POD 9/10/11: Frigidaire Commercial Laundry

[daveamkrayoguy]

So where are the controls?

Are they on the vault box?

How would they work?

They look fairly tight...

Nice that the washer has the back-opening lid w/ the Whirlpool-type handle (& wonder why it wasn't used on the residential models)...

Lastly: Would this machine have the up/down-pulsator or be an Agi-tub model?

-- Dave

 

[peterh770]

All the electronics are in the top of the coin vault.

 

If the back opening lid was on the home models, it would block the control panel.  If the coin-op had the side opening lid, it would bang into the coin vault of the machine next to it, the wall, or hang in the middle of the aisle or across a folding table.

 

The mechanics under the hood were 1-18, but some early models had Jet-Action agitators (original Rollermatic) and later had 1-18 Jet-Cones.  I remember the Jet-Cone ones, but I don't remember the layout of the pushbuttons.

 

[appnut]

This washer was in the laundry room of the very first apartment I moved into in college (fall 1974). they weren't there for very long. when I had looked at the complex in the spring of 1974, there were still turqoise FFs in there. So I odn't know when the Frigidares came in. My apartment was right next to the laundry room building and my bedroom was at that end of the apartment. It was nice to go to sleep with the 1/18 thumper noise. they were also the same harvest gold. the old turqoise large dryers (2 of them) were still in the laundry room with the 4 washers. the controls had the H/W, H/C, W/C, and C/C temp buttons and the N/N, N/S, and S/S speed buttons. One or two of the machines kept breaking down and one of them seemed to have a water valve lead that would allow the water to slowly come in where the circle spray came in. They were replaced with SQs in early winter. I really liked the Frigidaires over the SQs, but the queens were 2-speed.

 

[westie2]

Never saw the 1-18 commercial washers but did go to some of the ones that were the solid tub jetcones. Tere were several in Hurst-Euless-Bedford the mid cities are in DFW area in the late 60's and early 70's. They were really nice laundry's that is when the area was just starting to really grow. Had a sister that lived there and when we went to vist with our kids would use them to do diapers was soo good to have them and the fast spin. Wife loved them as that is what she grew up with. During this time we had in our rent duplex a 1956 Maytag AMP with a timed fill and the small wringer type agitator. We hung things out also as we were in college and working. At that time the water in Hurst was so soft and was from wells. Sister used the All that was still low sudsing. Worked great in that soft water. The washers had the glass in the lids which made it even better to me.

 

[philr]

Nice that the washer has the back-opening lid w/ the Whirlpool-type handle (& wonder why it wasn't used on the residential models)...
 
 
I think one of the reasons to use a side opening lid on the residential models was not to block the light from the console fluorescent when unloading the washer (and avoid having a tub light light Whirlpools did) and to see the controls with the lid open.
 
And the washer's handle seems to be the same as the 1-18 dryer's door handle.
 
The crease to open side opening lids is still present on Frigidaire commercial washers, even on older ones like the turquoise ones in the following link
 
Also look at the gold (newer) covers with a rectangular window lid, they seem to have the same dryer door handle as the one on the POD, are they later solid tub models or perforated tub models?
 
 
 

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Hey, yeah! There IS an indentation used for left-side opening lids on the top of the washer, too!

Just mostly wonder about the controls on the coin vault box & how they operate; if they're push-buttons or knobs, or something...

-- Dave

 

[peteski50]

Frigidaire!

In 1964 their was a dry cleaner that installed these machines. I used to love to use them. Cycle time was 18 minutes and you would get the cleanest wash!
Peter

 

[appnut]

Dave, each setting of what I described in above post was a little black pushbutton.

 

[jetcone]

PhilR

nice site you are building over at Flickr! 

 

Phil I think the yellow machines with the square lids could be one of two versions I've seen. In the 1970's GM made a commercial machine with a solid tub but it was set in the 1-18 mechanism. They also made I'm told but never have seen a 1-18 perforated model. I think the yellow machines with the square windows are one of these two styles.

 

Love all the vintage graphics.

 

[appnut]

Jon, the one that was in my college apartment's laundry room was definitely perforated tub and had the jet circle spray too.

 

[steved]

First generation 1-18

commercial Frigidaire washers were definitely solid tub as stated in this brochure, with timed fill and overflow rinsing

 

[steved]

page 2

kind of a hybrid between the old and new. Notice the belt drive

 

[steved]

next generation

seems to offer the solid tub and the perforated tub. Notice how the WC-M model is 14#, pressure fill and lighter weight than the other one. Plus the cycle is longer and there is no option for a gravity drain

 

[steved]

WC-M is oddly similar

To this budget model from the same (1975) era

 

[steved]

details

many similarities

 

[jetcone]

Wow Steve

that WA sure is a BOL model,never seen that one.

 

I had one of the solid tub commercial machines for years, it was a gravity drain too. It was weird that heavy balance ring inside that 1-18 mechanism tub! It had a long extension post under the tub to take up the difference in height between the outer 1-18 tub and the earlier 60's solid tub.

 

 

 

[peteski50]

Frigidaire!

I also never saw the WA model from above?

 

[joelippard]

Very Interesting

Never imagined they would install the solid tub in the 1-18 style machine.

 

[cfz2882]

motor

looks like a round delco motor was used on the commercial machines-i have always
seen square emerson motors on the"normal" 1-18 mechanism...

 

[steved]

repost

maybe this is a clearer pic

 

[steved]

more

detail

 

[steved]

tub view

solid tub pulsator in perforated tub! I suppose the capacity is less because the pulsator is shorter

 

[philr]

The cycle selector looks like the one on my GMini!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Thank You, Guys!!!!!!

--For all the information on FRIGIDAIRE COIN LAUNDRY/COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT & then some...!!!!!!

-- Dave

 

[spin-it]

Frigidaire coin laundry

When I was a kid in the 60's my grandmother had a house at the Jersey shore (Lavalette). There were several of these Frigidaire coin laundries up and down the main boulevard (Rt.35). The machines were always turquoise, had the round window and a very fast spin speed. I was fascinated by the Frigidaires because I never saw a "pulsating" agitator before. It was very cool. Of course I always wanted to go when she went and my dad would get very upset that I didn't want to stay back and play with the other kids. Check out the pic in Phil R's link above, looked very similar. What model machines were they at that time?

 

[jetcone]

Now that we see the tub

shot, I had heard about this machine from someone wayyy back but never thought it actually was produced! A jet action 1-18 now that would be fun to play with!

 

 

 

[peterh770]

The problem is that you have to be careful with the water level.  I put a Jet Action into my 1-18, and it wasn't too good.  If the level is too high, stuff will get stuck on top of the cone and just loop around there in kind of a reverse turnover.  The rest of the load just sunk to the bottom and didn't move around much.

 

[jetcone]

Interesting experiment Peter

but if you set the fill to the 12 pound level it should work--in theory.

 

[steved]

I think so Jon

Since the specs say there is a preset fill level, with the pressure switch to prevent overfilling