supersurgilator
Well-known member
can you show a money shot of the horizon? I'd like t see what agitator it has.
New to me WP, plus questions
- Thread starter lordkenmore
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lordkenmore
Well-known member
can you show a money shot of the horizon?
Of course. Some pictures:
Of course. Some pictures:
whirlcool
Well-known member
No direct drive model made in about the last 12 years will agitate with the lid up. For older models that will agitate with the lid up, closing the lid after agitation stops should not interfere with neutral drain. If it does, that's just a quirk of your machine.
Our machine is a 1993 TOL model. It has always had the ability to agitate with the lid up.
Our machine is a 1993 TOL model. It has always had the ability to agitate with the lid up.
That's because it's over 12 years old. Whirlpool changed the location of the lid switch circuit in their DD's around 2003. All DD models since then have the lid switch in the motor neutral circuit or the machine L1 line circuit (on load sense models) which means with the lid open, the drive motor will not function at all.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
This machine definitely does have the lid switch for both agitate and spin. And it's hidden. An annoyance, since I like to be able to see the clothes agitate. Not just as a "washer fan" but also it gives a sense of whether all is well or not.
If you get a small flash light and look under the left hinge of the lid, you'll see the switch. It's basically like a little "C" shaped opening for an extended part of the hinge to pop up into. My weapon of choice for these was just the cap to a ball point pen, with the little stem for the pocket clip on it. Just put the stem part in and you may have to twist it, but that should throw the switch.
I've never understood why Frigidaire decided on that agitator design, as the top part doesn't actually rotate on its own as a normal dual-action does. Seems like the counter-clockwise stroke would defeat the effort to roll the load over as the slanted vanes would push upward on anything directly against them.
You have been upgraded 300%:
That WP will wash and rinse many times better and be much more reliable than the pile of S#!t it replaced.
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.
WK78
That WP will wash and rinse many times better and be much more reliable than the pile of S#!t it replaced.
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.
WK78
for what its worth, that WCI agitator was one of their better designs for causing a load to turn over, yeah, the top slant fins don't seem like they would do much of anything, but considering the way the tub does extreme indexing, this really comes into play of pushing clothes down versus them rotating in a circle of a regular straight vane...
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!
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!
mrb627
Well-known member
Frigidaire
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.
Malcolm
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.
Malcolm
May I just note...
... that anybody on this side of the pond could be jealous of your ability to change one of the most important parts on a washer in terms of cleaning with little to no effort. There is close to no chance of doing so here without buying an entirely different machine.
... that anybody on this side of the pond could be jealous of your ability to change one of the most important parts on a washer in terms of cleaning with little to no effort. There is close to no chance of doing so here without buying an entirely different machine.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
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.
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.
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.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
lordkenmore
Well-known member
>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.
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
Well-known member
>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.
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
Well-known member
>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.
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
Well-known member
>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.
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.
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
www.automaticwasher.org
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
Correcting "dumbed down" hot water flow
I know there has been a lot of discussion this recently and I believe there is little you can do with the computerized and temp controlled machines. However the "more basic" washers you can do something about. This is a pretty BOL machine we have at work, a single speed, 2 knob...
www.automaticwasher.org
lordkenmore
Well-known member
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.
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.
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