POD 3/11: WCI Frigidaire Washer

[frigilux]

Having confessed that I've developed a soft spot in my heart for these red-headed stepchildren early-'80s Frigidaires, it is galling to see even the top-of-the-line had only 2 speed combinations at this point, along with a Whirlpool-like wimpy spin speed of 515.

Changes in water usage are staggering: The pictured TOL machine used 53 gallons of water to wash an 18-lb. load. My 2010 Frigidaire front-loader uses 13. How things have changed.

 

[mrb627]

Sanitize

These machines had a very long spray rinse that accounts for a lot of water usage.

 

What exactly did the 'Sanitize' option do differently on these washers?

 

Malcolm

 

[ingliscanada]

Norge Dryer

I see this is the post-GM Frigidaire set. The washer is definately Franklin-WCI, but the dryer looks Norge-ish to me. If I'm right, I think WCI sold some Norge-built dryers.

Gary

 

[pierreandreply4]

to me they look pre westinghouse because of the agi desing and the way the recirculating filter is and the washer looks pretty easy to use.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Is it me, or is this ad touting a lot of stuff as "features" that would otherwise be expected in a mid-line set from this time? When did this ad come out, sometime in 1980 or later?

A push-to-start button on the dryer???? I thought every dryer had them by that time, and that they were a government regulation?

A cold-water wash option? I think darn near every washer on the market had that by 1981, including all KMs.

Manual lint filter? They should have concealed that deal! I believe most buyers expected self-cleaners by then. Kenmore had two 70-series washers with a manual filter and DA agitator in 1981's line - they lasted about 6 or 7 months when 1982 models replaced them that were identical but had self-cleaners.

Easy servicing on the dryer? Are they expecting them to need a lot of that?

Sorry, this ad just shouted out to me "We don't have many innovative features to offer you, so here's what we have that you can expect everywhere!"

Gordon

 

[peterh770]

The washer is pure WCI. They continued to make the GM 1-18 dryer for a little bit longer. That dryer is the GM design.

I'm sure the TOL washer had 4 speed combinations in the fabric selector. Lazy WCI people would not have reprogrammed the switch. The cold water option switch is to override the fabric selection switch.

Left side Permanent Press (all slow spin/cold rinse):
Sturdy: hot/cold/fast/slow
Regular: warm/cold/fast/slow
Knits/Delicates: warm/cold/slow/slow

Right side Regular (all fast spin/warm rinse):
Colorfast: hot/warm/fast/fast
Noncolorfast: warm/warm/fast/fast
Special: warm/warm/slow/fast

 

[appliguy]

To my knowledge......

The first WCI Frigidaire Dryers were still of the GM Frigidaire design.....PAT COFFEY

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Frigid-SCARE! --Part Two

The lint filter is at least better & easier to clean (maybe because of it being a temporary Westinghouse design) than the bed-of-nails used before it & why DID Frigidaire go back to it?

My grandma had a 1988 Frgidaire a few models, down--probably the next-to-BOL, to be exact; two speeds, (at least that's what REG/PERM. PRESS & KNITS/DELICATE in the timer dial would'a suggested) three water levels, three temperatures, reg. cap. & Plasti-Tub ® ...

She never cleaned the filter out (as before she had a GE filter-flo, so that would explain VOLUMES, there!) and the big hairy clump at the back of the tub at least I would do...

A shame GM's ownership couldn't be everlasting at least in the washer & dryer industry...

-- Dave (Charles Klamkin, what do you think?)

 

[laundromat]

The dryer is a Hamilton,not a GM/Frigidaire. I remember them and the base cover as well as the drum proves it.I know it looks similar to a GM model but it isn't. It's a WCI.Not long after at the same time they went from the Westinghouse top loaders to the Franklins (who's dryers were made by their Hamilton division of WCI)with the plastic poly tubs.One of my aquaintences had the Kelvinator dryer that looked identical inside to this one.

 

[akronman]

Sanitize on Frigidaire

Malcolm-----maybe this applies, maybe not. My folks had a 1973 Frigidaire Jetcone 1-18, the up-down agitator style, with a sanitize option. It's long ago, memory not perfect, but I'm sure I am the only one in the house who read the instruction booklet. I actually don't remember if "Sanatize" was on the water-level or temp switch or cycles, I remember what it did. Low water level, hot water, saop and bleach but no clothes at all---2 minutes at high speed agitrate to throw water all arouna the tub, then a rinse/spray with hot to rinse it out. "Sanitize" was meant to clean the tub after diapers or something, was not to have clothes in it. My mother said it was a waste of time, but I had to play with it.
So, I do not remember if Sanatize was water level switch or temp switch or what, sorry, but I remember the function and reading every page of instructions and of course trying it once or twice, and really just a waste of time. Maybe it was a tiny portion of the timer dial, and you set the temp and level per instructions?
Maybe it was found on enough 1-18 machines that WCI kept some aspects of the feature when rotating agitator models came out, their loyal customers expected it?
With or without sanitize, I'd love one of those early 70's up-down agitator machines for nostalgia's sake.

Frigidaire pros-------did MOST jetcone up-downs in the early 70's have the lid window, or only TOL?

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I remember my dad lifting me up to look in the window in the lid of a washer... However he worked in the appliance dept. at WT GRANTS so I wonder how I would've peered into a Frigidaire in the same showroom that had a harvest gold Bradford dryer in the vestibule that was the same as our avocado Bradford dryer at home (WHITE door handle, and all!)...

-- Dave (et tu "Charlie"???) LOL

 

[pierreandreply4]

fridgedair

do not dispair i am sure that eventulay there will be a high demand for refurnish washers dryers of this brand orginal up and down agi and these models with agi when pepole will went models that last me if i had to go vintage i would go for eather the inglis whirlpool of my youth the fridgedair model with agi or the westinghouse model like yesterday pod ge filter flo without minibasket or kenmore and would try to find a harvest gold model as i love the harvest gold color lol

 

[3beltwesty]

"A push-to-start button on the dryer???? I thought every dryer had them by that time,"

Then 1976 Westy/WCI dryer I use as my main dryer has a "push-to-start button"

It really is the simple way to start an AC induction motor.

The marketing chaps comments of the start switch being for safety is what marketers do, make some standard old feature sold "special"

Compared to that 55 gallon WCI toploader, the smaller 1976 westy FL machine here uses 30 gallons max if the water level selector is set the highest. With a medium load 25 gallons is more typical.

In that era water usage was not an issue, thus fewer than 1 percent bought a FL washer to use less water. The house here did not even have a water meter until 1976, ie like free unmetered internet. When they did add meters water cost about 1/3 cent a gallon, today it is about 1 cent. Thus if one used a modern FL that uses 13 gallons back then; you would save 55-13= 42 gallons' or about 14 cents then per load.

 

[joelippard]

Here is the real Frigidaire

Mine is a 1972 and has the Sanitize option on the timer. This actually is a neat function and I have used it after getting over the cold or some such thing after washing the bed linens. The way this works is after you have washed the "infected" laundry you set the fill temperature to Hot and the Rinse temp to Warm, add 1 cup of bleach to the bleach dispenser set the fill level to Maximum. Rotate the timer to Sanitize then push it in. The washer enters the spray spin cycle and rinses the tub with hot water, then stops and fills to maximum, agitates and adds the bleach in from the dispenser, then enters the final spin and does a brief spin spray then dries itself and shuts off.

 

[mickeyd]

Sanitize spray--Gentlemen,

 

 

This is just fabulous news. Never knew it was so cool. I could get the hot spray I like on towels before hanging them outdoors without much fuss!!!

Would love to know what trick is involved in getting the machine to give a hot spray, you know, the mechanicals, at which I'm kinda slow sometimes.

 

Beautiful machine, Joe.

 

[circlew]

These "Frigidaires" are essentially the same as the Gibson/Kelvinator/Hamilton machines sold at that time. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[peteski50]

Poppy 1/18!

Joe - Thank you for posting this beautiful piece of art! My Aunt had a very simular set but without the window and painted the basement wall Poppy to match. This should have been the picture of the day instead of that immatiation trash! In tearms of appliances and american quality has gone down as we all know. But nothing could ever be as bad as what was done to frigidaire! WCI should never have bought it. It is true they didnt get the factories to build the products but the plan was to have production moved to another site. They actually had the site picked out and the service was put in place and all was set to go. Than thay backed out. (this was done to save money) - but look at all the money that was lost by throwing out a major appliance company. Also WCI had at that time westinghouse, kelvinator and gibson. What did they need a 4th company to do the same thing. They should have at least kept the refrigation / AC and laundry going. That is what made frigidaire. Had they played their cards right they could have been leaders in the industry. Of course all these decisions came from the higher ups that know nothing about appliances! I remember in the 80s most appliance dealers didnt want to deal with frigidaire. Before that when you walked into a appliance store their was most always a big frigidaire section. After that it was only a small area with much fewer models on display. I remember one store manager that I knew got into it with the WCI representives saying he would not tell his customers that their washers were just as good as the 1/18. Most of frigidaire customers went to maytag GE whirlpool and wouldnt buy such trash!

 

[akronman]

Sanitize

Joe--thanks for your accuracy and that picture.

 

[frigilux]

From what I've read about WCI, they were notorious for buying a company, stripping it of all research/development, firing almost everyone, then inflicting their super-cheap appliances on the formerly respected brand name---Kelvinator, Frigidaire, etc. Pure corporate evil.