Laundromats and Motors

[supersurgilator]

I have a friend that is an attendant at a laundromat, where they have SQ toploaders. It seems to me that they have had to replace a large amount of motors in them. I know that they get heavy use, but these are commercial machines. Here is the breakdown based on the machines year:
1992 Models - 2 motors
1995 Models - 3 motors
1996 Models - 1 motor
1998 Models - 1 motor

It just seems to me that these motors should be lasting longer than this. Just wondered what everyone's thoughts are.

 

[launderess]

Heavy Use

Can be an understatement when it comes to laundromat washing machines.

A vast number of laundromat customers abuse the equipment horribly. Constantly overloading any washer will kill the motor sooner or later, and many mat machines are stuffed so full (both front and top loading), that the poor things struggle. At least a front loader does not have to deal with trying to move an agitator when there is literally no room.

To the above add consumers who dump enough washing powder into the machine to create mounds of froth. This in turn causes the machine to at worse suds-lock, or at best strain as it tries to move a mass of laundry and gobs of froth.

One of the reasons front loaders rapidly replaced top loading style washers is that the former really just aren't up to the day in and day out abuse of a laundromat.

 

[sudsman]

I have Speed Queen Machines that ages and older

Motors have not been the problem.. Control boards have. they need to have the electric co Check the voltage to see if they have the correct incoming voltage to the panel. over or under can and will cause motor problems .Can also depend on the use if they are heavily used quite possible it is just "time" But do keep in mind laundromat users are most of the time abusers big time.. They over load, over suds, and could care less.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~One of the reasons front loaders rapidly replaced top loading style washers is that the former really just aren't up to the day in and day out abuse of a laundromat.

Add to that the lack of a transmission and lack of a pump in many commercial front-loaders and thusly fewer parts to fail.
Gaskets/boots also tend to be on the door rather than the machine so that that friction and abrasion of clothes flowing in and out simply ccan't wear these parts out.

I'm sure the front loaders having stanless-steel inner drums and outer tubs helps longevity as well.

I'm wondering if commerical laundries have electrical surge/ lightning and voltage protectors. I had these put into my house which protected the entire electrical panel ("circuit-breaker panel" => US, "consumer unit" => UK), i.e. all circuits.

Long Island (local to me) has rather high voltage and it was frying my electric stoves' [cookers' =>UK](yes two of them) top-unit "burner" control switches (the heat selector). They arc and sizzle like crazy.

 

[whirlcool]

And add to this that people usually don't care how they treat anything in which they don't have a financial interest.

 

[mysteryclock]

Are those motor replacement numbers for just this year or since each particular tier of machine was new? Two motors in the last 17 years for the (unknown size) group of 1992 machines doesn't seem that bad, especially considering the crazy duty-cycle and misuse the machines are put through every day.

 

[circlew]

Coin Laundry customers

I've been going to the local washateria about once a week since I started renovating my house several years ago. I agree that many of the customers abuse not only the machines, but the facility as a whole. The one I go to is about five years old and very well maintained - in fact while I was there today, the attendant swept the floor four times. If people come in and make a mess or let their kids run wild, they are told it is not appreciated, and not to return if they can't be decent. Most of the older patrons I've seen there don't make a mess, and treat the equipment properly; not overloading or using too much product. Also men, regardless of age, seem to treat the place better as a whole. The worst are younger women who come in with kids - they are messy, and treat the washers like dumpsters. They jam them full of nasty clothes, and use half a container of cheap detergent, and then stuff them in the dryers. I doubt their things are really very clean. Then they stuff them back into the filthy baskets they brought them in. Yuck. I wipe my baskets out while my things are washing, and if I spill something, I clean it up. I'm friends with the owner, and want to keep his place in good shape. Also, I was taught when I was little to take care of things that belong to others, and not to make a mess of things if I wanted to have a nice place to go to or use. Seems like in the past few years, fewer and fewer are taught this.

 

[laundryshark]

Washer Replacements

Funny this topic is being discussed, as I had trouble with the Speed Queen top loader washer twice within a week before the company, Jetz Service (see link below), came to replace the unit with a Whirlpool top loader. This SQ unit appeared to be a few years old. In spite of properly loading the machine both times, it still malfunctioned. The first time, the washer quit after the first fill. I came back to check on it, and there was this acrid smell of burnt rubber upon entering the laundry center. The machine was apparently fixed. Then I started another load a few days later. The same thing happened, but this time, after the fill to start the rinse agitation. Again, the acrid smell of burnt rubber. Because the property manager's office had misplaced the number for the Jetz Service outfit, I was given the number by a maintenance guy from the property manager. I called the number to initiate the repair order. Then looked it up on the Web. I called the office to provide both. Through the call and email correspondence, I provided detailed descriptions as to what happened when I used the SQ top loader. After my direct contact with Jetz Service, we had prompt assistance from the Cedar Rapids technician. After running some errands, I came back to find an envelope with refund quarters attached to my door. Then I looked in the laundry center to find a Whirlpool top loader installed. I started the catch up process and so far, the replacement machine is performing up to parr. It's sort of a "shred more type," but if one loads it right, there is less chance of twisted up items.--Laundry Shark

Homepage | Jetz Service Co., Inc.

Jetz Service Co. provides laundry service, sales service to multifamily communities, including apartments, condomiums, senior living and hotel/motels.

www.jetzservice.com

 

[combo52]

SQ com washer motors

The motors used in SP coin laundry machines are the same as the home machines. Most motors fail because of worn bearings this has more to due with the number of hours the motor has to run. When you figure how many loads a coin washer runs its like 100 years use in normal household . Its a testimonial to the over quality of the machine that the motor is the first thing to go in a coin laundry.

 

[danmantn]

Nothing lasts forever...

Seems I read somewhere that the average number of washes/uses (or "turns") on commercial machines per day is 4. 4 hours x 365 days x 15 years = 21,900 turns. 21,900 x 35 minute cycle for TLs = 12,755 hours for a motor. That's rather impressive if you ask me. I chose 15 as they were the average of the years listed, but I believe the avg commercial toploader is 15-20 years.

 

[tolivac]

Another thing to keep in mind on "motor life" for commercial TL machines is the number of START cycles they go thru per day-This cuases wear to the start switch and capacitor.and if a patron overloads the machine-so much the worse for the start equipment in the motor.The start switch contacts arc and burn.the capacitor overheats and fails.the start windings can overheat too-shortening their life.Remember start components in cap start motors were rated for intermittent duty.-or so many starts per hour.When you really add up what these machines go thru-its still pretty good.Over 12,000 hrs for such a motor is pretty good life span.
I would like to know what the start duty cycles on the cap start motors used in AMF pinsetters-Imagine how many START cycles these go thru per game and per day!!Brunswick pinsetters use three phase motors-start worrys would be less.

 

[peterh770]

The average commercial toploader lifespan is 5-10 years. The frontloaders are 20+ years.

 

[supremewhirlpol]

Speed Queen Toploader machines have what I call "throw-away" motors. They are not really serviceable and they are made somewhat cheap. They are not as cheap to replace, but considering that commercial SQ TL's can cost as much as $900 new. Spending $200 on a motor isn't all that bad.

 

[ingliscanada]

Not what they used to be.

I think today's SQs with the perf tubs are no where near as well built as their solid tub ancestors. Those old guys lasted forever in laundromats.

 

[johnb300m]

the worst part of college for me (after leaving the dorms, the dorm laundries were ok) was having to put my laundry in shared machines with "those people."
And yes I am being horribly judgmental, and rightly so.

 

[gowest84]

Pine-Sol & the generic equal

In the laundromats in the Southwest (Phoenix, specifically) I noticed the times I went to some of them it would suddenly smell like a 'Carolina Pine Forest' because the hispanic women would pour in Pine Sol or equivalent into the washer.

One day I saw a women pour Tide, bleach then Pine-Sol into a machine full of children's clothing. Pine-Sol is not for use for clothing. Lestoil, which can be used in general house cleaning and for heavily soiled laundry, would be a better choice. I know they think they're being sanitary but they're washing any flame retardant off the children's clothes. Not only that, there are times the stench of Pine-Sol would chase me out of the laundromat. I don't use Pine-Sol at home and I'd be nicer to my clothes if I set them on fire.

I wrote a story on this for a non-fiction class I took. God, the one thing I noticed is that giving advice on laundry is like telling some of them how to raise their children. So, I observe and just wonder who taught them how to keep clean and why?

 

[danmantn]

Amen! Even telling people in your family the proper way to do laundy is getting on a taboo topic!

Hmmm...perhaps I should load up my work clothes with a good dose of Pine-Sol to tick off the lady that complains about everyone's cologne at work. LOL Just kidding...evil thoughts...evil thoughts. I wonder where I could find the matching Pine-Sol fabric softener?

 

[danmantn]

Speaking of taboo topics...trying to tell people to keep their machine clean is another. Jeez! I can't stand to see a machine designed to clean things, dirty. Ick. Gunked up dispenser, lint everywhere, bleach dispensers that have never been cleaned. Black mold in the fabric softener (yes, I witnessed this once). I was staying with friends and asked to use their machine (I had brought my own detergents/softener)...when I filled up the dispenser, I about threw up. How disgusting. {DEEP BREATH} - awaken from nightmare.