I think I'm going to finally buy a front loading washer and I have many questions

[appnut]

That's pretty much it, warm because of the Tide Professional Powder.

 

[petek]

You can test how much warm/hot water the machine will get from turning another hot water tap on and off, like the kitchen sink, in much the same way the machine will. Keep in mind that the distance between which ever tap you're testing on is about equal distance to the water heater as the washing machine is. I would assume the closer to the instant water heater the washing machine is the better. And remember as well that the water in the hot water line between the instant hot heater and the washing machine will certainly not be cold between spritzes occurring during the fill process. Where is your hot water heater now relative to your washing machine?

 

[petek]

You can test how much warm/hot water the machine will get from turning the hot water tap on and off in much the same way the machine will. Keep in mind that the distance between which ever tap you're testing on is about equal distance to the water heater as the washing machine is. I would assume the closer to the instant water heater the washing machine is the better. And remember as well that the water in the hot water line between the instant hot heater and the washing machine will certainly not be cold between spritzes occurring during the fill process. Where is your hot water heater now relative to your washing machine?

 

[DADoES]

 
Ryne,

Before starting the washer, run a hot faucet that is along the water flow path between it and the water heater (kitchen sink perhaps?), assuming such is available, until the flow is heated to whatever degree (LOL) you feel is appropriate.  That will purge the line so the initial fill and subsequent top-off bursts are less affected by the tankless unit's cycling.

 

[spookiness]

I have a WM3770, about 5 or 6 years old. It seems similar to the current WM4 series. I love it. My first FL. I was skeptical at first, but it's been great. I used Turbowash and would theorize it might help with rinsing. The "bulky" cycle uses more water than other cycles, but it defaults to "medium" or lower spin speeds only. Mine has the steam option, which I rarely use, same with cycles that use the onboard heater. I usually leave the door and detergent tray wide open for several hours after use, then there's a magnetic prop thing that keeps the door closed but cracked open.

My typical cycle is bulky, warm, turbo, +1 extra rinse @1hr 3min. I hang dry most of my clothes. Towels on towel cycle, and some clothes on normal or gentle. I only dry sheets and towels in the dryer, and even then they only take 15 or 20 minutes (matching LG gas stacked on top).

Lastly, they're stainless finish and sexy AF.

 

[vacerator]

We have a Samsung 4.5 cu.ft. from 2019 with steam and a heater. It removes stains well, and rinses well with 3 rinses for a giant load. Most used cycle is Normal/steam. 121 to 128 min. with 3 rinses and high spin. No problems yet. Average is 3 weekly loads.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

LG is where it's at. I have the Kenmore Elite version with the accelawash which works just like turbowash. Clothes are always saturated.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

I can chime in on the Samsung side...

Hi Ryne.

Everytime you turn the washer on it defaults to the Normal cycle, warm wash, medium high spin and normal soil level. You are right about the tones being different for each option except the cycle selection. The cycle dial uses all the same tones. The braille symbols are for power and start/pause. There is just one dot under each option, but once you figure out which is which from right to left, you can adjust each by tone. From left to right it's Temp, Rinse, Spin, Soil. I hope that helps you with your decision. I can only tell you this, I love my Samsungs. My mother has an LG wash tower. She really likes my Samsungs because they are far more flexible. She does like her LG but finds mine easier to use and understand. Do with that information what you wish and best of luck!

Geoff

I use the normal cycle more often than not so that's not an issue for me. I've found them easy to use since 2008.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Reply #16: Thanks Bob for that information. I imagine they all fill like that, so sounds like a model without internal heater would be a no-go in my situation. Since the tankless water heater only turns on when hot water is called for, it takes a while to purge the line of cold water. I noticed when I didn't have a dishwasher and was washing dishes by hand, I had to leave the water running at least a little bit. Otherwise, I'd have to wait for the water to reach maximum temperature again, even if it was only a few minutes since I last used the tap. So, I'm betting the same issue would present in a washer that pulse fills. Do you think the internal heater would help with this?

I'd use the default normal cycle for colors. They shouldn't fade.

 

[hvtech42]

Consumer Reports ranks LG as tops for reliability for 27" front load washers: 83/100 score. This is based on percentage of units purchased between 2014-2024 that needed repair within the first 5 years of operation, adjusted for frequency of use. This means most units did not need repair in that time, and the ones that did were likely heavy use.

Samsung came in at 55/100, so less than LG by a signifiant amount, but not terrible - about similar to the rest of the brands in the survey. This score indicates problems with certain models or use cases over that time period, but also lots of people without problems.

My LG washer from 2012 resets the settings every time time you turn it on - it doesn't remember settings from the previous use. On power up, all cycles light up. A rotation of the selector knob in either direction starts at cotton/normal with default options. It has needed no repairs in its life, but it has had light use due to my small household with no kids.

 

[neptunebob]

Well I will chime in here

1. The measurements you give should be OK for the washer but might be a bit tight if you want the matching dryer. in my situation, I have about 6 inches behind the dryer for the exhaust pipe and electric connections. What dryer do you have now?

2. I have the LG washer for about 7 years and no repairs and still working fine. I did replace the gasket some time ago when it became nasty and smelled. Mom really liked the Downy which is probably what caused the smell.

3. Maybe buy the Samsung for the accessibility but buy an extended warranty too. Just be sure to measure, because I think Samsung is deeper than average.

4. If you leave the door open a day, it should be dry enough to not smell when closed for the rest of the week. Maybe use a laundry sanitizer in one of the loads to disinfect the inside of the machine.

5. I recommend to splurge and get the pedestals. As I am older I find it somewhat harder to get the back of the LG in the basement. It is more difficult than a dryer because the clothes are stuck to the drum and you really have to reach back there. Ask Stacey about that too, as the difficulty might be different for a wheelchair user.

6. I would have recommended since you were "running into a bit of extra money" the Speed Queen front loader, but I don't know what their accessibility is like and there is no option for a heater. But you can order the door to open either way.

7. I also recommend a washer with the heater so you get hot water regardless of whether or not the tankless comes on.

8. How is the situation with compact washers like Miele and Bosch? Expensive but have heaters and how many people actually have a king size comforter?

 

[appledude1]

I don't think you have to keep the door open all the way, though it might be nice to do that for a few minutes. Leaving it ajar can help - I bought a think on Etsy where it pops in and keeps the door ajar (so it doesn't close) for ventilation for a while. On my ancient Frigidaire front loader, it has done very well, though I have to be gentle with the door - occasionally it gets tweaked and won't close properly and activate the switch to allow it to work, so I gently have to tweak the door back - doesn't happen very often. Mold has never been a problem, but mine is in dining room of my condo, directly across from the a/c unit in the wall, so that circulates the air well, and when drying I use the stove exhaust fan also, so there is good air movement. I use a washing machine cleaner once in a while, where you pop the cleaner in and run a cycle on hot - usually I use the LemiShine products - I like using gentle stuff so my air quality is better inside - I normally do NOT use bleach -

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Consumer Reports ranks LG as tops for reliability for 27" front load washers: 83/100 score. This is based on percentage of units purchased between 2014-2024 that needed repair within the first 5 years of operation, adjusted for frequency of use. This means most units did not need repair in that time, and the ones that did were likely heavy use.

Samsung came in at 55/100, so less than LG by a signifiant amount, but not terrible - about similar to the rest of the brands in the survey. This score indicates problems with certain models or use cases over that time period, but also lots of people without problems.

My LG washer from 2012 resets the settings every time time you turn it on - it doesn't remember settings from the previous use. On power up, all cycles light up. A rotation of the selector knob in either direction starts at cotton/normal with default options. It has needed no repairs in its life, but it has had light use due to my small household with no kids.

I find this useful so I remember where everything is. I use cotton/normal for most loads.