HE, Eco, Low water and Energy, lets hear your positive experiences!

[aquarius1984]

Hi Guys,

Lets hear about all of you whom have low water/energy HE, ECO machines who get perfect results time upon time without excessive waste of water.

Did you buy the machine thru choice?
Has it been reliable?
What changes or provisions do you make to get great results?
Would you have one again?

Anything else you may care to add that relates to HE machines?

Lets get a good database of all the positive stuff you guys have been experiencing and maybe see if we can patch some stats/numbers as to whats REALLY going on out there.

Rob

 

[appnut]

Rob, I love my Whirlpool Duet WFW97HEX purchased 11/27/2012. I know for a fact it removes stains far easier than a conventional top loader. The European approach of gradually heating the water to very hot is far superior in results. Truth be told, a load of whites or heavily stained clothing doesn't take much longer than when I had the Lady Shredmore. I'd have to soak a load in tepid to warm water for an hour or more. Then wash in hot water and add an extra rinse. All with 100+ gallons of water just for one load. My kitchen towels, dish cloths, and napkins are stain free 100% of the time. With my front loader I don't have to presoak. Just set for longest wash, extra hot water, and stain treat. I always use the extra rinse. Yes, I usually use Allergen cycle because that uses the most water per fill. But probably no more than 40 gallons at the absolute most. Tide He with Bleach is amazing. My underwear and kitchen towels are lasting a lot longer and no little shred holes starting to show up either. And my water rates year round are staying lower (although the cost per 100 gallons keeps going up over the years). And I can keep my electric water heater set to 120 degrees rather than 140 to 155 degrees--which has also helped it last much longer as well as far less expensive to run. And I noticed significantly improved cleaning and stain removal with the previous Frigidaire front loader over the Lady Shredmore too. And fabrics were lasting far longer without damage.

 

[frontloaderfan]

I bought my Frigidaire Affinity front loader (FAFW3801LW)and matching dryer in Nov. 2012 and have had constantly good performance with some minor complaints. I have had to unplug the ATC and add some more air volume to the WLS so that the machine will actually use a decent amount of HOT water as opposed to a few thimbles full of lukewarm water. Since this has been done, the machine does an excellent job of washing my baker's whites with no yellowing as with the Maytag top loader I had years ago. The fabrics show no signs of premature wear as with a top loader and everything gets spotlessly clean with less than half the water usage of a conventional top loader. I am still using Persil Gold powder detergent for colors and Persil Universal for whites with sparkling results each time.

 

[paulc]

Miele W1613

Bought in September 2008. It was not the washer I had intended buying but whilst my partner and I were looking at what was available in John Lewis he said "why don't we just get a Miele as it will last". Our previous washer had only lasted two years.

We got a great deal, paid £639 and got a 5yr parts and labour guarantee. Almost 6 years on I still enjoy using the machine as much as the day I got it. Seamus told me how to access the service menu so I have upgraded the spin to 1600rpm ( was 1300 ) and changed the country setting from UK to Australia. This reduced the times on the cottons cycle in particular with a 40deg wash, three rinses and final spin completed in 54 minutes. Even with the shorter wash times I still get great results but still have the option to do a longer wash if required. I did turn on the max water level setting but felt the huge amount of water it used on the rinse was a bit wasteful as the machine rinsed brilliantly with the "normal" level set. Usually, for white loads I use cottons 60deg with prewash, cycle complete in 93mins. I cut the tip of my finger quite badly last week ( a stray sharp serrated knife in the bottom of the washing up bowl ) and had a lot of blood on a few white tea towels which had dried in by the time I washed the whites. Everything came out spotless, in fact, I can't remember the last time I had to rewash anything.

I suppose the only downside I can see regarding this machine and being a one washer household it's going to be a long time before I get to play with another washer in my house.

Currently the Miele has clocked around 4,250 hours of operation time.

 

[powerfin64]

LG WM2050CW I got as a trade of april 2010, from returning my first front loading washer, (Amana). I have been extremely happy with my LG, and has been very reliable. I use good detergents( Tide HE, Wisk HE) and always pre-treat. I would own another front loading washer again, except I would make sure the next one has a heater in it, as my LG model does not. The model I have, has been discontinued, however the current model now equal to mine now is: WM3050CW with a few changes in options. I believe the next model up with a heater is WM3250HW.
I recommend LG to people I know, confident from my experiance. Excellent washer + great detergents = awesome results with LG.

 

[zipdang]

Did you buy the machine thru choice?
We purchased our KitchenAid front loader, a Whirlpool Duet clone, in 2006. It replaced a 2 year-old KitchenAid top loader. Prior to the top loader I'd had two different front loaders. Two years with the top loader was enough punishment and I happily went back to a FL. The TL completed a cycle quickly, but that was its only advantage. The FL machine is superior in every other way.

Has it been reliable?
It has been in regular use (5-7 loads per week) in a 2 adult/2 cat home for almost 8 years. It has not malfunctioned or failed ever and has never required any type of repair service.

What changes or provisions do you make to get great results?
Common sense. Fabrics are sorted by type, with zippers closed, buttons fastened, and pockets emptied. I pretreat any nasty stains (ours are usually food-based), and wash in the warmest water safe for the fabric/load using the manufacturer's suggested amount of detergent.

Would you have one again?
Absolutely. The one change I will make, however, is to go from a jumbo-sized North American machine back to a smaller European machine. The Euro machine we had several years ago suited our needs and washing habits quite well, and knowing what I know now the huge machines made nowdays are much larger than our household has need for.

Anything else you may care to add that relates to HE machines?
Choose a model with an on-board heater. Cycles/programs that begin with cold or warm water and heat it up to hot are very effective at removing stains.

 

[haxisfan]

Interesting topic...

considering that low water and energy consuption appliances has been affecting almost everyone of us for quite a while now!

In my case, it all started back in 2004 when I purchased a Hoover-Candy Nextra through my own choice. There was no sales pitch associated with this machine, but having been amazed by a Dishwasher of the same brand bought the year before, I decided to give Hoover-Candy the change to amaze me once again... and it did! Before getting this washer, I had an older FL, a basic Zanussi, an although it did the job (barely), it was being run by my lodger everyday for very small loads (less than a quarter of its capacity) and even if it had a half load button, it'd still run away with my water bill: so that's how I chose a modern energy saving appliance and the wash results improved dramatically with nearly half the water and electricity consumption.

Your 2nd question is about reliability... ok... yes... contrary to popular belief new vs old, my fairly modern FL has done so many washloads during the course of its 10 years of service (the first 4 years was being used my by lodger too) and it's yet to know the meaning of the word 'repairman'. I consider it to be super reliable... and it didn't break the bank to purchase it in the first place! I replaced the inner detergent drawer just recently as the retaining hook had snapped and when I pulled it open, it'd come all the way out if I didn't stop, this cost me £18.00/$30.00.

What changes or provisions do you make to get great results? This is the best bit... I didn't have to make provisions as I'd normally do with the older appliance! I could even wash a single garment in the washer and it would adjust all the wash parameters automatically to cater for any laundry situation. As suggested above by 'zipdang', I'd too separate colours and fabric type... to a lesser extend though, as I found that even a lower temperature wash would deliver satisfactory results, and this allowed me to occasionally put different stuff together.

Would you have one again? Yes I would and I did. Although this washer is still being used about 3-4 times a week, I bought another machine from the same firm, which shares the work with the Nextra on an equal base.

To conclude, I respect older machines and I even like them, however I strongly believe in evolution and I have seen the facts that support my belief.

 

[joe_in_philly]

Did you buy the machine thru choice?
Yes. I had a GE Filter Flo washer and matching dryer, but the washer seemed to be showing signs of age. It didn’t extract water very well, and used a lot of it. I noticed new and worrisome sounds. Since my washer and dryer are in the kitchen, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a FL washer so I could use the large, flat area on top of the washer and dryer as a work surface.

Has it been reliable?
Yes. I have a first generation Kenmore Elite HE3t, purchased in June 2003. It does not have the original water pump, but my understanding is that drain pumps on that line had some problems, and were replaced by a modified pump. I haven’t had any problems with the redesigned pump. I also replaced the belt after 7 years, since I could hear a slight squeaking noise when washing a large load of heavy towels. I didn’t notice any drum slippage, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to replace it. I was able to replace the belt and pump in less than 15 minutes – and I am NOT a handy person.

What changes or provisions do you make to get great results?
Using HE detergent, and measuring detergent carefully. Also, taking advantage of the different setting and cycles depending on wash load. Towels are washed on a heavy duty cycle, and dress shirts on a gentle cycle. Short wash for lightly soiled clothes, and longer wash cycles and higher temps for heavy soiled and stained items. While these may seem obvious, I ended up using the same cycle for most loads with my old washer.

Would you have one again?
Absolutely! I love my FL washer. There are so many benefits compared to my older agitator washer. My household water usage was reduced by more than a third. I use less detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. I still have the same bottle of shout stain pretreater as I had when I got my washer in 2003. I love being able to just hit the stain treat button, and the washer adjusts the cycle to remove a variety of different stains using just my regular detergent, all in the same cycle. Clothes last much longer, and look new longer. I use less energy drying the clothes since it extracts so much more moisture from the clothing. I like to hang dry my jeans, and even in the winter I can hang them in my cold basement in the evening, and they are dry by the next day.

Rinsing is better. I have sensitive skin, but can use any detergent since it is all rinsed away. I like the stepped final spin process, which alternates between gradually faster spins and fluffing of the load. Items come out of the washer less damp, yet with less wrinkles than with my old TL washer. Unloading is as easy as loading, as the washed load is a loose heap in the drum.

I like that the water heater can be set at a lower temp, and the washer uses the heater to be sure the wash water is the proper temperature. There is no need to purge the water line in the winter or fussing around to get a truly hot wash. The sanitary cycle allows me to kill germs without bleach, and wash at a temperature higher than I ever could with my water heater turned all the way up using my old TL washer. I like having 6 water temperatures to choose from. (Tap cold, 77F, 104F, 122F, 127F, 153F)

I like that the washer adjusts the water level and cycle based on the load. Large and heavy loads like towels get a deeper rinse and a different, longer final spin sequence than small lightly soiled loads. Using the same cycle and settings, a small load will finish more quickly than a large load, which makes sense to me. If a load is unbalanced, it can easily rebalance the load. It can detect when a load is unbalanced during the slow, distribution spin so no banging. It won’t damage itself or shake excessively by trying to spin an unbalanced load at a high speed.

While my washer is approaching its 11th birthday, it is cleaning as well as it did when I got it. I plan on replacing it with a similar model when necessary. I enjoy older, traditional washers, and am glad to be a part of this site where they are appreciated by people to share my fascination with them. 

 

From a practical standpoint, I believe I have already recovered the cost of both the HE washer and matching dryer in savings of water, electricity, gas, additives, and longer lasting and better looking clothing and towels. There is also the entertainment value, and the satisfaction of having a washing machine that continues to produce excellent results.

Joe

[this post was last edited: 4/7/2014-15:14]

 

[henene4]

Finaly got the time...

So, we got just a wast amount of washers in the past 10 years. All washers had approximatly the same usage per week: about 5 "usual" (means excluding special things like woolens, curtains, big bath towels, bedding etc.). We have to washers, what sums up to about 10 cycles a week. Quite much. Washing behavior has been the same on average either. Lots of 40° cottons, mostly darks, towels, 2 white loads a week (which changed from 60° to 40° with prewash), some 30° and some 60°. And, of course, twice a year a cleaning at 95°.

So, first a list of washers we had which are considerable as "Eco":

1. A Miele W961 WCS. 5kg, 42l drum, 1400rpm, 49l and 0.94 kw/h at Cottons 60°, takeing 1:49h. Lasted close to 12 years. Died after several controlboard-failures.
2. A Privileg Sensation 9415. 5kg, 42l drum, 1500 rpm, 45l and 0.94 kw/h at Cottons Eco 60°, takeing 2:32h. Lasted 5 years, eneded in a blocked drum, probably the bearings.
3. A Miele W3241 WPS. 6kg, guess 42l drum either (?), 1400rpm, 39l and 0.89 kw/h at Cottons 60°. Lasted 2,5 years, died because of a bad control board.
4. A Panasonic NA148VG4WDE. 8kg, 70l drum, 1400rpm, 50l and 0.66 kw/h at Cottons Eco 60° takeing 3:45h. No clear state, dead at the moment after 1.5 years because of (guess what) bad PCB.
5. A AEG Lavamat L71670FL. 7kg, 52l drum, 1600rpm, 45l and 0.86kw/h at Cottons Eco 60° takeing 3:35 min. Still works (knock on wood!).

Results: No difference in wash results, but rinsing is a thing. I noticed that especially with the newer models, it's all about water throughput. For example, I would prefer a 3 rinse, low water level, long spin profile rather than a 2 rinse system using the same amount of water as more water is moved through the clothes meaning better rinsing. That's why spin/spray-rinsing is more effective than deep rinsing. And the way this is done is just not makeing any difference. For example: On the W961, I programmed the max waterlevel for rinses. Used 90l-100l for the rinses, rinsed great. The Panasonic has 5 sprays with a rather big throughput. Same amount of rinses (3), yet, it only uses 50l. Results? Even BETTER than the Miele! Why? The recirculation just reuses the water about 2 times each rinse. Just like a dishwasher, it works rather efficent to reuse the water by recirculation.

Would I have on again? Sure! If I know what to buy, I would. Maybe (or maybe not) we have to buy a new washer soon. And what would I go for? Probably Gorenje as a cheap one and AEG with DirectSpray as mid/high range one. Gorenje provides AllergieCare and Water Plus, AEG the Direct Spray and up to 5 additional rinses.

 

[cehalstead]

low energy, water

I don't think the thread is limited to washing machines, so I will include my dishwasher.....Maytag Quiet Series 300. It does a fantastic job of cleaning and I have had very few "washovers". I did have to discover that all or most of the options had to be chosen to give enough rinses. However, I don't like the length of the cycles....way too long.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Henene, the Miele 5kg drum volume is 49 l, the 6kg are 54.

 

[lavamat_jon]

In terms of efficiency, the standard cycle on my washer uses 42l or 9 gallons, the dishwasher uses 6l or 1.3 gallons.

 

The results?  Well our laundry and dishes are as clean as can be, and there isn't anything I have to rewash either in the washer or dishwasher.

 

Jon

 

[matthewza]

I have an LG 7kg DD front loader (WD-12397TD), pre 6 motion range. Great machine, bought it at an emigration sale and it was 3 years old when I got it in 2012. Bought it by choice as I was after an LG 7kg front loader as they're bigger than the Samsung 7kg front loaders, and can still take a double comforter quite easily and the DD motor is tough and quiet although there are even quieter machines out there. Works great and gives me great results every time.
Haven't made any adjustments to the machine, just the logical action of adjusting detergent dosage accordingly. I use automatic and handwash powders in my front loader and just adjust dosage accordingly.
On Cotton and Cotton Quick it only fills just to the door boot, yet still delivers great wash and rinse results. However, if I have a really full load or when I wash a load of jeans or a comforter I use Synthetic or Bulky as these cycles by default do a high level wash and rinse, filling to almost halfway up the glass, giving great washing and rinsing results.
The machine has definitely been reliable. As I said, was 3 years old when I bought it from a family of 3, and we are a family of 4 doing 7 loads a week in summer and about 10 a week in winter. It shared the wash loads with our Samsung top loader so it did between 3 and 4 loads a week. Now that I've moved out and taken it with me it does 3 loads a week (4 when I do bedding) and its still going as strong as the day I brought it home with no signs of aging or any wear and tear actually. Still has all its original parts.
Overall, things come out clean 1st time, the cycles are flexible and they don't take too long either. 40C Cotton Quick with 800rpm spin takes 56 mins (what I mainly use for clothes), Cotton 60C takes 1:30 with the full 1200rpm spin, synthetic 60C takes 1:27 also with 1200rpm spin, and Syntehtic 40C only 1:18. Would definitely buy LG front loaders again and I recommend them to everyone looking for a new front loader.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

My experience with FL and HE washers has been,

All with commercial washer-extractors in Laundromats and commercial laundries. However I have found the FL commercial washers to do a superb job. Only on one occasion did I have a rinsing issue (Maytag 40# commercial washer). Otherwise no problems to report.
WK78

 

[DADoES]

 
Two successes.

Limited-time use after doing a refurb on it for a friend -- Whirlpool Duet GHW9400.  Loved the Sanitary cycle and impressed with the overall functioning of the machine.  It did sometimes have trouble balancing the final spin to its satisfaction on max-size loads of towels/cottons.

Long-term success (since late 2008) -- Whirlpool Calypso GVW9959.  Only way to make it better IMO is add on-board water heating.

 

[launderess]

Have No Complaints With My AEG-OKO Lavamat

Though wary at first find the machine gives excellent washing and rinsing results using much less water than my older Miele. Even when doing a full 5kg (100%) results are staggering.

That being said one has to watch product dosage carefully and stick to things designed for European washers that have long cycles and lower water usage.

Key to the results is that while the Miele uses three high water rinses with few spins (one pulse then a full spin before the final rinse), the AEG spins right after the wash (or after second rinse if "sensitive" is chosen), and between at least two of the rinses it spins the heck out of loads regardless. IIRC on "cottons" those spins are at or near 1400 rpms. This is a far better method of rinsing than the merely dilution method of the Miele.

Also the AEG is totally computer controlled, thus can vary drum movements, pump activity and so forth to suit the load. If the Miele cannot spin all the water out of a load between the fourth and final rinse before the timer moves, tant pis. However the AEG will slow and or stop the drum and keep running the pump to get out excess water. Once it has detected things are good to go, it ramps up again.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Duet is 9 years old this month

It was bought by choice. There were a couple of problems during the first year but it has been very reliable years 2 through current. I sometimes will hear a slight squeaking when drum rotates, but 95 percent of the time I don't hear it. It still has the same hoses which should probably have been changed 4 years ago. After reading the above poster mention the belt, that's probably what it is. Used HE powder from day one and distilled white vinegar to rinse with fab softener. I would definitely have one again.

 

[laundromat]

Growing.up,we first had a rubber tub Bendix. After five rubber tub replacements,Mado, my Mom's Mom who hated to be called grandmom, grammy or nanna had it taken back by Luskins,a local tv appliance store and got a 1958 Easy Rivera two speed top loader. We also had a frog eye Kenmore gas dryer. After three pump failures in five years, Mado ,having a sister in law who constantly bragged about her own Duomatic,Mado wanted one but my dad refused because he worked at Bendix Freeze making plane parts and brakes. He said he didn't see why a washer could dry too . We went to Sears to look at Oenmore and I saw a machine with a window on display. I saw it said"washer dryer combination" under "Lady Kenmore. I showed Mado and she bought it. The gas version. Ever since,I,myself,after serviving thirty+ years of Frigidsireitus,have preferred the front loaders old and new. They're more fun to watch,less expensive too operate,wash larger loads, get bulky things like shoes,stuffed toys,pillows,dog beds,pup tents,sleeping bags,down comferters and get everytying cleaner,brighter and fresher smelling then any top loaders I've ever used.

 

[jerrod6]

I don’t know if my washer qualifies for the He category because I bought it in December 2002 with a first use in January 2003, but here goes: I have a Miele W1986. It certainly uses less water than any other top load machine bought in the USA in 2003, but probably not by today’s standards.

I can only get 3 rinses max out of it, but it does a great job rinsing. I think this is because it uses more water for the rinses than the washes(next to no water but the items are fully saturated) and because there are fast spins after the wash and each rinse except for in the delicates and perma press cycles. If for some reason it is not able to balance the load after a wash or rinse It will add an additional rinse into the cycle, but this is rare. It has a separate high rinse cycle which is good if you want to run items through 2 more rinses with a lot of water. The water in these rinses is higher than rinses in any other cycle and the water for the last rinse is drawn through the fabric softener dispenser if you want to use FS. I can program it for more water(water+) and have done so but lately have not used the option and still get excellent results.

It is very good at getting the load balanced and can use different methods depending on the load. Sometimes it will not do balancing at all and head directly into a spin, other times it will burst some water out then balance, then spin..it all depends on the conditions and the load. It slowly ramps up to the spin which prevents a gush of water exiting the machine and it can slow down the spin if the drain pump is becoming overwhelmed with water. It is able to vary the wash rhythm within the various parts of the cycle, sometimes it does long soaks between the tumbles, sometimes it does fast tumbles sometimes slow, all of this variation within one cycle.

It is fast. A normal cottons cycle is 41 to 49 minutes and everyday items are clean. I can select a longer extended Euro type cycle and get a 60 minute wash followed by rinses if I want which is a great option. As a 220V machine it heats water very quickly so a 190F wash is still completed quickly.

It senses the size of the load and will reduce the cycle time for small loads yet still cleans effectively. I have queen size comforters and it is able to clean them effectively.

There is no clean machine cycle and as far as I know, no need for it.

I've had the machine for 11 years with one service call to replace the cold water intake valves due to hard water corrosion, so I have no complaints with this machine at all. I love it.