Maytag Machines After Whirlpool Buyout - What Remained?

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Patrick, I look forward to what new machine arrives on Friday.
Hi Bob. Unfortunately I had to tell the guy who was holding it for me to just let it go. Besides $300 for a used 20-year-old washing machine with parts getting harder to come by is really not the investment I want to make. For a direct drive, won't do too much better than the KitchenAid that I already have.
 
Hi Bob. Unfortunately I had to tell the guy who was holding it for me to just let it go. Besides $300 for a used 20-year-old washing machine with parts getting harder to come by is really not the investment I want to make. For a direct drive, won't do too much better than the KitchenAid that I already have.


Do you have pics of the control panel?
 
No Chet unfortunately do not, but it was made around 2005 or 2006. It had that rounded style control panel, which I think was the last one they used. It also had the ultra rinse which is why I really wanted it but I'm more than happy with the the three machines I have now.
 
No Chet unfortunately do not, but it was made around 2005 or 2006. It had that rounded style control panel, which I think was the last one they used. It also had the ultra rinse which is why I really wanted it but I'm more than happy with the the three machines I have now.

Bummer, though it may not have been a loss. DDs toward the end went down in quality. Such a shame really. Is this the control panel you're thinking of?

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Front load heaters make a night and day difference all around, and are the only practical way I feel that front load technology will excel in the United States. Here are some advantages, number one being the most significant:

1) Filling with cold and gradually heating to warm then to hot lets detergents work in stages. Different stains and different soils are lifted best at various temperatures. The gradual heating over time lets enzymes work to their full potential. By having a heater in every front load incorporated into the cycle, the US could adopt common EU based detergent formulations which produce the best cleaning results of any laundry system when coupled with a graded temperature wash.

2) A true hot wash. Even with a hot fill, the small amount of water in the front load quickly cools down to warm due to the cool drum, cool tub and cool clothes. That is of course assuming a best case scenario. In reality water cools down in pipes and purging doesn't always get all of it out to the point the washer connects to the plumbing. Water enters cold, cool and then warm. By the time hot water starts entering the machine, the pressure sensor is satisfied. The end result is a cool wash.

3) Sanitation. With a heater you can be guaranteed 200*F wash water when needed.

4) Energy Savings. It is much less energy intensive to heat water on point to the required temperature than idling 50 gallons of hot water 24/7 only to have a considerable percentage of it lost within the wall.

5) Water savings. No need to purge the line to make sure the machine has hot water so you get at least a warm wash.

6) Much harder for mold and gunk build up in the machine due to the superior wash system.

I see
The whole concept of relying on concentrated detergent origi evolved from that intended for a top load and off board hot water is a flawed implementation and behind nearly all of the problems encountered with front load washers in the US.

Personally, I don't see why having a heater is necessary. In my opinion it's just an extra thing to break. My LG front loader has a heater built in but I couldn't find a difference cleaning wise so I just don't use it anymore. As long as I have straight hot water, I'm pretty much good to go. Some of the other UniMac stackables with the touch screen I use as well do have heaters built in, they get very hot. And they're one of those models where the soap automatically dispenses in during the wash cycle, we use Ecolab detergent.
I guess I have significant laundry issues and between steam and extremely high temperatures. I get amazing perfect result and I'm not going to compromise. I just see the advantages with the European approach. Far, superior.
 
Not trying to be snarky here but does the European approach eliminate every stain on clothing? Since you're using chemicals to wash clothes anyway, what's the difference if you use spray treatments?
 
Chet where are the minutes?

My bad, I forgot to label the start detents-


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Allotted fill time is 5 minutes for both ultra wash and regular wash.


Ultra wash has 5 minutes of fill followed by 3 minutes of agitation, 7 minutes of soak and 14 minutes of agitation.

Regular wash has 5 minutes of fill time followed by 14 minutes of agitation.


I could remove the lead in and lead out increments and gain 2 extra minutes in the initial ultra wash agitation period for a total of 5 minutes however I want to avoid clock setting and reliance on sequential switching during increment advancement as much as possible.

In fact the only period where contacts must be sequenced correctly during increment advancement (in this washer) is between the wash and spin phase.

Yes it is not likely that sequential switching would ever be lost with a jumbo 7.5 degree step manufactured under precision specs but I want to eliminate the possibility of late or early engagement entirely by using a whole increment as a safety buffer.

Also, I like to give the user at least one or two increments or 7.5-15 degrees of knob movement before landing on an intended detent/increment when moving away from an unintended increment. It is easier on the wrists, psyche, and takes slight fascia decal tolerance errors into account greatly reducing the possibility of the user not turning the knob far enough inadvertently landing on an agitate increment, off increment, ect.
 
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Heaters in front loading washing machine machines

I have two front load washers with heaters my 2005 Speed Queen which is now hit 20 years old with zero repairs never had to clean it or anything and I have the $4000 KitchenAid pro line which is really a whirlpool German duet with a heater.

I experimented with using the heaters and both these machines probably only used it that dozen times in the KitchenAid and maybe two dozen times in the Speed Queen front loader. Couldn’t see any difference in cleaning. Never have any problem getting things clean anyway to me, it’s just a waste of electricity. It’s a very expensive way to heat water. I suppose if you’re living in all electric home and you’re heating your water with resistance heat anyway it’s not such a bad thing

But it definitely adds an extra thing that can go wrong and fry wiring and control boards so I’m just as glad not to use it.

On my newer Speed Queen front loader I almost always when I have real dirty loads of work pants do the pre-wash cycle so gives a quick pre-wash With my 135° water dumps that out gives a brief spin and fills again with hot water when the water drains from the main wash it’s over 130°. I don’t see why anybody would need anything hotter than that.

It’s much more effective if you’re worried about germs to use chlorine bleach US front loaders don’t heat the water hot enough even with a heater to kill germs like bleach does.

Nearly all front load washer sold in the US have a booster heat cycle, but I asked customers about the usage of their washers not even one and 10 have ever used the feature. It just makes the cycle too long. I suppose it would be different if we had 240 V machines with a 3000 W heater but we don’t and we’re not going to.

John L
 
Heaters in front loading washing machine machines

I have two front load washers with heaters my 2005 Speed Queen which is now hit 20 years old with zero repairs never had to clean it or anything and I have the $4000 KitchenAid pro line which is really a whirlpool German duet with a heater.

I experimented with using the heaters and both these machines probably only used it that dozen times in the KitchenAid and maybe two dozen times in the Speed Queen front loader. Couldn’t see any difference in cleaning. Never have any problem getting things clean anyway to me, it’s just a waste of electricity. It’s a very expensive way to heat water. I suppose if you’re living in all electric home and you’re heating your water with resistance heat anyway it’s not such a bad thing

But it definitely adds an extra thing that can go wrong and fry wiring and control boards so I’m just as glad not to use it.

On my newer Speed Queen front loader I almost always when I have real dirty loads of work pants do the pre-wash cycle so gives a quick pre-wash With my 135° water dumps that out gives a brief spin and fills again with hot water when the water drains from the main wash it’s over 130°. I don’t see why anybody would need anything hotter than that.

It’s much more effective if you’re worried about germs to use chlorine bleach US front loaders don’t heat the water hot enough even with a heater to kill germs like bleach does.

Nearly all front load washer sold in the US have a booster heat cycle, but I asked customers about the usage of their washers not even one and 10 have ever used the feature. It just makes the cycle too long. I suppose it would be different if we had 240 V machines with a 3000 W heater but we don’t and we’re not going to.

John L
I'm going to disagree to a ...degree (haaa).

First off, it's usually more efficient to heat up a smaller amount of water locally, than in a giant tank, to be used remotely.
The only time heating a washer tub of water is less advantageous is when you have gas water heating, since it usually costs less to heat with gas than electric. The heater, however, still allows good results by maintaining the temperature.
I have my strong doubts that 135F water entered a cold, steel washer, with cold laundry, and still drained at 130F afterward.
Only the main wash would hold this heat, after the pre-wash pre-heat soaked the steel tub and drum.

Secondly, washers with heaters can do steam cycles.
The steam option does wonders for me at least, when washing grungy whites, such as napkins, or tablecloths at holidays.
Or with clothing items with grease stains.

Thirdly, heat does sanitize well with an on-board heater washer, because they often heat up to 150-160deg.F.
Those models are certified by NSF, for household sanitization.
Bleach is a good sanitizer (if you're not trying to sanitize colors) if you have a washer that cannot get up to 150, and hold it for a certain amount of time.
Top loaders will use this method by filling with tap-hot water, but using the aid of oxygen bleach to sanitize. Those washers, however, are often NOT certified by NSF.
Yes, dryers "can" sanitize clothes also, with air, but they need to be NSF certified, with cycle programming that heats the clothes up for a certain amount of time.
Sanitizing is all about the exposure, whether that's by time and temperature, or time and chemical.
 
I'm going to disagree to a ...degree (haaa).

First off, it's usually more efficient to heat up a smaller amount of water locally, than in a giant tank, to be used remotely.
The only time heating a washer tub of water is less advantageous is when you have gas water heating, since it usually costs less to heat with gas than electric. The heater, however, still allows good results by maintaining the temperature.
I have my strong doubts that 135F water entered a cold, steel washer, with cold laundry, and still drained at 130F afterward.
Only the main wash would hold this heat, after the pre-wash pre-heat soaked the steel tub and drum.

Secondly, washers with heaters can do steam cycles.
The steam option does wonders for me at least, when washing grungy whites, such as napkins, or tablecloths at holidays.
Or with clothing items with grease stains.

Thirdly, heat does sanitize well with an on-board heater washer, because they often heat up to 150-160deg.F.
Those models are certified by NSF, for household sanitization.
Bleach is a good sanitizer (if you're not trying to sanitize colors) if you have a washer that cannot get up to 150, and hold it for a certain amount of time.
Top loaders will use this method by filling with tap-hot water, but using the aid of oxygen bleach to sanitize. Those washers, however, are often NOT certified by NSF.
Yes, dryers "can" sanitize clothes also, with air, but they need to be NSF certified, with cycle programming that heats the clothes up for a certain amount of time.
Sanitizing is all about the exposure, whether that's by time and temperature, or time and chemical.
Just look how well detergent and bleach did in the USA, I can't speak for other places since the advent of the top loading automatic washer from the '40s up until recently. Sanitation don't really mean too much when you have to handle the clothes anyway. So whatever benefit sanitation has is negated once you handle the clothes. Never heard a case in all that time of people getting sick because of our so-called primitive washing methods.
 
Hot washed in a front load washer

Reply 74, I I do have a high efficiency all plastic gas water heater just 4 feet from the washing machine, when the water flows into the machine at 135° it heats the tub, the huge load of clothing, the outer tub, etc. Yes first pre-wash only ends up being about 120 some degrees but the hot water in the main wash easily brings the temperature over 130. I do this all the time that’s plenty hot enough to wash dirty jeans and it doesn’t take a half an hour to heat the water.

This turns out to be a very fast and economical way of getting really clean laundry, I actually have a second 50 gallon gas water heater for the outdoor laundry and other uses outside.

There are also five gas dryers here in use to make really quick work of a lot of laundry.

John L
 

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