New to me WP, plus questions

[lordkenmore]

I've never understood why Frigidaire decided on that agi

Who knows? If I had to guess--only a guess--it might have been a case of a cheap to make agitator that looked impressive.

 

[murando531]

You could see about finding the dual-action version for that machine, I believe it will fit the same way. Just in case it could be used as a secondary, as Malcolm said.

I actually have always liked the Frigidaire/White design. My Aunt Robin's (not to be mistaken with the other aunt that ruins her washers) machine is a '98 model with the larger tub and DA agitator, and it still runs multiple times a day without a care in the world. I found a video of one identical to hers interior-wise, although much cleaner. That unique whirr-whomm-whirr-whomm of the Franklin transmission is even the same, though hers doesn't have that rhythmic knocking sound the machine in this video has.

I believe Frigilux has one of the last models of this machine, if he still has it. I'm still on the lookout for one to cleanup and restore, and adjust the water level switch to the proper level. I think like any machine if you load it right, it honestly is a pretty good washer. Hers has never had a problem with rollover even with heavy loads, so I think this design really depends on what agitator and tub it is paired with. The indexing has always been a fun quirk to me, and it seems like it keeps everything balanced as well.

I think a lot of people have the wrong impression of the indexing in these machines. It seems that some have the idea that the agitator is oscillating in place and the load and tub are spinning around it, which would indeed cause a huge tangle. Realistically, the agitator is also turning with the tub, and if you were a "fly on the basket" and were looking at the agitator from the point of view of the moving tub during operation, the agitator would be oscillating back and forth to the same points in relation to the tub just as it looks in a machine where the tub is braked in place.

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[murando531]

Found one video of this agitator's wash action. I'm surprised that with as advanced a control board as this machine has, it only has the single-piece agitator and the small tub. I can see how those slanted vanes could help push clothes down in a way, Yogi, seeing it in action.

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[lordkenmore]

>To put it quite simply you have gone from one of the worst Tl designs EVER to possibly the BEST.
Enjoy your Whirlpool and the freedom from that horrid excuse of a washer. You and your clothes will be much happier.

That thought had occurred to me. I was quite happy to see a DD appear, frankly. I am not sure I'd consider a DD the "best ever." Of the washers I've used, I think actually the best I've used is a BD Kenmore.

But...the WP DD is probably the best for the current circumstances. A BD is 30+ years old now, and had my landlady snagged one, it would likely be a tired wreck. With luck, this DD should cause me zero trouble, and if something does go wrong, they are supposedly quite easy to work on.

Past this, this one seems clean. I am not thinking cosmetics, I am thinking about the inside of the machine. There is a slight scent of detergent, but that is all. This is a big deal: about the time the Frigidaire appeared, the first option tried was a Hotpoint from elsewhere on the property. That Hotpoint had been used on nothing but cold water for at least 2 years. It REEKED of mold/mildew. I spent at least a couple of nights running that thing with warm water (water heater is 120 degrees), detergent, bleach, endless soaking/agitation (I still remember working at the computer, hearing the machine pause, and I'd race out to reset the timer to get more wash time). And...after that...it still positively reeked. Maybe I could have done something, but when the Frigidaire appeared, I decided I'd swap machines just to have something that would work.

I am also relieved the DD is a top load. I don't think a front load machine would work well in that laundry room.

 

[lordkenmore]

>That is a pretty well featured model. I wouldn't drag it to the curb just yet. It might just need a new belt to resolve your spin issue. And there is an array of agitators that will fit it.

I have contemplated keeping it around as a second machine...but we'll see. Ultimately, not my machine, not my decision, and I suspect my landlady will want it gone to keep things "tidy." But we'll see what happens.

We already had one battle over that washer. She wanted to pull that Frigidaire the day the new appliances were delivered. But the installation had to wait for a number of reasons, and past that--based on bitter past experience (note my comments about that Hotpoint that reeked of mold above)--I wanted to make sure the new machine works the way it should before the old machine goes.

 

[lordkenmore]

>not that their considered the greatest, my MIL has a Kenmore version since 2002, and still running strong, it has a dual action agitator matched to it...surviving this long without a single repair, knocking on wood!

Haven't I read someone theorize that Frigidaire machines either ended up very short lived, or else lasted and lasted?

This one I've been using is about 20 years old, although no idea how heavily used it was. Originally owned by an older retired woman, and then there was a known spell when her house was only lived in a few weeks a year. So...it could be relatively low mileage unit.

 

[lordkenmore]

>Hers has never had a problem with rollover even with heavy loads, so I think this design really depends on what agitator and tub it is paired with.

The agitator choice probably makes a huge difference. The Frigidaire I used years back didn't--as I recall--work as well with rollover. At least, it was more temperamental with loading/water level. It was probably a lower end unit, and it might well have had a poor agitator design.

Then, again, maybe I've merely adjusted after all this time, and know what to do automatically without thinking.

Or else there might be some quirk specimen to specimen.

 

[revvinkevin]

WP washer - A couple tips for you John

 

 

John we have the exact same WP washer at my work for shop towels, etc.  Yes it's a basic "2 knob wonder" but it works well.   I rigged the lid switch so it will always run, lid open or closed.   I did this by opening the control panel and adding a jumper wire to (between) the wires for the lid switch.   Another option could be to add a toggle switch to the back of the control panel and connect it to the lid switch wires in the same way so the bypass is switchable, not permanent. 

 

I also drilled out the hot water side of the inlet valve to produce a much better flow.   If it were my own personal machine I would have used an even larger drill bit than I did (see the link).

 

So far the machine has proved to be a workhorse as well.   One weekend a year or so ago we worked a weekend for a special project and I ran 26 loads through that machine in a 14 hour period!

 

Also, a quick tip.   Do NOT use the "low" water level for any reason!   The level is SO low that the uber fast agitation splashes the water up and over the top of the tub and down the inside of the cabinet!   I found the floor wet around the washer a few times.

 

I hope all this helps!

Kevin

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?45957

 

[lordkenmore]

Yes, Kevin, what you say helps. I am particularly glad to know about the low level water problem. (What was WP thinking?!?)

Modifying the inlet valve is an option I'll keep in mind. At this point, it's not a relevant issue--the laundry room's hot water supply doesn't work--all hot water comes in by bucket. (One test that washer needed to pass, in fact, was whether the washer would work if water was added directly, not by inlet valve. I didn't expect a problem, but in this era of mechanisms to dumb down temperatures, water levels, etc, I figure it doesn't hurt to be paranoid.) Eventually, the plumbing might get fixed, and at that point, a modification might be in order.

I have also contemplated bypassing the lid switch, but haven't decided. We'll see how I feel when it goes into service, I suppose. Part of me would like to do it, but then there would be the probable need to reverse the bypass job when I reach the point of moving on. No idea when that might happen, but I suspect that washer will be here longer than I will be.

 

[lordkenmore]

Washer & Dryer now in service

I finally got around to installing the washer last week. But now the washer is in service.

I won't pass judgment until I've used it more. That said, things seem to be going well. Shredmore or not, there are no huge gaping holes in any clothing yet. LOL

But I can already identify one irritation: I don't like the approach of using one dial to set both time and temperature approach. Time and temperature are two separate settings. Even worse, perhaps, the cold water has the shortest time. Ummm...haven't I heard that when using tap cold water, the agitation time needs to increase to compensate for the lower temperature? (Of course, it's probably other issues at work. Whirlpool probably doesn't want to seem "energy insensitive". They want to avoid: "What are they thinking? 10 minutes of hot water, and then it goes RIGHT DOWN THE DRAIN? And they give you 18 minutes of time with cold water?!?")

In any case, I wish WP had put a separate switch. I don't know anything about washer production, but surely that couldn't cost much. Of course, this could be one of those "make it look cheap, so the customer will cough up the money to move up to the next machine" moves...

Although I suppose that the single knob system probably works well enough for most people most of the time...

 

[lordkenmore]

Oh...yes, as for the Frigidaire... It is lingering in a corner, and I've heard no plans to remove it. I am guessing it won't happen any time soon, if at all, due to the need to get a vehicle that can haul it off. We'll see. I hope the Frigidaire does stay because it does have a true delicate cycle. Just in case, I am on a washing binge to wash up stuff like blankets, etc.

 

[DADoES]

Single Control

 
Easy enough to reset the timer to the desired wash time after filling is done.