Newest Whirlpool duet explosion found....

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On our Duet, I really don't see much of a difference on the medium spin setting on the normal cycle. It sounds like it only spins 50 rpm less or so from its full 1200rpm when using the medium spin speed on normal. You can only select high, "medium" and no spin. Slow is not an option for some reason though.
 
you would want a high speed spin to get the items as dry as

Well in theory yes, but actual practice is another matter.

High spin speeds place great stress on parts of a H-Axis washer. These are multiplied if the load is unbalanced and or very heavy. End result is almost always the same; shortened lifespan of the machine as rear bearings, shock absorbers/suspension system and or other parts such as drum spider simply become worn out.

It is totally possible to build/design H-Axis washer to withstand high G-force spins and keep in keeping on; lord knows commercial units have done so for ages, this however costs money.

Even Miele washers from certain build series are not immune to the stress of frequent high speed final spins. If you search the Internet there are plenty of reports of 1900 series units with failed rear bearings and other such problems. In particular the 1918 series which IIRC had final spin speeds up to 1600rpms.

Miele seems to have learned from that mistake and future washers stopped at 1400 rpms spins IIRC. Indeed it does seem even in Europe final spin speeds of 1600, 1800 fell out of favor. The stress placed upon the washer versus returns in terms of extra moisture removed just isn't worth bothering with.

Largest difference in terms of water extraction comes when going from say 800rpms to 1000rpms or up to 1400rpms. After that the moisture extracted really isn't much. That is the one percent or so (maybe less) increase in moisture removal has nil to no impact in (machine) drying times.
 
I use the Bulky Cycle on my LG FL for heavy items like rugs, king comforters, king bedspeads, ect. The spin speed is limited to med., the default spin speed, or low. When the heavy load is done, I run a spin only on ex. high of high for extra extraction, There is never a problem with the machine spinning at the the higher speed once the majority of the water weight is gone after the med. spin. This really helps to reduce the dry times and only takes a few mins. extra time.
 
Basic laws of physics

Concrete weights are on top to exert downward pressure/weight to counter the upwards forces generated by the suds container.

Concrete is actually the cheap way out, better machines such as Miele and some other European brands used or still use cast iron. This accounts for the bulk/weight of these machines.

Concrete blocks can and often breakdown. That and or one good "bang" from an out of balanced load will cause them to break.

There are two schools of design when it comes to front loaders and counter weights. The older model which used heavy materials such as cast iron thus affording protection allowing washers to spin a badly unbalanced load without damage (much) and remain relatively stable.

The other school which you see more and more of today with modern machines is to have electronics control the machine to minimize unbalanced load and thus any potential damage while keeping things stable.

My older Miele washer has only a set number of attempts to balance/distribute a load. When the timer says "lets roll" it will spin regardless, banging, clanging and vibrating away. This was pretty much the same for all older front loaders even those with concrete counter weights.

Now my more modern Oko-Lavamat uses sensors and computers to control drum movements. If it is determined a load isn't balanced enough to spin properly either it won't or will do so slowly. That or it will stop and attempt to redistribute the load into something that can be handled.

These new out of balance controls are a response to front loaders that spun badly unbalanced loads an in the process not only damaged themselves but often anything around them. The problem is depending upon how the things are programmed they can be too sensitive to unbalanced loads. Thus you hear complaints about machines taking ages to rev up to spin speeds and or simply giving up and not spinning at all.
 
Spin Sploding washers AGAIN??I would think the washer builders would have better safety sense in their machines to STOP them and give and audible and visible alert(the washers display LCD screen)that the load is unbalanced.Even if the user chooses the wrong cycle the machine should be able to protect itself and the user and his property.It should shut down if the load becomes too unbalanced.These machines are starting to resemble aircraft engines on test stands!Engine builders do whatever they can to PREVENT Spin Sploding engines!!!It would seem if science and man can build aircraft engines with fan assemblies spinning at 4,000 RPM and weighing close to half a ton in weight we can do it with washers.And these engines have cowlings designed to withstand a thrown fan blade.Guess we can line washers with Kevlar as in those airplane engines!
And as John says--DO NOT wash waterproof matteress covers or other objects in high speed spin washers.This is a an application for older design TL washers.
 
Spin Sploding Washers

We don't know what happened here.

If you put a plastic covered mattress pad in any washer ever built and the machine balances properly and gets up to full speed and then the plastic covers ruptures and the load suddenly becomes unbalanced the washer can be destroyed. This is like throwing a cinder block in a machine while spinning at full speed.

Speed Queen FL washers do use only cast iron counter balance weighs,this is part of the reason they can out between 3 or more regular FL washers.

http://
 
Although I am just guessing...I shudder to think of a nail salon washing their towels in cold water! 

Yuck!

Want to punish me for life?  Make me work in a nail salon dealing with nasty toes and nails day in and out.

 
 
more proof that companys should stick to making top load onl

well to me its more proof that comapnys like whirlpool ge maytag and speed queen should stick to making topload washers and fully discontinu making front load because seeing the last vid proves to me that i am making a wise choices going back to a top load washer when my duet set breaks
 
stick to making top load only

Top load machines have had catastrophic failures too.

Part of the reason that we occasionally see this problem today is because modern machines make an actual attempt to spin out the water from the load. Except for a very odd mechanical failure due to a defect, all these spinsplosions are due to improper use of the machine in some way.

Pretty sure a rock in a stream has never had a catastrophic failure either. Perhaps we should all go back to this advanced form of laundry...
 
The Combo link doesn't work-but can get what we are saying about matteress covers and such.If water is trapped in it and the washer balances and gets up to speed-then the water in the cover shifts---SPIN-SPLODE!!!So--don't wash these sort of things in a FL machine.then times I have washed tarps,shower curtains,Stop the machine justafter it drains and shake out water pockets in the item-then let the machine continue to spin.After rinse-shake out the item again after the drain.If its a SC-just put it back up at that point-skip the last spin.In my area-wash Shower curtains frequently to avoid mildew.When I visit Best Buy and Lowes-now see warnings on Samsung and LG washers-both FL&TL about washing such things.
Sort of sad about the nail salon using essentually a residentual-household machine for commercial use.The warantees would be invalid in that case.Best Buy pointed that out to the owners.I can also agree with KB0nes about waterproof items in the wash-if you have the ultra high speed spin FL or TL washer-don't do those things in them.It is fortunate no kids or washer spectators have been hurt from these.Both would like to watch the machine working.Think I will stick with older TL machines.Don't want to turn my laundry area into an engine test stand.
 
TL washers-new high speed ones fail too-many episodes of that on YouTube-yes--mostly due to user abuse.They need to read the owners manual and warning labels posted on the machine!Samsung,LG.
 
Plastic Toys

Plastic is for toys. Steel is for washing machines.

Did they confess to washing anything other than towels in this machine at the times of failure?

How is this incident operator error?

Malcolm
 
I do't like the plastic sneaking into these machines,either esp for any critical load bearing parts.Funny,in all of these Spin-splode incidents there isn't any mention of what was being washed.Did the operators select the proper cycles for the loads?Too much now in question.
 
@Malcolm

If this Spa is somewhat logicly set up, they have one place to wash theit towels.

This would be where the Samsung was placed. But, there only was 1 washer in this place.

Now, a Spa has an extraordinary high throughput of towels.

You put a washer, designed for household use, which means 1 load per day on average, maybe 2, in a commercial use, which means 4-5 loads per day approx. Then, you operate it for 4 years straight this way.

And, given my basic knowledge of physics and washers, such catastrophic failures only occur on such standard loads like towels if the system was somehow weakend before.
This means any suspension part (spider, bearings, absorbers etc.) had to be damaged. And give these parts barley ever fail at once, and if something breaks, its rather easy recognized, the user most likely had to recognize it and just operated the machine on, without doing something about it.
 
I think a lot of these spin sploding problems could be solved with some decent amounts of engineering. Maybe I don't see the whole picture but:

1. They could use a steel outer tub with foam cushions on the cabinet so it could absorb the impact of the outer tub smacking into the cabinet.
2. They could use a heavier gauge steel to withstand the outer tub smacking into the cabinet. Also, heavier bolts to hold the machine together.
3. Sturdy steel braces held in with bolts on each corner of the cabinet.
4. They could put accelerometers on the outer tub to determine if and when a collision event is happening.
5. A high tension tub brake that can bring the inner tub to a quick stop (ie. As in, less than two full rotations) in the event of a collision.

Of course, all of this would mean more cost to the consumer.. Am I missing something here? Is this just a pipe dream?

Just some ideas...

One thing I can't understand is how Fridgidaire was able to design a washer which had a spin speed of over 1000 RPM back in the 1950's and they didn't have any spin sploding issues? (Maybe nobody washed plastic mattress covers back then?)
 
Spin Sploding Washers

Hi Bud, most of the things you list are much too expensive to install on automatic washers, also SSWs are not a big problem, probably less than than one-in-a-million will ever suffer such a failure and to my knowledge no one has ever been injured by a washer SS.

 

Even if a brake was applied as the washer went out of control it would still be totaled almost instantly, and if a 1957 Unimatic Frigidaire washer suddenly went out of balance at full speed it would severely damage itself if not destroy itself.
 
Spin Sploding Washers

Hi Bud, most of the things you list are much too expensive to install on automatic washers, also SSWs are not a big problem, probably less than than one-in-a-million will ever suffer such a failure and to my knowledge no one has ever been injured by a washer SSing.

 

Even if a brake was applied as the washer went out of control it would still be totaled almost instantly, and if a 1957 Unimatic Frigidaire washer suddenly went out of balance at full speed it would severely damage itself if not destroy itself.

 

Even though automobiles are designed to crash they still get destroyed in the process, in the very rare and unlikely event a washer crashes it is just not something that is practical to try to design around, IMEO.
 
Every now and then contemplate purchasing a larger

Capacity front loader, and maybe will do so one of these days if and or when Big Bertha finally goes...

But quite honeslty our local laundromat recently went through a refit with all new SQ electonically controlled front loaders. They spin between wash and all rinses with the largest holding 50lbs or so. For about $8 and change (chosing certain cycles increases cost by $.25/ea.) can do large loads that would take several hours if done either in the Miele or Oko-Lavamat. Best of all am not putting either machine through long cycle duty hours.

Just as with the machines show in the above vid can cram the drum on these machines full of at least five, six or more full sets of bed linen (two sheets and four pillow slips each) and things will still compact down to the drum being barely half full once wet. Bed linen is rarely markedto the point of needing advances cycles for stain removal. If there are any marks a bit of pre-treating before things are sent to the wash solves that problem.

At $8/ea. use it would take ages for me to equal the cost of a SQ or (when it was around) Miele 4000 series washer. Best of all don't have to worry about the service and maintenance issues. Yes, one gives up some comfort in having to go out; and if one lived in a more rural or suburban area probably would feel differently. But the laundormat is just down the street and round corner. Can load up machine, start, and go home only to return when things are done.
 
Extractors Have Long Gone From Most NYC Laundromats

At least. Cannot recall the last time one has seen one.

Apparently there is/was a huge liability issue which meant often mat owners couldn't obtain insurance if an extractor was on premises. This was for coin operated laundries, not sure about other commercial sorts.

Mat owners either love or hate the things....http://www.coinwash.com/mb/showthread.php?t=985

Now if one could lay hands on a Montex extractor (hint a member has one....) like Martha Stewart has at Skylands that would be another story.....

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?4115
 
I remember a laundramat in Florida that had a coin operated Bock spinner.When I used it-followed its instructions printed on the machine label-and had no problems-was even fun to use.A woman tried to use it-but didn't follow the instructions-it shredded her clothes and she was running around the laundramat steaming mad!We made jokes about her----"Woman chokes to death from flying washcloth!" now I guess that wouldn't e so funny.Haven't seen extractors in laundry places in a very long time-the one I used was like almost 50 yrs ago!Back in the days when folks weren't blaming each other for things and folks operated machines properly.Yes,as pointed out--laundry places can no longer afford the liability insurance for a spinner-extractor.
 
Extractor vs FL washer

Per the coinwash thread, a 35 lb. Bock extractor generated 800G. Undoubtedly a huge improvement over laundromat machines, especially hard mount. But not that much more than a "high performance" home FL. My Miele W4840 at 1400 RPM generates 600G according to calculations I made a while ago. If it spun at 1600 RPM it would generate 800G, probably a small improvement over 600G extraction-wise.
 
We also must not forget drum diameter

When calculating extraction results.

Amount of moisture extracted is directly related in proportion to not only speed of spin but size of drum.

For instance once you get past say 20lb capacity or so you stop seeing spin speeds >1400 rpms or so. Not only is the need for such speed reduced by the larger drum diameter allowing same extraction at lower speeds, but there is a great danger of having large to uber sized machines spinning at very high speeds.

Contrary to popular belief once you get above a certain weight class for commercial H-axis washers most are soft mounted, not hard. This is because of the forces generated during extraction are transmitted down though the machine to the floors and throughout the building. With a hard-mount it is said you can stand anywhere in a building and tell when machines are spinning. Indeed at local laundromat when the 50lb SQ coin-op machines are spinning a large and unbalanced load you can feel the vibrations even when standing several feet away.

Extractors made sense first back in the day when washers did just that, washed and rinsed. You moved laundry to another machine (the extractor) to remove water. That or used a wringer I suppose.

For Laundromats when top loaders dominated again there was a need for extractors to cut drying time as early units had very low spin speeds. Indeed so did many front loaders.

Today many coin operated and even OPL front loaders have realized the value of high "G-force" extraction so the value of a Bock or similar machine is often nil.
 

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