Kenmore Top Loader?

[blockeight88]

I may be picking up this machine. I know this type of washer has different operation versus the Kenmore with the more round knobs. Does this version do the permanent press with a partial neutral drain? If so, what is the purpose of this. I believe it does the cycle, drains partially, then adds new water, agitates, then fully drains. Why does the "Normal" cycle say "cold rinse only". Can fast agitation be done on the small water level?

Last, does anyone know when this machine was made? I am waiting for the serial number.

Thanks!

https://ibb.co/BsWHQ60

 

[DADoES]

 
It's a direct-drive and operates prit'much like all of them in that respect.

Normal cycle forcing a cold rinse regardless of the temperature knob setting is an energy-saving thing.

The Normal and Perm Press cycles presumably do a speed shift to low at 6 mins regardless of the water level, being labeled as Gentle at that point.  The designated Heavy Duty cycle presumably runs at high speed for the entire wash period.

Permanent Press cool down is to help avoid set-in wrinkles that may occur when such treated or synthetic garments are spun when warm or hot immediately after the wash period.  It's useful primarily when line-drying, being that the heated air and cool down of tumble drying has an effect of shedding and avoiding wrinkles. There appears to be a Pause tag at the point in Perm Press at which the motor turns off for the remainder of the two-mins drain period after the partial-drain is achieved, so presumably it does perform the cool down process.

 

[toploadloyalist]

Permanent Press 'PAUSE' tag

Kenmore/Whirlpool's Permanent Press cool-down sequence had been the following:

1st timer increment - Partial drain; pause
2nd timer increment - Cold water fill; agitate

Thus completing the cool-down. Judging by the space between the wash time increments and the 'PAUSE' tag, it looks as if that space between the '2' and the 'PAUSE' was entirely draining before moving to 'PAUSE', then fill in the following increment.

Any confirmation would be in order.

 

[blockeight88]

Thank you for the replies.

Does anyone know the age of this washer?

Also, how do I get it to wash on a slow/fast and use the warm rinse?

 

[jmm63]

My sister has this exact washer and matching dryer, and I was just using it this weekend. You can get a fast agitate on any water level setting by using the "heavy duty" cycle.

You can get a warm rinse on normal or heavy duty but not on perm press. I'm not sure about the neutral drain on Perm press but I think it does.

Hers were purchased in 1995.

 

[appnut]

Slow fast would be achieved by 6 minute wash time on normal cycle .

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>Also, how do I get it to wash on a slow/fast and use the warm rinse?</blockquote> If you're referring to slow agitation and fast spin through the entire cycle with a warm rinse, that may not be possible without some dial-pushing unless Perm Press does a fast spin instead of slow and does not override the selected rinse temp to cold (as permanent press fabrics need).

My guess is Normal does slow agitation for the last 6 mins of the wash period but fast agitation for the rinse, and the rinse is always cold.

Heavy Duty can do a warm rinse but presumably runs fast agitation for the full wash time (and rinse).

 

[appnut]

My advice to you is to keep looking for a direct drive Kenmore that has an actual speed control knob rather than have the speeds fully controlled by the timer. The least expensive with the speed knob had 4 combinations Heavy Duty (fast/fast); Normal (slow agitate fast spin) delicates would be slow/slow and hang dry would be normal agitate slow spin. Those models have two additional auxilliary knobs--for auto 2nd rinse and speed control--usually labeled as fabric care.

 

[blockeight88]

Jmm63, Appnut

@jmm63

So even though on the dial it says "cold rinse only" for Normal, you're saying it can still do warm/warm? Is it a true warm rinse that lets in 50% cold, 50% hot? or 60/40?

Appnut

I already have a Kenmore 80 Series from 2000 with the speed control knob, so I don't mind this. I understand that excessive wear on clothing came from those who did not know how to properly load the machine. I don't think I'll have any issues.

Do you know how old this machine is? Also, if I set the timer to 6 minutes on Normal, that is labeled "gentle" so would that indicate slow/slow?

 

[appnut]

Matt, this machine is from the mid-1990s. I had friends from church who had the next model up that had a knob for extra rinse on/off. And I was at their house numerous times in 1997 & 1998, even while they were doing laundry and was the first time I'd encoubntered a machine like this. The cold rinse only on Normal is by design and cannot be altered. Every time I was there, they always used Perm Press. It had a gentle agitation for rinse also. Reminded me of former neighbors when I was growing up that got a 1967 Whirlpool set that as next to TOL. On Perm Press/Wash'n'Wear it shifted to gentle agitation at the 6 minute mark. It also did a gentle agitation rinse.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>Appnut: On Perm Press/Wash'n'Wear it shifted to gentle agitation at the 6 mibnute mark. It also did a gentle agitation rinse.</blockquote> Perm Press presumably is hard-coded for slow spin?  Do you know/recall if PP is hard-coded for cold rinses or follows the temp knob selection?

 

[blockeight88]

Thank you guys for the replies. The seller just through this machine out there. It's a Kenmore Elite. Seems fully loaded with the blue plastic still on it. Thoughts on this one compared to the original one?

285062226-1353326805143715-2889320444404975515-n hosted at ImgBB

Image 285062226-1353326805143715-2889320444404975515-n hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[DADoES]

 
This model should give you complete control to do prit'much whatever you want (except not Ex Slow agitate with Fast spin).

The separate speed control provides:
  Hang Dry = Fast (180 spm) agitate, Slow spin
  Heavy Duty = Fast agitate, Fast spin
  Normal = Slow (120 spm) agitate, Fast spin
  Delicate = Slow agitate, Slow spin
  Handwash / Casual = Extra Slow (90 spm) agitate, Slow spin
  Handwash Plus / Fine Delicates = Intermittent Extra Slow agitate, Slow spin

It does not reduce agitation speed during the wash period, maintains the selected speed for the duration.

It runs the same speed for rinse agitation as wash agitation.  Water level selection has no effect on speed.

Spin speed follows the speed control for all cycles, so Fast spin can be hand on Perm Press if desired.

Permanent Press II has a one-stage cool down.

The water valve is probably a 40% hot / 60% cold mix for warm.

The two 100°F ATC Warm wash choices will alternate between warm and hot to moderate the temperature if necessary to average-out to the 100°F.  My mother is using a similar model, that's what it does.  ATC 70°F Cold wash should alternate some warm with the cold flow if needed.  ATC 75°F Warm rinse presumably alternates some cold with warm.  There's a small circuit board inside the console that runs the ATC in response to a temp sensor located in the water flow path after the valve but before the spray flume.  The four non-ATC choices of course provide full-hot, full cold, or hot+cold at the valve mixing proportion.

 

[blockeight88]

DADoES

Thank you for your insight on that machine. Can you please explain how this machine differs from the first machine I listed in regards to permanent press?

My assumption was the first model I listed does slow agitation, partial neutral drain, pause, re fill, agitate, then drain.

What is Permanent Press II? I think my current Kenmore has "Permanent Press I"

 

[DADoES]

 
Ultra Clean is the Normal cycle.  Either Ultra Clean or Perm Press can be used for delicates, accordingly to the speed selection.

The Soak cycle fills, agitates 4 mins, then shuts off without draining to soak for however long is desired.  Reset the timer to a Spin position to neutral-drain the soak water (reset to spin again when it shuts off after draining if you want to spin the load before washing).  Then reset again to run a full wash/rinse cycle.

The Prewash cycle runs a 4-min wash, drain, spin, and shuts off.  Reset to run a full wash/rinse.

Permanent Press I probably runs a spray in the first spin as a cool down.

Permanent Press II is more deluxe with a partial-drain, refill, and agitate for cool down, which is a more traditional Perm Press treatment.  The partial-drain is to the point that the water level pressure switch resets.

ALL the drains, of course, should be neutral, unless the neutral drain pak in the transmission is worn and not functioning properly.

Your first machine of consideration above is before there were Perm Press I and Perm Press II variations so it should be the same as Perm Press II.

This machine with the blue film on the panel may not run any sprays in the first spin on any cycle.  It should do a couple sprays in the spin after rinse (not in the spin after 2nd rinse).  However, the text along bottom edge of the console references Ultra Rinse System so it possibly does first spin sprays.  The one my mother is using (a 1999 model) does not say Ultra Rinse System and does not have first-spin sprays.

 

[blockeight88]

DADoES

I really appreciate your insight on these machines. Does this machine add cold water when the temp is set to just warm/warm? Not ATC warm/warm.

Which machine do you think is better?

 

[appnut]

For the Kenmore washer above tahat's the subject, rinse temperatures are supposedly anything you want for based upon temperature knob. I've never known of a mechanical/knob (no pushbutton) Kenmore whereby you couldn't select the 5 different temp options for any cycle.

 

[blockeight88]

King Size Capacity

I'm also curious if the Elite, pictured in post 12 is able to wash a king size comforter? How much larger is the tub compared to the washer in the original post?

 

[combo52]

Reply # 17

Same tub size, these TL washers are not great for washing king sized comforters unless they are pretty thin, only a large FL washer is good for such items.

 

These later DD washers may use a 70/30% inlet valve where 70% water flow is cold, this is what SQ and others used in later TL machines to conserve hot water.

 

There is absolutely no good reason to ever use a warm rinse in any washer, it just promotes mold and bacteria growth in the washer and your clean clothing to say nothing of the damage of using more than 10 gallons of extra hot water per load does to the planet.

 

John L.