<blockquote>Exactly how does the F+P do this?? How does it sense load size? By the amount of resistance to the agitation? Or does it have some sort of scale attached to the basket that weighs the load?
Is there a way to make it think it's washing a full load of sheets when there is actually nothing in there???</blockquote>Water level sensing and fabric/agitation sensing are two separate processes and features. The "base" EcoSmart (GWL) agitator model has water level sensing, but not fabric sensing (although agitation does vary a little within a cycle according to the water level). The Intuitive (IWL) models add fabric sensing.
My older GWL08 doesn't have fabric sensing per se, but the agitation does vary a little *during* the wash cycle in response to how the load moves.
Water level sensing is a two-step process. First, the load is weighed by way of the machine sensing when the basket has floated. A dome under the inner basket traps air when the machine fills, which causes it to float upward about 3/8" to disengage from the drive coupler. The machine senses this by rotating the basket at 25 RPM during fill, and pulsing the motor every few seconds to check rotational resistance and inertia. A heavier/larger saturated load counteracts the flotation effect resulting in a higher fill. Once the basket has floated, fill continues to the next discrete water level (there are five for agitator-type machines). At that point, a series of agitation strokes checks resistance of the load against the agitator fins with whatever algorithms the engineers have programmed. If the computations don't satisfy the controller, it fills to the next level and tests again.
Fabric sensing on the IWL models occurs after water level sensing is complete and is via a different pattern of agitation strokes, again checking resistance of the load against the agitator fins and computing an agitation speed based on the programmed algorithms. IWL models don't have a selection of typical cycles -- Heavy, Regular, Delicate, etc. Instead, there's one basic cycle, a choice of soil level, and several modifiers (Handwash, Creasables, Woolens), along with the usual other options for temperature, water level and so forth. For a "normal" load, the user presses Power, selects a soil level, other modifiers if desired, and Start. Soil level coupled with fabric sensing determines the agitation speed and wash time. Higher agitation speeds result in longer agitation times for the same soil level. A load of jeans at normal soil with Firm agitation runs for a longer wash time than a load of casuals at normal soil with Medium agitation.
Loading methods can have an effect. Wrapping large or heavy items such as sheets, blankets, or jeans around the agitator tends to increase resistance and may result in a higher water level and/or stronger agitation. On the other hand a lightweight but large item such as an acrylic thermal blanket or mattress cover that doesn't have much saturation weight may result in a low water level and/or light agitation.
Water level can be set manually to any of the five levels, so no tricks are necessary. However, with auto-sensing, holding the basket down during water level sensing so it fills higher before floating, and/or grabbing the agitator during the test strokes would simulate a load being present when one isn't.
Is there a way to make it think it's washing a full load of sheets when there is actually nothing in there???</blockquote>Water level sensing and fabric/agitation sensing are two separate processes and features. The "base" EcoSmart (GWL) agitator model has water level sensing, but not fabric sensing (although agitation does vary a little within a cycle according to the water level). The Intuitive (IWL) models add fabric sensing.
My older GWL08 doesn't have fabric sensing per se, but the agitation does vary a little *during* the wash cycle in response to how the load moves.
Water level sensing is a two-step process. First, the load is weighed by way of the machine sensing when the basket has floated. A dome under the inner basket traps air when the machine fills, which causes it to float upward about 3/8" to disengage from the drive coupler. The machine senses this by rotating the basket at 25 RPM during fill, and pulsing the motor every few seconds to check rotational resistance and inertia. A heavier/larger saturated load counteracts the flotation effect resulting in a higher fill. Once the basket has floated, fill continues to the next discrete water level (there are five for agitator-type machines). At that point, a series of agitation strokes checks resistance of the load against the agitator fins with whatever algorithms the engineers have programmed. If the computations don't satisfy the controller, it fills to the next level and tests again.
Fabric sensing on the IWL models occurs after water level sensing is complete and is via a different pattern of agitation strokes, again checking resistance of the load against the agitator fins and computing an agitation speed based on the programmed algorithms. IWL models don't have a selection of typical cycles -- Heavy, Regular, Delicate, etc. Instead, there's one basic cycle, a choice of soil level, and several modifiers (Handwash, Creasables, Woolens), along with the usual other options for temperature, water level and so forth. For a "normal" load, the user presses Power, selects a soil level, other modifiers if desired, and Start. Soil level coupled with fabric sensing determines the agitation speed and wash time. Higher agitation speeds result in longer agitation times for the same soil level. A load of jeans at normal soil with Firm agitation runs for a longer wash time than a load of casuals at normal soil with Medium agitation.
Loading methods can have an effect. Wrapping large or heavy items such as sheets, blankets, or jeans around the agitator tends to increase resistance and may result in a higher water level and/or stronger agitation. On the other hand a lightweight but large item such as an acrylic thermal blanket or mattress cover that doesn't have much saturation weight may result in a low water level and/or light agitation.
Water level can be set manually to any of the five levels, so no tricks are necessary. However, with auto-sensing, holding the basket down during water level sensing so it fills higher before floating, and/or grabbing the agitator during the test strokes would simulate a load being present when one isn't.
