How does Speed Queen

[kalanikaau1]

top loaders deal with an unbalanced load situation?
In the disassembly of my 2018 LWN432SP115TW01 top loader there are (6) outer tub springs, a hefty counterweight attached to the outer wash drum, as well a balance ring attached to the inner wash drum, but no unbalance switch at all.
After searching the subject, someone had alluded that the self-leveling rear feet of the machine was a component of handling an unbalanced load.
In contrast, my 24 year old Maytag top loader does have an unbalanced switch, which annoyingly requires me to redistribute the load within the washdrum before normal operation can resume.
Is it that the SQ's design is vastly superior to other others which negates the need for an electro-mechanical unbalanced switch?
Can someone elaborate on this technology please?

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Speed Queen Classic

I suspect the Speed Queen Classic has second to none when it comes to balancing. This is why it sounds smooth like a highway ride while on the spin cycle.

 

[combo52]

Top load washers with unbalance switches

Better designed top load washers almost never had an unbalanced switch, the self-leveling rear legs do help a little bit all whirlpool top load washers built since the 1950s did not have unbalanced switches Even when they were used in commercial laundromats, they just didn’t need it since vibration was only minimal with an unbalanced load.

I am surprised your Norge built. Maytag has an unbalanced switch. What is the model number of the machine you have? The regular two belt Maytag dependable care. Machines always had an unbalanced switch, but the other machines they sold generally did not. Maytag did do a lot of crazy things the last 10 years they were in business, however it was hard to keep up with the design changes and variations at times.

John

 

[philcobendixduo]

My 1987 Kenmore Limited Edition.....

.....built by Whirlpool has an out-of-balance switch with alarm.
Being as old as it is, the washer is now VERY sensitive to the slightest imbalance and will stop spinning and start beeping all too easily.
My model is a D.D. machine but my previous 1960's Whirlpool belt drive did not have an out-of-balance switch.

 

[DADoES]

 
Whirlpool belt-drives didn't have OOB switches but many Kenmore-branded did.  The Catalyst direct-drive does, both WP and KM, and I believe a few other KM DD models but no other WP (or KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Maytag, Inglis, Amana, etc.).

I don't think self-leveling rear legs actively control an unbalanced spin? ... although F&P SmartLoad dryers have self-leveling rear legs and I've never seen mine or my mother's get off-balance.  

 

[kalanikaau1]

Aloha John

My Maytag's model number is LAT2500AAE, I am quite surprised that you and others have stated that it's actually a Norge designed washer because when I last peered at it's mechanicals it looked all Maytag to me, complete with the drive motor mounted on a slide mechanism on the left, the water pump on the right, a 2 belt drive system and an orbital transmission.
Realize, however that I've never seen the workings of a Norge washing machine.
I don't doubt at all that Maytag did do some strange things in the years prior to them being absorbed by Whirlpool, no doubt at all.

 

[kalanikaau1]

highway ride

I don't doubt it at all, as I stated it's probably because Alliance's design and engineering in their top load machines is so superior where an unbalanced switch is un-necessary.
Somewhat related was an FoMoCo engineer's report dated in the '30's in which 'ol Henry directed his engine designers to create a 5 cylinder motor, of which they did.
Evidently Mr. Ford abhorred inline 6 cylinder motors.
The report stated that when the engine was running it shook and vibrated so violently that "You did not want to be near it"...lol

 

[repairguy]

Jeff your washer is a true Newton built Maytag not a Norge.

 

[kalanikaau1]

Mahalo Repairguy!

The machine has been uber reliable, true to Maytag's heritage.
Shortly after I bought it, my Brother bought a new Neptune design washer, it was recycled into rebar many years ago, while my machine soldiers on...for now.

 

[combo52]

Hi Jeff, yes, I was suspicious when you said you had a Norwich built washer that had an unbalanced switch.

Maytag top loaders were one of the only machines that had it unbalanced switch. It’s really because of the spin drain and the fact the suspension was not very good If they had put six springs in or even four it would’ve worked a lot better, self-leveling rear feet would’ve also helped stabilize the machine.

It’s not too surprising that Maytag dependable care washer lasted 24 years with no problems, and the good news is you can still repair about anything that’s going wrong with this machine and keep it for a long time yet the only thing I would do is buy a spare timer more and more we’re throwing these machines away because we can’t get a timer for them.

John

 

[kalanikaau1]

Aloha John

I'd like to keep it for as long as possible, but perhaps 8-10 years ago I tried to price/locate a spare timer for it, but the part was already obsolete.
As it is now the timer is making a faint buzzing noise when the machine is in use, I suspect the timer motor is going bad.
Further causing the machines demise is that the outer wash tub has developed several pinhole leaks due to rust, I've repaired these leaks the best I could with Marine-Tex several times, however it's only a matter of time when the entire tub becomes unserviceable.
This is why I am in the process of refreshing my 2018 Speed Queen (LWN432SP115TW01) which I bought used 1 year or so ago for $75 and am currently awaiting for parts to arrive.
You did mention Maytag spinning out soiled wash and rinse water, we did have a DD Whirlpool at the fire station, as you know these machines would pump the water out first then go into spin mode, a much more logical setup concerning machine longevity, but impossible given the Maytags and Speed Queens drive setup.

 

[combo52]

Spin drain versus neutral drain

This topic has been disgusted extensively on this site and people have strong opinions about it many like the drama of the water spinning as the machine tries to drain.

It’s obviously better from a mechanical standpoint and a balance standpoint and from a clean clothing standpoint to drain the water out first, every washer built in the world does a neutral drain where the possibility of doing such exists with the washer design. Engineers know from testing, but getting the dirty water out before spinning is a much better idea.

Speed Queen traditional top load washers do a neutral drain on the model that are sold in the rest of the world because clothes dryers are not used as much and the streaks of lint and grit that spin draining can leave and clothing would become objectionable to the owners these models use an electric drain pump and drain first . Front load washers always neutral drain of course it wouldn’t be possible to spin with water in the front load washer very easily.

John

 

[kalanikaau1]

did not know that

SQ top load washers sold outside of the US do a neutral drain, such a feature would add years of life to the machinery, particularly the drive motor.

I recently read where the governments mandate on washing machine water usage only applies to the normal wash cycle, SQ evidently circumvented this by adding the heavy duty/permanent press cycle which allows for conventional tub fill while in the rinse mode. I read where people using the Normal/Eco mode were dissatisfied in how well their laundry came out, citing that there still was traces of detergent remaining on their clothes. In reading the owners manual for my 2018 SQ, I see that the additional rinse option does not apply when Normal/Eco is selected.

I doubt that I'll ever select that cycle once I get my machine operational...

 

[gelaundry4ever]

heavy duty cycle

I'd stick to the heavy duty cycle and autofill for most everyday loads to get the best performance.

 

[kalanikaau1]

autofill

My 2018 SQ top loader does indeed have "autofill" it completely fills the drum when any cycle is selected, there is no water level nor load size selection option whatsoever.
Unless the normal/eco cycle is selected, the rinse mode in that cycle introduces water in the spinning drum as the machine is in the spin cycle after washing.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

heavy duty cycle

Have you tried the heavy duty cycle? I find it most effective for my everyday loads.

 

[kalanikaau1]

heavy duty cycle

I will probably use that cycle exclusively, the machine is in pieces for now, waiting on parts.
However I did run it before I dove into it, the clothes turnover was excellent...