MODIFYING MY 1998 FRIGIDAIRE FRONT LOADER

[soberleaf]

i bought this washer in 98 to replace my old westinghouse front loader. now i wish i would have kept that westinghouse as everyone tells me they are quite rare!

anyway this frigidaire is ok but i was never happy with it. i didn't like the way it would wash for about 10 seconds, stop, reverse and wash for 10 seconds, stop, reverse etc. i wanted it to act like my old westinghouse!

i also didn't like the fact that it did not fill with much water, i know it was designed to be energy efficient but i wanted to see some water splashin around in there!

today i got my wish. i gave it up a tune up and did some simple modifications. now it is exactly as i want it to be!
here's what i did.

first i snipped the wire coming off the timer motor as this model still has a mechanical timer. i added a switch that lets me turn timer motor off and on as i like. i didn't know if that would keep it from switching direction while washing but had a hunch it would!

sure enough, when i turn that switch off it keeps doing whatever it was doing! if it was spinning on low speed it will continue indefinately! same with high speed so i can give a much longer spin if i like. and if it washing in a clockwise direction it keeps going, no pause, just washing like my old westy did! i can make it switch direction by turning timer on briefly till it stops and reverses, then turn it off again! i love it this way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i added a switch to bypass water pressure switch so even after it fills and stops filling i can switch it on and it will fill some more till i fill it where i want it to be! if it's a hot fill it's hot, cold is cold etc.! now i can see water in there!

and i added another button to let me turn on cold water valve only which i can switch on during spin and give it a rinse while spinning! def gets the soap out that way!

this washer now behaves the way i want it to and i have never been happier with it!

main reason i did this is so i'll use it more and not be tempted to use the 1965 jet action rollermatic i just aquired. this front loader frigidaire is now my main machine! i have retired my other 2 washers for awhile, the whirlpool front loader i don't like at all and a maytag performa top loader that is a joke to say the least.

so it's frigidaire all the way as far as washing goes!

thanks for listenin. here's a couple pics

 

[soberleaf]

here's the new wiring i added

a little electrical tape and a couple wire nuts and presto!!!

 

[soberleaf]

here's the water solonoid

in the back with it's new wiring

 

[soberleaf]

all in all i like the washer

very much. if i can't have a westinghouse front loader this will have to do.

i really like the stainless tub and the small size of the washer.

 

[soberleaf]

but if anyone hears of a

westinghouse front loader for sale i am definately interested. for now however this little frigidaire will pretend it's a great big westinghouse!

 

[soberleaf]

and thanks to this frigidaire front loader

now doing what i want it to do i will only use the rollermatic when i want to hear that glorious sound that only a frigidaire pulsator can make!!!!!

 

[lebron]

Nice work on the FL... but I'd still want to use the Rollermatic

 

[yogitunes]

One question about the water level....

I had this model and it was a simple screw adjustment to increase the water level...the one I had only needed a small increase about 2 inches more....so every fill is the same...

now my new frigidaire...it digital...and i can't adjust it...there's no screw to adjust...if I new that, I would not have gotten this set...but I will keep trying to look for a way to adjust it...I need to see water splashing too!

 

[soberleaf]

i have the same problem

with a whirlpool front loader i bought for 200 bucks at lowes as a scratch n dent. all electronic, no timer, i can't modify it (cause i don't know how).

this frigidaire was so easy to modify, i have used it 4 times today! i can fill it as much as i want! i can spin it as long as i want! i can wash in one direction continuously without that annoying directional switching wash that i personally hated! this machine is super now! and the clothes come out really dry if i let it spin about 15 minutes on high speed!

 

[yogitunes]

I did put a switch in line of the timer motor of a whirlpool BD...and your right, it allowed me to control the length of wash time and especially spin time....I actually wanted at one time a wringer so I could let clothes soak and wash for a long time...this was the next best option....even though I was not able to re-use the wash water(no wringer) it allowed me automatic funtions with manual control...I miss that machine

 

[soberleaf]

i always put a timer switch

on any washer or dishwasher i intend to use as my "main machine" and sometimes switches to turn on fill and drain solonoids if so equipt. that way i can flip off timer and make my machine do what i want for as long as i want. it works very well on older kitchenaids as they have a drain solonoid and not a reversing motor.

one time i went to work and left my kitchenaid washing for 8 hours! it was fine!

i am not going to touch my new solid tub 1965 frigidaire rollermatic however. it is staying exactly as it was built, don't want to push my luck, it runs perfectly and won't be used much. this frigidaire front loader is a different story.
the switches are great and i am washing like crazy, sometimes letting it spin 15 minutes! clothes come out almost dry!

thanks

 

[sudsman]

Soberleaf

spinning for 15 mins on high speed will kill the bearings really fast! They just cant stand up to that

 

[yogitunes]

there have been many times that i have turned the dial back around to get extra spin time....even my maytag can be set to final spin for 10 minutes...just helps get out more water...never seems to damage the bearings..

 

[soberleaf]

it doesn't matter if i kill the bearings

i will replace them, i love to let this thing spin and spin, i'm havin too much fun! i love the clothes coming out really dry!

i'm gonna take the machine apart this fall and check bearings after i use it this way all summer. even if i kill the motor it's ok, parts are readily available and not that costly. matt in mich (everythingold) has parts too he told me!

thanks for the concern, you may be right, but this washer has set for 5 years not used. now that i have it doing as i like i have to have some fun with it, even if it means a future repair!

appreciate all the input!