryer combinations which used cold water condensing in the drying process produced similar results, but they generally took more time than the Hamilton to dry a load.
The "Carrier Current" drying process required a perforated drum and an outer tub or enclosure inside the dryer cabinet. As dryer technology moved forward, non-perforated dryer drums took over and allowed dryers to become lighter, cheaper to build, use less steel, sell for less and operate at lower temperatures which became increasingly important as synthetic fabrics began to replace or be blended with cottons.
The "Carrier Current" drying process required a perforated drum and an outer tub or enclosure inside the dryer cabinet. As dryer technology moved forward, non-perforated dryer drums took over and allowed dryers to become lighter, cheaper to build, use less steel, sell for less and operate at lower temperatures which became increasingly important as synthetic fabrics began to replace or be blended with cottons.
northwesty
Well-known member
I had one and at one time there were three for sale at the same time on Craigslist here, all in working order and all about 60 years old. Amazing you really could not get the things to quit, only bad thing was mine vented out the front.
Here's A Newer Hamilton Washer
in beautiful Harvest Gold!
in beautiful Harvest Gold!
interior shot
filterflo
New member
STRANGE BUT TRUE! Actually Tim, Rich is saving that for me!
filterflo
New member
I guess Im slipping Tim.........Perhaps there is something to this "HarvestGold" color after all! NOT!!!! But it is a Hamilton which Ive wanted for years, and there is always the ability to change the color! Now let me see, where DID I put that paint roller?
