Old Kenmore Washer yr???

[de_sweetness1]

My in-laws have had this washer and we were doing some cleaning. So we decided to look into it and see how old it is and possibly how much it would be worth. It is electric and it does run when plugged in but not sure if it actually works since we didn't have water hooked up to it.
It is a little dirty and dusty yet. AND I just took a picture of it outside we don't have it stored outside. Thats just where it was when I needed to get a picture of it =) So no worries!!!

Wish I had a better picture the other ones didn't load up onto my computer!

 

[turquoisedude]

OMG - this one looks very much like the 1951 Kenmore I recently acquired!  

 

[in2itdood]

I have one from 1952

I paid $100 for mine ...and it is a sudsaver =).

 

[goatfarmer]

Early 50's model. Value? Depending on condition, does it run, does it leak, etc. Definately going to need a resto, which will affect value.

 

[stan]

I wonder how much

it is to ship to Ca?

 

[de_sweetness1]

condition

Well it is a little dirty (obvisouly you can tell in the pic) But it would definately need to be restored but its actually not in that bad of condition as in cosmetic looking.

As for it working not sure . . we plugged it in and it does act like its putting water in the tub but again because we didn't have water hooked up I don't know if it actually works. But I think its a good sign that it runs right??

So Mr. Goatfarmer . . . what would you value it at as is . . but cleaned up?

 

[stan]

Think

if it's still outside, you might want to run a extension cord to it, and a garden hose to the cold water inlet, and try to see if it will fill, and run thru a full cycle.
You also be able to tell if it leaks underneath ect. Vacuum out the tub if there is dirt in it first LOL

If for some reason it dose not spin, or pump dose not pump out water, you can just shut off and lower the drain hose to the ground to drain out (outside)

We will be able to tell you more after knowing this, also a pic of the back of the machine will help.

 

[revvinkevin]

what would you value it at as is . . but cleaned up?

 

It's difficult to place a value on anything based on a brief desctiption and one photo.  

 

Anyone could say "Oh it's so old, it's gotta be worth $1000 or more."  However the bottom line is, it's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay, regardless of what the owner / seller thinks it's worth.

 

3 weeks ago I bought a top-of-the-line 1964 Maytag washer & dryer.   They've been in storage the last 15 years, they're in far from perfect condition and the seller was asking a good chunk of change for them.   While there I made sure to plug them in, but they did nothing, no movement, no buzzing, no humming, nothing.   I did buy them, but for less than half of the sellers asking price.

 

Not that I'm looking for an early 50's Kenmore, but if it were local, I would probably only pay $50 - $100 for it, depending on if it works / leaks / etc.

 

I agree with Stan.   Take the time to clean it up, hook it up and try running it through a cycle and make sure it works and doesn't leak.  

 

Kevin 

[this post was last edited: 7/26/2012-13:18]

 

[goatfarmer]

I was thinking like Kevin, condition unknown, $100.00 or so.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

If you hook water up to the mixing valve...

And only put a hose on the cold side, water may reverse out the hot side, and make you think the valve is bad. Just an FYI on that.

The best way to fill the machine is with a hose put inside the basket. The fill valve won't be an issue that would deter a serious collector, even if it doesn't work, not in my view anyway...

I agree with Kevin and the others who said the machine may be worth $100 or so. It all truly depends on what that model is worth to certain individuals. There is not a "blue-book of value" for these machines. They are more personal to the individual who wants one of these.

Gordon

 

[in2itdood]

$$$

I agree, the machine is in the $100 range (especially if working). I paid $100 for my 52 Kenmore ... and it is in good working condition.

I paid a bit more for the 49 Whirlpool in my avatar picture ... but it is in practically mint condition .. as it sat on a whirlpool showroom floor for about 55 years and was never used.

 

[combo52]

Testing Your Old Kenmore washer

This washer has a Thermostatically controlled water valve, if you connect only a cold water source to it and if the valve is working properly it will not fill at all unless the cold water supply is around 100 degrees. The best way to test this or any machine is to hook it up properly and run at least 5-10 loads of laundry through it. The inlet valve in this machine is a big deal if it doesn't work because neither the valve or parts for it are still available, however a newer valve can be substituted which will give you hot, warm instead of medium and will give cold instead of warm for wash and all the rinses.

 

Even if this machine performs perfectly it will not do so for long unless it was completely rebuilt in the last twenty years or so and then not used much or at all. If it is in reasonably good working condition I would place the value between $100-300.

 

[stan]

Thanks John

for pointing this out!
Had no idea that there was a thermostatically controlled valve used on this machine.

I'm curious to know how it worked! Could'nt have been a pneumatic signal ? Was it just some sort of temp spring?
Got a fascination about it now LOL. Do tell !

 

[combo52]

Theromostaic Water Inlet Valves

These used a Bi-Metal Spring that responds to temperature changes by either expanding or shrinking in length. The bi-metal spring is built into the inlet valve assembly and senses the water temperature as it leaves the valve assembly. It is attached to a plunger that can move back and forth within the valve body and regulate the ratio of hot or cold water flowing through the inlet valve when the valve is operating in the warm water mode.

 

The most common special problems with these valves was that the regulating plunger would get stuck and not work respond to temperature changes any longer. The other problem these valves often suffered from was bad back flow preventers that were installed in the hot and cold inlets behind the inlet screens. If these back flow preventers fail and you leave the hot and cold valves open to the washer you could get hot and cold water mixing in the homes plumbing system.

 

Most early automatic washers used these inlet valves but they gradually faded from use and were completely gone by the late 1960s in North American washers. Frigidaire used an interesting thermostatic valve on a few of its mid 1950s machines that had a bi-metal spring attaches to the outlet of a standard two coil inlet valve. This spring had a little single pole double throw micro-switch attached to it. When warm water was selected it would always start water flowing from the hot side of the valve and as the water warmed up the bi-metal would flex and switch over to cold. The rate of changing back and forth was determined by the temperature on the incoming hot and cold water. This early Frigidaire system worked very much like the systems that were introduced on KM DD washers in the late 1980s and are still in use today on almost all Automatic washers today, it is interesting how we have gone full circle.

 

[philr]

Here's the Frigidaire valve (made by Robertshaw) John is talking about. The microswitch and bi-metal spring around the water outlet are behind this bakelite cover. 

 

[stan]

Thank you

John, for explaining, and Phil for showing! Almost looks like a mini voltage regulator for a old car !

Creative engineering at it finest!

With this type valve set up, could "de sweetness 1" by pass this ( valve probably dose not function now anyway) by filling with garden hose, setting dial to rinse, see if it will agitate, spin, and of course see if timer advances ?? ( gravity grain if needed)

I would think that anyone that would consider buying this will want to know if it leaks, if the motor works, timer advances ect And she will need to know before hanging a price on it.