New member saying hello and seeking advice

[elvisfan]

Hello everyone, hope you are all well,

My first, quite lengthy, post. I discovered this wonderful site a couple of months ago whilst browsing the web for information about my top load washer. I know, from reading various posts, that each member has their own personal favourite brands of washer, manufacturers, styles etc. and rightly so, it would make it a dull world if we all liked the same things!

Anyway, in the UK there is a very limited choice of TL washing machines, usually sold for commercial users and the ones available to buy here, in my price range, at the moment are all the HE machines that do the weighing and sensing malarkey! I knew I wanted a machine that allowed me to choose the water level, temperature, speed, to soak or not etc., have a super capacity, all done speedily and using more than a thimble full of water so I decided to buy this reconditioned Admiral by Maytag AAV8000AGW Top Loader about nine months ago and I absolutely love it. I know that many of you consider the direct drive machines amongst the best to have, I believe this machine is a belt drive but l honestly can’t find any fault with the wash action, for me it is not to harsh that it trashes your clothes but is vigorous enough to do a great job.

Coming from a country of under the counter front loaders, I first discovered the American TL while on holiday in Florida in 1992 and I have been hooked ever since. Don’t get me wrong, back when I first got married, some thirty one years ago, our FL machines did a great job and I remember the time when the water level reached halfway up the glass door and it was very satisfying to see your clothes sloshing about in hot sudsy water rotating in one direction and then the other but over time and due to the changes to the regulations, my most recent of front loaders water level barely reached the bottom of the door seal! (if I put a load of knitwear in the machine it looked like there was no water in the machine at all!) I know modern detergents are designed to work within these parameters but I find, although gentle on clothes, that the clothes soon dull and have a stiffer feel about them because, even though you have two or three rinses and that sounds great, but two or three rinses using a cup full of water just doesn’t cut it for me and continued washing without successfully rinsing means a continuous build up of detergent on detergent over time causing the clothes to look dull, as though they have lost their colour and brightness. It took me approximately three hot washes in my TL to bring my towels back from a matted dull grey to a fluffy bright white using detergent alone, no bleach or oxi agents required, just an ample amount of hot water, a decent detergent and a great wash action! Did I say before - I love this machine haha!

Anyway, if you have stayed with me through this rather lengthy post, thank you, here is where I could use some advice from you very experienced and knowledgeable enthusiasts and professionals....

As I said earlier, I bought this machine reconditioned but I don’t know exactly what parts, if any, were replaced or just cleaned up etc. And I dread the day that my lovely machine stops working so I thought maybe you guys could suggest any parts that I could/should buy now to have on hand for any future issues. You will know better than me what parts or pieces are prone to failing or need regular replacement. I’ve looked at a few websites like Parts Select etc but as myself and my hubby are not mechanically minded, and have never even seen the inside of a top loader, it’s all a bit confusing. Any suggestions would be gratefully received, I will hopefully, with your help, compile a list of essentials to keep my machine running for a good few years yet!

I would also be very grateful to know off any UK members if you know of anyone that repairs/maintains American Top Loaders and that live in/near the Wigan area. Knowing that there are repairmen close by that could fit theses suggested parts would be worth their weight in gold.

Many thanks for your advice and suggestions in advance.

Kindest regards
Allison

 

[speedqueen]

Please correct me is I'm wrong, but

That machine is I believe what we would call an "AmanaTag" here in the states. What happened was that the old Raytheon Speed Queen/Amana design was bought out by the Goodman furnace and air conditioner company, which then got absorbed by Maytag in the late 1990s. Maytag made some adjustments to the design to try to rectify some of the problems inherent in the Raytheon design. They fixed the belt wear issue, but made the main tub seal far worse than it was previously, these machines are known to spring leaks and even perhaps have a transmission failure resulting from water getting in the gear case.

 

 

 

[combo52]

US Top Loading Washer

Welcome to the site Allison, the machine you pictured is actually a Norge designed washer, Maytag bought Norge in the early 80s to increase washer production and lower costs.

 

The Norge design was always a great performer [ it cleaned better, had greater capacity, handled out-of-balance loads better and did not redeposit lint and scum in the clean clothing as the regular MT Dependable Care machines did ] BUT durability, longevity and repairablity were never close to the MT DC machines and the MT company paid the ultimate price for putting the MT name on these cheaper machines.

 

The most common parts that are easy replace and likely to fail are the water pump, inlet valve, timer and main motor, after these items are problems with main seals-bearings and the transmission itself. The water pump and inlet valve will probably be available for a long time, I suppose I might grab a new timer and just keep your fingers crossed and enjoy this interesting washer.

 

John L.

 

[speedqueen]

Thanks John, I was secretly hoping I was wrong, a NorgeTag would be a good washer.

 

[foraloysius]

Hi Allison, welcome!

Weren't these machines sold by Harrod's at some time? IIRC someone in Germany bought theirs through Harrod's.

Who refurbished this machine? I'm sure that person would be able to do repairs if necessary.

 

[elvisfan]

Thank you for the warm welcome and thank you for sharing your knowledge, ideas and suggestions, it is very much appreciated for a novice like me. It is fascinating to read the wealth of information, not only from your replies, but from some of the posts I have read since finding this forum. I hadn’t realised there had been all of these buyouts and merges etc. and some that you describe here, not for the better!

Although my washer is doing a great job for me now, it seems that there are many parts to my machine that are prone to failure, as I’m holidaying in Florida in a couple of weeks time, I may come back with a suitcase full of parts....enough for a complete rebuild maybe! LOL!

I can’t say for certain if these machines were sold at Harrod’s but I would suggest highly likely, as I remember some years ago walking around the electronics sections of large department stores and regularly seeing the Maytag’s and Whirlpool’s of the day. Eventually they disappeared to the Commercial suppliers only, although you could still pick them up, until a few years ago, from Costco, Makro etc.

I bought mine from eBay and had to book a courier company to collect and deliver it as the seller only delivered within his local area and we are a six hour drive away. Although he would be too far away to do any repairs, he may be a good source for parts though as he seems to sell TL quite regularly on eBay.

Thanks again
Allison

 

[foraloysius]

There are some British people participating in this website, but some others are more active in the Facebooik group called Service Wash. Some of the members like toploaders too. And some of the members know how to repair appliances i.e. earn their living with it. Here's a link to the group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/341793735911962/

 

[elvisfan]

Thank you very much, it’s good to know that it’s not just me in the UK that likes top loaders and this group sounds like it could be a wealth of knowledge also. Unlike my hubby and children, I have so far managed to avoid the trappings of social media so I have no accounts on any of them but thanks for posting the link. I may have to get them to look at the forum for me or possibly succumb to the inevitable and create an account! LOL!

 

[wft2800]

I've just tried to find the FB group, both via the link and searching, and not got anywhere... FB just keeps returning "Sorry, this content isn't available at the moment" errors.

 

[foraloysius]

Are you a member of Facebook?

 

[wft2800]

Louis, yep, I dunno why I've been unable to access it - maybe I asked to join ages ago and got blocked? No idea.

 

[foraloysius]

You should see the homepage then I think, but not sure.

 

[ozzie908]

Its defo there

Service Wash: The UK Vintage Washing Machine Group

 

[ozzie908]

Ooops

Wrong box lol

http://service Wash: The UK Vintage Washing Machine Group

 

[nickuk]

Welcome

Hi Allison

No apology needed for your lengthy first post; it was really interesting!

I remember getting really interested in top loaders in '88 on a trip to Toronto. Great machines for dealing with lots of heavy dirt very quickly. However - like you, not impressed with the recent `HE' idea!! I just got back from holiday yesterday and have been using the commercial Maytag HE efforts. Laundry barely cleaned and not at all rinsed - can you believe they are programmed to not even do the usual one deep rinse - they just spray rinse a few times then advance to final spin. On the inner lid it tells you that fabric conditioner is not possible and to use dryer sheets!!!! Whether or not you want to use softener, at least one proper rinse would be nice?!

Anyway - just a suggestion - have you room for a front loader next to your Admiral? Then you have the best of all worlds. You could save wear and tear on your TL (therefore likelihood of replacing parts) enjoy lower water consumption etc etc......

I take your point about `cupful of water' front loaders and have had a few of these. A Bosch I had in the nineties barely saturated the load. However they're not that bad any more - I think that was a bit of a nineties / noughties thing.

I took a punt on an AEG this year (glorified Zanussi) and it's no stranger to `half way up the door' fills. It takes 8kg - similar to a TL?? - and for the first time I can wash our king sized feather duvet without going to the launderette!!


You did make me laugh with your suitcase full of washer parts - I can just picture the scene at Gatwick customs control

Out of interest, which detergents do you like best in the Admiral and do you `Downy Ball'??

All the best, Nick

 

[elvisfan]

Hi Nick and thank you for the warm welcome and your reply. Hope you enjoyed your holiday, mine is coming up in a few days and I can’t wait! The villa we rent has a fabulous Whirlpool TL and matching dryer and is half the reason i have chosen to stay at this particular resort three times now....I wish I could fit those in my suitcase and bring them home haha!

Doesn’t sound like the commercial Maytag you were using was up to much .... not cleaning clothes, no deep rinse and no softener OMG! ...I’d be pulling my hair out! This is why I like the pre-water regs machines. Don’t get me wrong, although my Admiral has a 10kg capacity and I can choose the water level from as little as mini/low right up to super/high, I do try not to be a water hog and I make sure I choose the right level for each load. I very rarely use the extra rinse as I find the spray rinse followed by the deep rinse is enough.

You could have read my mind when you suggested having a front loader next to my top loader and I only wish I had the space.You may think I’m mad but I got rid of a full size slot in cooker and replaced it with a slimline one just to fit the TL in! I only have a galley kitchen but I do have a dining room and I keep threatening hubby that I will ditch the table, chairs and sideboard so I can fit in a TL, a FL and the Whirlpool dryer, that I will ask the owners of the villa we stay at, to ship across for me...I’m sure they won’t mind! LOL!

I can’t see that happening any time soon but I will definitely look at the AEG you suggested, it would be great to see that level of water again. I remember my brother once having a Zanussi when they became ‘very electronic’ and compared to the old style looked very ‘futuristic’...he loved it. My mum’s very first Hotpoint FL (the purple one) and later my very first Hotpoint (the brown one) both had that ‘halfway up the door’ level and both those machines lasted 15yrs with only a door seal and set of bushes replaced. I still have my Indesit FL which only had about four months use before I got the TL, it now resides under the stairs and has my Hotpoint Aquarius dryer sat on top of it! Do you have or have you had a TL to use along side your FL? What is/was your machine like?

As for my detergent preferences, I regularly use Persil Bio Small & Mighty and Ariel Professional, I like both of these liquids, I find they do a great job and I can also use them to pretreat stains before the wash. I also love to use Persil Powder (the hand wash/twin tub one) that smell takes me right back to being a little girl and my mums Hotpoint TL. The kitchen smelt divine and I was mesmerised watching the steaming clothes being lifted out of it with wooden clothes tongues and put through the mangle on top...isn’t it funny how a simple smell can evoke such memories?

Now funny you should ask about Downy Ball! I’m a ‘loiterer’ when doing my washing so at the moment I throw the softener in as the rinse water is filling but I may bring two or three back with me if I have any room left and can squeeze them into my suitcase along with Combo52’s parts list, a few varieties of Tide to try....and not forgetting a couple of boxes of Special K...proper Special K mmmm! ..... May need a shipping container at this rate!

Best wishes
Allison

 

[nickuk]

Hi Allison

Nice to hear from you. I hope that you have a lovely holiday and that you're not too frantically organising and packing. Choosing a holiday based on the washers they have? WELCOME to our gang!!!!!

I suppose I shouldn't judge the Maytag too much. It could be that the venue asked for them to be programmed like that to save water? I even tried the `heavy duty / hot' combination (crossing fingers as loading all wife's delicate tops!) but still just spray rinsing despite the 15 minute `wash'. To make matters worse the water pressure was next to nothing - so even the spray rinsing wasn't as it could have been.

Ah yes I see what you mean - just looked at your photo more closely and can just about see the slimline cooker. Just a thought - if the FL is under the stairs with the dryer on top - in theory if you could get a cold feed and drainage to that spot (electricity must already be there for the dryer) the washer could actually work in situ? I don't mean the current Indesit as I am assuming you don't like it - you could ebay that ebay and get something a bit more splashy! However I suppose that depends if the stairwell is on an outside wall. If not - I agree - who needs a table and chairs - rebrand your dining room as a wash house

Ah, the old Hotpoints. My favourites. Your mum's would have been a `Liberator' and yours possibly a New Gen or early Aquarius? Renowned for eating brushes though a doddle to replace really with the motor on the top. Plenty of good folk on here have those in their collections having lovingly restored them. My nan had a purple and Mum and Dad had a brown one too. Those Hotpoints and the Hoover Electrons / Logics were all over the place and all British built.

I've never owned a top loader. We had a utility room built about a year ago and I could EASILY have sorted a top loader and matching dryer in there but I decided not to as I wanted to have a worktop / folding area / usable space above the machines and a handwashing sink which wouldn't have fitted in with top loaders. Also - it's weird to explain - but the utility was built right adjacent to the conservatory so the glass looks right through to the back of the machines- front loaders were just kind of neater / lower and needed less of the adjoining windows to be obscured. That may or may not make any sense.......the photo might explain it better.

Do I regret not getting a TL? Yeah! Why was I being being Mr Sensible?!!! Still, who knows what the future may bring......I made sure there was a hot and cold feed installed behind the washer and a wide drain pipe so it's future proof.Though I would need to upgrade the electricity supply for a serious USA dryer because the electrician did his thing whilst I was at work and didn't do as asked - grrr.

I see you're mainly a liquid detergent user as am I. I think Persil bio S/M liquid is the best performer in a front loader but I don't like the scent. I wish I did. Do you slightly prefer either that or the Ariel, or do you think they are much of a muchness? A few weeks ago I used Ariel bio liquid on a 50c whites wash and my son's grubby cricket stuff came out still with the grass stains as fresh as they went in. So I went into geek test mode. Rewashed with LIDL Formil liquid which did a better job then Ariel. Rewashed with Persil - impeccable. I have had a few situations like that when Persil has just outperformed the competition quite significantly. I just wish I could get to like the scent.

I'll try and add a pic of the utility room and of my current detergent stash (USA / France / UK) which is frankly embarrassing - many of us on here suffer from being detergent super hoarders ha ha.

I was going to suggest not taking any clothes to make space in your case - but not only does that sound a bit wrong it also means you'd have nothing to wash! Take care.

 

[elvisfan]

Hi Nick,

Thank you for your reply and taking the time to share your pictures. Your utility room looks fabulous, I would be in my element there! I love that you have ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’...I’m rather liking the big fridge too! You did a great job of incorporating the utility at the side of your conservatory and I understand now what you mean about wanting a ‘low profile’ look because of your conservatory windows. The AEG washer and dryer look to be good solid machines and definitely handy to have the sink right next to them. Don’t regret being ‘Mr Sensible’ though ...sometimes you’ve just got to put ‘practicality and need’ over ‘want and like’....at least you have left yourself the option

I’m rather jealous as I live in a small end terrace house with a tiny back yard so extending out anywhere isn’t possible so, as you agreed earlier, who needs a dining room anyway? You never know, I could start a ‘wash house’ revival! Having said that, I still remember my parents ‘wash house’ (obviously it’s intended purpose to house the laundry equipment but was used instead as a tool shed before it got knocked through to extend their kitchen). As for utilising space under the stairs...sounds like a great idea but as you mentioned, not feasible as it’s not an outside wall.

Thanks for naming the Hotpoint’s for me. I think mine first one was the New Generation one, as the name rang a bell in my head when I read it. However, I stopped buying Hotpoint washers not long after they brought out the first ‘ultima’ machine, which if I remember correctly, was the first time they had used an electronic display. I remember it cost a lot back in the day and going off my previous experiences, I thought I was buying the ‘bees knees’ so thought it worth it for the advance in features and function, unfortunately, it never lived up to the advertising! This machine forever threw up error codes so I seemed to be endlessly calling for a technician to come and fix it. Needless to say, I did not have it very long and as soon as I could afford another washer, I went back to buying the £300-400 basic models and choosing other makes looking for the performance and longevity of my first FL. Until this, I was always very ‘brand loyal’ and at one stage all my large kitchen appliances were Hotpoint, having said that my cooker and dishwasher still are but either way it’s such a shame that nothing is built to last anymore

In answer to your question Persil ‘v’ Ariel...even though I like both, if I was told I could only choose one, it would have to be Persil and, unlike yourself, I love the smell, to me it smells very fresh but I have heard many others disagree and say that the chemical smell is overpowering. I think I remember reading a post somewhere, maybe here, that said the UK ‘white’ liquid version smells something like Dove soap but the imported German ‘blue’ liquid version is the one that has the stronger perfume. I buy mine from amazon pantry who I think are supplied with the Henkel ‘blue’ version so I haven’t tried the Unilever produced version so I cannot say if this is indeed fact and has the more gentle fragrance but it may be worth a try to get the results you like but without the smell you don’t

By the way...that’s an impressive ‘stash’ you have...detergents that is haha! What are your thoughts on these and do you have any favourites? I’m not sure if my collection will ever get that big, for one, I don’t have the space to store it, I have already ‘relocated’ my Hubby’s DVD collection from the shelves under the stairs to accommodate my ‘land of the giants’ as he calls them washing liquids and softeners (the Ariel professional I buy from Costco is in 5L bottles) and two, I’m not great on changing brands, even though I read good reviews for others whether they be a stores own brand or a well known make. I do on occasion try something new but only ever buy the smallest available so as not to have to continue to ‘use it up rather than waste it’ even though I don’t like it. I have only just become interested to try Tide because I’ve read some really good reviews on here about it and I understand the US now have a version of Persil also so I may be tempted to buy that while I’m over there so I can compare it to ours.

I laughed but I can see me having to follow your suggestion of taking no clothes, either that or I’ll end up paying excess excess baggage!

You take care too.
Allison

 

[nickuk]

a place for everything

It's true that I am a bit of a neat freak. It drives my wife and kids crazy - I have to chill out a bit. It must be bad if you can even tell from a few photos! That cupboard under the sink looks quite civilised and normal from the outside but of course houses all those detergents thereby concealing my strange obsession.

Thanks for your kind comments about the utility space. It was actually a bit of an afterthought; we had to have the garage rebuilt as it was literally falling down (yawn) and I just kind of thought `what if......' the builders thought I was mad but got on with it and in the end admitted it was a good idea. Plus we now have a door through from the utility to the garage rather than having to access it from outside which is a total bonus.

The AEG set are OK - again it was a `sensible' decision for various reasons like the doors being able to open the right way (all Electrolux dryers have user reversible doors) and offering the right cycles. I love a 50c cycle for whites / lights / sheets and many washers jump straight from 40 to 60. I also like to have a 1000 rpm spin option whereas many jump from 800 to 1200. Fussy ain't I?! Anyway the AEG offered all that whereas at the same price point the (better built) Bosch ones didn't. One thing I STILL hate (I told myself to get over it) is the condenser dryer - I have never ever had one I liked but still I bought this one. I think they dry too hot and make the washing smell funny. The AEG dryer is frankly ridiculous with all the cycles and options. I am old skool but to me a dryer needs a timer, a low or high heat option and a start button! That's all! Practicality dictated though - the dryer is not near an outside wall. And it had to match the washer........

Others may chip in with exact dates etc but Hotpoint's first all electronic machine was actually quite early - mid eighties? My aunt had one. It was good - the original - like the basic ones but with a posh sloping panel and all buttons. It was still number 5 for the normal warm wash etc. It went through various redesigns and yes - some were badged Ultima. I bought one in 2004 which like you I thought would be fab but was actually `jump across the kitchen sparking' awful (just having had our first of three sons - great) and after a fight I had it refunded - like you, from then on I pretty much avoided Hotpoint. However I hear that things have picked up again and to be fair they are still Britain's number one washing machine brand with Bosch (a not very close) second. I always think Hotpoint look nice with the various colour combinations - perhaps that's part of the appeal vs the more Germanic (but better built) ones.

In terms of Persil - yes, I was referring to the UK supermarket (Unilever) bio product which is the scent I don't like despite the good performance. The liquid is actually blue though despite the bottle being green. Sorry for assuming you were referring to the same product. The Henkel Persil is a completely different product. If yours is blue it must be the colour variant or Top of Line Proclean? Regular (bio) Henkel Persil liquid is also green and in a see-through bottle- infact it's pretty much the same product as my `Le Chat' green liquid -that's what Henkel sell it as in France. That smells nice - kind of piney. I'm rubbish at describing scents. I'm pretty sure (to save you suitcase space!) that the Persil in the US is also Henkel Persil - imported and with a hefty price tag over there. Tide's pretty unique and the original one I have is great though I got that from Amazon too! `Tide with bleach' is pretty well thought of I think. Downy April fresh though is really similar to Lenor Summer, Bounce Outdoor is also v similar to Lenor Summer tumble sheets.

Have a fab holiday and please don't be a stranger - pop back on here to update us on how you get on! Best wishes, Nick