Kenmore / Whirlpool Catalyst

[richimaor]

I’m just curious of how Kenmore/WP catalyst washers work, more specific which is the plastic insert function, the one located in the back of the tub...
I’d be very grateful for the information and maybe I can start to hunt down one of those machines

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[speedqueen]

That's a direct-drive? Wow! That is amazing as to how they managed to combine all that modern technology with the old DD design.

 

[iowabear]

Seems like a great idea.  I've never seen one of these.

 

I take it these were the highest-end DDs?

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thank you, Glenn, for the great videos. I remember when these machines were introduced.

I have borrowed this principle with my KitchenAid and Maytag top loaders when I wash things like car floor mats. I fill the tub with a small amount of water, add detergent, place the mats around the tub with the carpet side facing in. I remove the drain hose from the standpipe and hold it in the tub opening and start the washer on spin. It is an amazingly effective way to wash the mats without damaging them or the machine. To rinse, I use the spin spray rinse and repeat the recirculating process with clear water a couple of times.

I really don't have clothing or any other fabrics that are soiled heavily enough to make the Catalyst system necessary, but it is very effective because of forcing a concentrated detergent solution through fabrics. Kelvinator tried this in a top loader with the "Magic Minute." It's possible that the APEX bouncing tub could be said to attempt this also.

 

[yogitunes]

whipping the detergent up into a concentrated lather has probably been the best idea of stain removal, at least by automatic standards...the only other choice has been to pretreat and rub into each stain individually....

this definitely shows you how effective your detergent really is....

and this Catalyst treatment is very effective for heavily soiled clothing, like greasy mechanics clothes....

as an experiment, never thought to let them pretreat, soak for about 20 minutes, and then go right into a spray rinse, just to see how much of the stains are removed before agitation ever begins, or if it is needed at all....

in the Calypso, the lathered waterfall is continuous during all phases of nutation....

many HE TLers whip up the detergent and spin/sprays the load after their auto fill balancing act.....cleaning begins before agitation starts...

Tom's method can work for just about any machine if you want to give Catalyst Cleaning a shot....saturate, let soak for a bit, then let the machine continue to fill and complete its cycle....

 

[yogitunes]

Surprised too, this machine was the basic setup for their "Resource Saver" machine....

if added, this Catalyst machine could have been rated as an HE Eco type, full wash levels, and Spin/Spray rinsing....

almost a shame we couldn't alter/reprogram it ourselves....

 

[richimaor]

After watching the video I think these are probably the best DD washers out there, they’re are totally amazing and well thought

 

[DADoES]

 
I don't think they're "out there" all that much any longer.  Mine was found in 2011 (or maybe 2010) via local CraigsList. I refurbed it at the time, it was used at one of RJ's rental properties for 5 years until a couple problems developed and we pulled it out (matching dryer is still there).  I'm fully refurbing it again (new bearings/tub support, basket drive/brake) for my collection.

The drain/recirculate valve and console button-panel are NLA, possibly the control board by now, and probably a few miscellaneous items such as dispenser hoses.  The basic mechanism is a standard DD but it can't be a Catalyst without the valve.  I've (as yet) seen no valves on eBay.

 

[cuffs054]

That sure seems like a good idea. The Catalyst system seems to do what modern TL would like to do.

 

[whatsername]

Well now I want one. I can vouch for this method's effectiveness in part, the LG TurboWash FLs do the same thing at the beginning of most cycles--slow detergent flush coupled with a low speed spin and just enough water to keep the recirc pump from cavitating. The spin ramps up until the machine can't keep balance, then the process repeats one or two more times. I never pretreat anything going into this machine, which is great as I always hated cleaning up the overspray from Shout and the like.

 

[tomturbomatic]

John said they even took the recirculating rinse out of the later Resource Savers and just relied on the spin spray rinses, but the valve was the same one used in the Kenmore combos for the recirculate/drain and the switch from wash stream to the balance feed so he bought a few extras. I think the newer ones had a plastic flipper valve inside instead of the pot metal one in the original design.

 

[henene4]

Valve

Given that should be just a common place 3-way Y valve, one surely could rig up something with a valve from a HVAC supply shop or so. These valves are used in some systems here in Europe tp switch between hot water and heating.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

YES!

I have been saying this to myself for years! I wish that they would have kept this design, but required HE detergent. This would have allowed for far better washing, rinsing, and time efficiency of a "modern HE TL". With the Resource Saver machine, it performed 6 spray rinses which were incredibly effective. However, using an HE detergent, one could get away with 2-3 rinses. This would provider far superior rinsing to the anemic spray rinses that these new HE TLs use that simply spray them with water after the wash.
It would also be nice to see the Catalyst system applied to some of the new Cabrios. This would allow for the Catalyst treatment, and the recirculation to occur during the rinses.

 

[henene4]

It was

There were literal fights on this site trying to tell this people. Even video evidence wasn't enough to make people understand.

 

[yogitunes]

I was about to say, my Cabrio XL does a saturation lather on a number of cycles...it starts with a slow spin to saturate the load, and then a high spin to pull it through the items...usually 3 or 4 times....then filling continues and wash begins...

also with this machine if you watch closely, no matter what you select, the softener will flush/dispense, and the sprinkler comes on and recirculates rinse water over the load as a spin spray, using minimal water......but if you select the 'softener' option, it will fill for a deep rinse....if you select 'extra rinse', it will do a spin/spray and a deep rinse

the Calypso does a similar saturation spray at the beginning of all cycles...

in thinking about it, Tom's method would work really well for pillows, as some can get distorted from tumbling or agitation....a series of sprays and soaks, then on to a few rinses the same way...and a final spin...

 

[mielerod69]

Whirlpool Resource Saver Washer

I like the Whirlpool catalyst washer. All they needed to do is add the resource saver rinse system and it would've been the perfect HE washer.

Here is a full video of the resource saver rinse.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPIVtjYP-rY&t=20s

 

[yogitunes]

ironic....we talking about this....and one pops up for sale

I actually thought the Catalyst machines were only in digital....

http://https//southjersey.craigslist.org/app/d/kenmore-washer-and-dryer/6506252610.html

 

[iowabear]

After I read this thread I looked up the user manual for this machine and found the mechanical timer one.

 

The downside is that to get the catalyst action you have to use the longest possible wash time (the catalyst portion of the cycle being first on the timer) unless you wanted to manually intervene.