Samsung WF210ANW (general knowledge thread)

[jkbff]

I have a question that no one has been able to answer for me so I figured this would be the best place to ask...

I have the BOL Samsung WF210ANW Washer and Dryer frontloading set. They were purchased because they were on sale for $800 for the pair plus stacking kit. After they arrived I quickly found out why they were so cheap... I think I could spit and make my clothes wetter than what the washer did... I found a video on youtube of another guy complaining about the same issue and he adjusted the pressure switch and now everything gets washed.

With that said, How full can I fill this machine and still have clean clothes/linens? What settings clean better etc because the way I'm using it now my wash cycles take 1:45....

My dear mother never really went over laundry when I lived at home and when I ask her she starts going off on all sorts of rants and things I should be doing... I watch my grandma as she does her laundry and ... She has a lovely pair of Whirlpool Gold Duets that I wished I had... She puts about 5 or 6 items in at a time because she doesn't like the fact that with such fast spin the machine wobbles on the drawer stand kit with a fuller tub... I don't think they were leveled properly when they were installed and she won't let me mess with them...

I guess if anything, I am asking for a complete NEWB lesson on how to use a front loading washer for an owner with two long haired cats, how I should maintain the machine and how to get the best results from the pair without damaging my clothes...

Oh, if it helps, I use Melaleuca products...

 

[frontloaderfan]

Melaleuca...

FWIW, my mother used to sell that stuff in the early '90s. I always thought it made my clothes smell moldy and the fact that they said once you use their products in your machine, you have to use them exclusively in order for it to work properly sounds almost like brainwashing.
Others will be able to tell you how to use your machine effectively. I just read the owner's manual from front to back on my 2012 Frigidaire front loader and have had great results..

 

[henene4]

I would top the waterlevel up to the door seal. This is IMO the best waterlevel: Clothes still tumble but have enough water. Higher would be more gentle on clothes, less water would save water of course...

 

[henene4]

Sorry, I meant up to the bottom part of the door seal.

 

[pierreandreply4]

me i do not think its possible

me i do not think its possible if you went to have a higher water level you would be better exchanging your front load washer for a good old fashion topload washer where you can control the water level you need.

 

[ronhic]

Pierre

That is NOT what the original poster asked!

He has requested assistance with HIS machine - not our opinion about if he should or should not purchase a new one.

Everyone who's hovered around this site for a week knows you don't like front load machines. You have your reasons for preferring top load over front load. This is not the thread to air those opinions - they do not add value to the original question. So for once, if you can't add value to the conversation, please try and keep your OPINIONS firmly to yourself so the rest of us may try and provide sound ADVICE to help this chap answer his question without confusing.

 

[ronhic]

Joshua

Welcome.

Firstly, you would hope that Samsung know what they are doing. I can't advise on how to adjust water levels.

However, I can provide some advice on what to do and how much washing you should be able to put in based on my experience with nothing but front load machines.

So:

- Close all zips on clothes
- Do up jeans/trousers
- Sort (whites/lights/darks or lights/darks if you don't have many whites)
- Avoid shoving things in. I've always found the best way is to hold larger items up, grab in the middle and then feed them in. Particularly trousers, jeans, heavy sweat tops, sheets and towels.
- Avoid mixing sheets and clothing/towels. Clothing and towels can get caught up and 'ball' inside a sheet causing a significant out of balance situation.
- I always suggest to people that you should load a 'cotton' load at least 3/4 the way up the door glass to right to the very top of the door/drum with just enough room left that you're not forcing items in.
- The slightly faster tumbles at the beginning where clothes are 'pinned' to the drum is the machine deciding how big the load is.
- The machine will continue to adjust the water intake as the load absorbs. Towels will ultimately use more water than sheets for example.

Now a few suggestions:

- Unless you have a specific reason to use the detergent you mention, I'd suggest a good quality powdered detergent that is actually low sudsing. You will get better results and your machine will prefer it.
- Some of the US detergents that are 'He' are difficult to rinse out. Others on here will know what tends to work best.
- If you like fabric conditioner in everything, reduce the amount you use by at least 1/2 - 2/3 compared to a top load machine....there is less water - you need less.
- Use warm cycles. Results will be better in any machine in warm water.
- Do a load a week in HOT and preferably without softener. This will remove the 'softener' film that can add to the 'smelly washer' syndrome that you may read about...ditto for not using liquids, though I confess to a complete aversion to both.
- Use that HOT cycle to wash bed linens.
- When finished, use an old cloth to wipe out the door seal. Fold a small, dry hand towel in 4 and place over the top of the door so that when you push the door to, it rests between the door and seal and won't allow it to close. This will allow the machine to 'air'. NEVER CLOSE THE DOOR WHEN THE MACHINE IS NOT IN USE. To do so creates a sealed environment for mould....

My mother, aunt, friends and I have followed these 'rules' for over 40 years and none of us have ever had an issue with clothes not being washed properly, out of balance issues or smelly machines. My current machine is 8 years old and has no odour at all in it. I've washed everything from wool sweaters to urine soaked dog rugs (medical issue) and never had an issue.

Don't be afraid to ask more questions!

 

[henene4]

He indeed asked how high he can fill that washer and best results are produced ar waterlevel ond door level, but not touching the glass. The clothes are still liften out of the water but are soaked and flushed well.

 

[washer111]

I agree with Ronhic whole-heartadley, so I won't go into anything on that matter.

But I will add:
Depending on the intelligence of the people who programmed the machine's cycles, you might be lucky to have a cycle that runs a higher water level: For example a Delicates, Bulky or "other" program where increased water level is beneficial. Such cycles are likely to take a smaller load and maybe take less time (if you are lucky).

Skim your user manual to see if you can find some sort of Cycle/Water-Level or water-usage chart: What might be happening is you are using a cycle designed to meet some energy-saving standard, which barely soaks your clothes. Find one with a median load capacity and water usage, then test it out! You've got nothing to lose, right?
You might also have some sort of "Water Plus" setting that adds an extra rinse, more water or both (depending on the machine. Yes my Miele does that, so it probably isn't comparable to your Samsung. Worth a mention, anyhow).

I would caution against tampering with your water-level sensor/pressure valve if possible. Altering it *might* void your warranty, and you don't want that if the machine decides to be really cheap on you. But if you do choose to adjust it, I recommend a level that reaches just the very lip where water will be at the bottom of the door seal: This still allows your clothes to be tumbled (not poorly "agitated" like at high levels), and should give good rinsing results, if the machine only uses one sensor for wash/rinse.
If you can adjust the rinse water level, try to get it around 1/4 of the way up the glass, which should give some gentle tumbling action and superb results (certainly better than now!).

Good luck with your endeavours. With some luck, your machine won't be quite so mediocre after we've helped

 

[jkbff]

I've been so busy trying to find my dishwasher I didn't think to check over on this side. Thanks for the replies!

Ok, the water level thing.. from everything that I have read. .. This machine was set to use such a little amount of water to pass the epa ratings.. I asked a repair shop what they thought before I did the adjustment and they said that they do it all the time on the low end samsungs because thats how they get their ratings... They dont use enough water to wash a large amount of clothes at a time..

Before I did the adjustment I washed two pillows... the pillows came out dry ... like half fluffy dry.. When I did the adjustment you could tell the pillows were at one point soaked all the way through but the water was spun out...
As far as hot goes on this machine, unless I hook valves up to switch hoses around there is no true hot.. this machine always fills half full with cold then alternates between hot and cold... the glass never gets more than medium warm... yet if I swap the hot and cold hoses around the glass gets hot hot.. Samsung buggered this machine to pass for ratings.. It is annoying but.. the price point that these machines were acquired at couldn't be beat. Especially with the warranty.

I use melaleuca because I love their products. They seem residue free, they don't seem to react and they use essential oils.. I do use softener, but I would be generously over estimating if I said I used a table spoon for a full load. That leads me to another question since this doesn't have the pure cycle or whatever... what does one do to clean this machine without bleach?

Loading clothes - I guess I do the whole fold the garment and put it in, not shove piles in at a time. On some stuff I add a half a cup of baking soda (undies and socks etc) and I do use some sol-u-mel (tea tree oil based)... My clothes don't feel or smell dirty, but Even reading the manual doesn't tell me the capacities of the machine. I can generally do 16 pairs of pants.. but. My mom always tells me its too much..

I really would like a new set, but I'll use these for a while to get the $800 outta them then I'll move on to something more commercial.. I've never used a top load machine, always front load so thats what I'll probably stay with. Mom has neptunes, I started doing laundry working in hotels using amazing commercial front loaders, the neatest being unimacs I used. With the way stuff is made now days, I’ve been buying more and more commercial products… When I move into a house, I’ll have nice built for life appliances..

 

[logixx]

A 3.5 cu.ft tub is able to hold 22 lbs. of laundry. How much the machine will clean also depends on the soil level and cycle time:  a quick wash won't clean a drum stuffed with heavily soiled items.

 

One hour is enough for a 1/2 to 3/4 loosely filled drum. 1:45 hrs. should clean even a full drum.

 

Here's what I consider a medium load and a full load in my 3.3 cu.ft. Duet.

 





 

I also found this table on http://laundry.reviewed.com/content/samsung-wf210anw-review.htm regarding the temps in your washer. Yup, not surprised your door glass won't get hot.

 

Alex

 

[jkbff]

The water doesn't even get to body temp... :/ I'm surprised no one on here has experienced this model yet? You can definitely tell why they were such a good deal ... I suppose if I make a valve switch setup I can just leave it on cold wash and force it to use the mixtures I have set on external valves? That or since its water level based and almost seems time based with the cold water, I could reduce the cold pressure but I'm sure that'll mess with something too...

 

[washer111]

Mixing Valves

That's the way you want to go! Get a nice thermostatic mixing valve, connect your hot and cold to it, then connect the outlet to the washer's "COLD" inlet, and run "cold" washes all the time...

Now here's the laugh, the hottest temperature (91.80ºF) is actually the coldest you would want to be washing at (with the hottest still quite out of grasp if you don't take matters into your own hands). Does your machine actually use a Hot/Warm/Cold selector, is it pre-determined for the cycle you are running?

 

[jkbff]

Out of curiosity, can a front loader handle pet hair as well as a ... filtered top loader?

 

[nmassman44]

In my experience with front loaders thats a yes and no answer. With my Miele washer with the HoneyComb drum ...thats a solid hell no. Hair "mats up" in clumps and it doesnt do well with cat fur. But with my Frigidaire built GE washer cat fur is handled well in small doses. If I wash the fuzzy blanket on our bed that seems to be a cat magnet when we go to bed then the washer will do its best to get the fur out, the dryer finishes the job. If I hang the blanket out to dry I find quite a bit of fur left on the blanket. My Speed Queen toploader does OK with fur but it aint no GE Filterflo thats for sure. With 4 kitties I have plenty of catfur...want some?!

 

[jkbff]

I've got two Maine Coon males... I've got plenty ... Thanks though

With that being said, what sort of damage will I do if I don't vacuum my linens before washing them? Is there a filter I can empty out or where does the lint and hair go in the washer?