Spanish Singer model

[embravio]

Hey all!

I was looking to see if I could find help from the aficionados as I've contacted Singer to no avail (they now only offer support for sewing machines).

So I'm currently living at a house in Portugal that was built in the late 80s and the top floor was furnished at the time. There are lots of old appliances here that still work great because they're fairly straight-forward in use. I have two washers - the one on the ground floor was put there in the early 2000s (it's some Teka model for which I could find the manual pretty quickly online) and the one on the top floor. They're both front-loaders (top-loaders were never really a thing in this country for some reason).

With the latter, online it's like it never existed. It looks to be from the 80s (the design, white and green-brown color scheme, etc) and it is branded as Singer LV 2400; on the back it has a sticker saying it's from Spanish Singer/built in Spain. I can't find anything about it anywhere and I'm assuming it was originally some other design built under license by Singer to be sold here, but that still doesn't give me much because I've no idea what Singer España were building around that time and it's not on the internet either. It works perfectly as far as I can tell, my problem is that the programs are all numbers (1-12) and it says nothing about them anywhere. Because of that, I can only bring myself to wash super sturdy fabrics using program 1 because that's generally the strongest program on machines. It's ridiculously simple - as far as controls go, it has a switch in the middle with a snowflake sign above it (from my experience it seems when it's turned down with a visible bar it's for cold and when turned up, with the bar hidden, it regulates the temperature according to the program) and to the right there's your typical selector (this machine comes on when you pull it "out" and shuts down if you push it in). I'll add pictures. Simultaneously it has tray compartments for pre-washing, regular detergent, bleach and softener, so it's not *that* simple.

Does anybody have any idea what the original model is (or ways to check that) so I could know what the programs do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Evelyn.

Thanks for posting the photos - never seen that version before. I say never seen that version before - there are lots of Spanish machines that we never saw in the UK, but we did have that machine sold over here (I think) and sold under its actual manufacturers brand.

The machine is a FAGOR and is probably based on their model F8520.
In case, when I upload the photos, the writing becomes illegible the main details are below:

> economy switch (that'll be the temperature slider - always thought it was a button)
> 500rpm spin
> 12 wash programmes
> 11lb wash capacity

FAGOR was always on the obscure end of brands sold over here and cannot have sold in big numbers. I don't ever remember seeing them in the shops and never knew anyone who had one. Advertising for them appeared to be minimal too.
As such I haven't got anymore information on them, so can't help with letting you know what the programming was :-(

However this model was part of FAGOR's core range, so hopefully they will be able to provide you with the information you require - fingers crossed!

Let us know how it goes and thanks for posting the photos of the SINGER LV2400 - photos saved for the archive

Regards
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

1985 - 1986 Catalogue

 

[matchboxpaul]

1986 - 1987 Catalogue

 

[matchboxpaul]

1987 Catalogue

 

[matchboxpaul]

A bit more info.

Just noticed that the 1985 to 1986 Catalogue image detailed the earlier range, so just nipped and looked at the Which consumer magazine from that year.

The model in the image below is 'F812', possibly also known as 'F-812'.
Model F8520 replaced the F812/F-812 circa 1986.

Noting that the Singer machine has the same powder drawer fascia as the F812/F-812, it looks like your machine is from circa 1984 to 1985.

If you do contact FAGOR asking for information on the F812/F-812, you will need to specify that it is from the 1980s as rather unhelpfully FAGOR look to have reused the same model number for one of their modern machines from this century.

Hope the waffle helps.
Regards
Paul

 

[embravio]

Wow, thank you so much Paul! I really was losing my faith in ever getting an answer to this, that was super helpful.

Regards, Evelyn

 

[embravio]

So just a little update for anyone who might be interested:

The information on the actual brand gave me a lot of hope but now I'm kind of aggravated with the whole situation, especially seeing as I've been able to find FAGOR manuals for older machines that frankly aren't even that necessary as the selectors in them have drawings and words.

Singer España and FAGOR customer service here are a complete joke. Both have told me that since my machine is soooo ancient (an employee from the CS at FAGOR sarcastically called it "historical equipment") they have no documentation for it, which I don't buy for a second, but alas.

I've done everything short of calling the U.K. branch (if that's even a thing) because frankly I don't know how that would even go down. I really wish I could think of a way to figure out the programs (some sort of test) without needing to have these frustrating interactions but I can't. In the meantime, if someone grabs a hold of the manual I'll be willing to buy it.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Singer / Fagor

Hello Evelyn, a warm welcome to AW and dont give up hope just yet on working out what the programmes do. Can you post a photo of the dial close and front on so we can see the numbering please ? I think those timers are similar to many and will be the RHS will be cottons washes of various temperatures low numbers being hotter , although I suspect 1 is a stand alone pre-wash , working round to 7 being final rinse and 8 being final fast spin, Then the LHS will be delicate programmes , higher water level for synthetics , delicates etc. Great you have an automatic Singer washing machine, its probably the only one certainly that we know of.

Morning Paul, great information you have worked through and posted , I did see Fagor being sold in Blacklers Electrical Dept store in Liverpool and as shown in the catalogues, its great Evelyn has found a working model, am sure we can advise working out the programmes given the way the timer is presented , fingers crossed !!

 

[vacbear58]

Evelyn

It is highly unlikely you will get any information from the UK, Fagor was never a popular brand here. However it is possible to derive the information you need with a little bit of trial an error. This machine largely predates the use of liquid detergents in Europe so you may need to buy some powder detergent if you normally use liquid and trying the programmes with the drawer pulled out a bit. Does the powder drawer have two compartments or three? Of the two larger compartments the smaller will be for pre-wash and the larger for main wash. You do NOT need to use the same amount of powder in both compartments as the clothes will be saturated with soapy water after the pre-wash. Normally I would split the recommended amount on the packet between the two compartments. If there is a third, much smaller, compartment then that will be for fabric conditioner.

You will also need to observe where the programme dial is at various stages of the cycle.

Can you see the back of the machine? Does it have hot and cold or cold fill only? That is does it have one water pipe or two, looking at the programmer the indications are that it will have two.

You say you are using Programme 1. Commonly that would be a hot wash (Cotton) at 90 or 95 degrees with a pre-wash. Does the machine use detergent from both compartments in the drawer on this programme? Normally you would have a short wash with high water level, the machine would then drain and refill to a lower level to carry out the main wash followed by rinses and spins.

If the machine has hot and cold hoses it is likely that the point before programme 1 is a "bio prewash" where the machine would fill with cold water only so that you get the benefit of heating the water up which gives a sort of soak combined with more time for biological powders to work better.

It is likely that programme 2 is the hot white wash without the prewash. You can check this by watching where the dial is at the end of the prewash.

Programme 3 is most likely fast coloureds with 60 degree wash. It looks like there may be a heavy soil option which may be a prewash or just a longer cycle - you would need to watch what is going on in the powder drawer when you choose option 3 and does the machine do a pre-wash or not? That is a fill to high level, wash, drain, refill to low level, wash rinse and spin.

Programme 4 is likely fast colours normal soil.

By the way, if I am correct than programmes 3/4 should be suitable for most of your laundry needs.

Programme 5 would then be non fast colours - 40 degree wash - for sturdy fabrics which may be subject to colour runs.

On this basis programme 6 would be the start of the rinse cycle, so the machine should have drained and starring to fill to higher water level with some tumbling and draining. On your normal wash cycle has the dial moved round to 6 at the start of the rinse segment?

Programme 7 is almost certainly single rinse with fabric conditioner if there is a third compartment in the drawer.

Programme 8 will be long, fast spin.

Programme 9 will be white nylon, heavy soil - this will have a prewash with the bio option as discussed above

Programme 10 White nylon without prewash

Programme 11 Minimum Iron

Programme 12 Delicates and POSSIBLY machine washable woollens.

Personally I seldom use 10/11/12 cycles in a machine of this age, if I want to wash woollens I use a modern machine with a specific wool cycle.

Hope this all helps, it will not take long to suss it all out. I hope you are not using the cold wash option all the time

Al

 

[vacbear58]

PS

Does your clothing have what looks like a wash tub with a number inside it on the label with the washing instructions? If so, these can be related back to the cycles outlined above

Al

 

[embravio]

Hello Mike, and thank you! Right now I'm visiting family so I'm not near the machine, I will do it when I can. If it's any help, program 4 has a spacing line until 5 that's probably as long as the one between 11 and 12, then 5 is as long as 3 and 6 is as long as 4.

 

[embravio]

Hello Al,
Luckily I still have some powder detergent. The drawer actually has 4 compartments, with symbols! Right to left: I is pre-washing, II is regular detergent, then the third and fourth are actually quite narrow (very easy to accidentally spill something in the neighboring one when filling) and, if I recall correctly, the third has a "cl" symbol (bleach) and the fourth has a flower (softener).

As for the number of water pipes, I frankly don't remember very well, but I do seem to recall two - as you mention, technically it would have to be the case but I've seen really bad installing service around here and, since it was put in place back in the 80s, I can't really say for sure. This machine (and the house it's in) was my grandmother's, and she both had a bad habit of immediately throwing away manuals and mostly washed stuff by hand (this is a really rural area).

About me using 1, that was only either for a short period or I got it confused with the other machine that I own, which has a bunch of temperature selectors and a diagram describing the programs, where A is for really soiled and resistant fabrics. Even though the only thing I currently use this machine for is bath towels and things of that sort, upon running the RHS cycles I realized that 3 and subsequently 4 get quite hot (what I've been using for towels) and then 6 seems to be almost cold.

I'm not sure what you mean by "checking where the dial stands", as this machine will just go on, with an exception for the "Stop" parts - meaning, if you select 1 and leave it running it will complete 1 to 8.

I am not using the cold option all the time (I don't think I've ever used it actually) as that would be both unhygienic and uncomfortable (the weather here is quite cold, rainy and windy); if I hadn't been able to get the machine to heat water I would only be using the other one (uncomfortable as well since it's quite distant and the house has no interior stairs, so I'd need to be carrying heavy and wet towels in the cold - I own no proper dryer). This other one (a Teka presumably from the early 2000s) has more options but it will "dance around" quite a lot and was used *way* more often, as my late grandmother only used the Singer before the Teka was put there.

The Singer branding really is a mystery to me because FAGOR always sold well here and was around back then.

Since your "guesses" seem to correspond really well with my experience I'm really trusting your comments and will try to sort it out when I get back.

As for the labels in clothes: yes, they do have them - however they're not really useful, since going by them you'd think everything short of towels would need handwashing and never at a hotter temperature than 40.

I want to thank you very much for the wealth of information!